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QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 907221; External: 907225; Springfield campus: 927221

CRICOS code (International applicants): 079520A

You are currently viewing the 2023 Handbook. For study in 2024, please refer to the .

Notes

In 2023 the program follows the Semester calendar. The Academic Calendar and Important Dates webpage will allow you to view and download a copy of the important dates for the Semester calendar.

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Professional accreditation

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) (Surveying) is fully accredited by the Surveyors Board of Queensland and is recognised in every Australian state and in New Zealand through reciprocal arrangements. The degree, together with relevant industry experience, enables registration and/or licensing as a professional surveyor with the Boards of Surveyors in Australia and New Zealand.

Graduates from the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) are eligible to apply for membership with the .

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Program aims

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) program provides students with the educational requirements to become a professional spatial scientist and the ability to undertake postgraduate studies. The program equips students with a core of theoretical, scientific, analytical, managerial, professional, research and communication skills that will permit them to undertake an in-depth study of the fundamental science and practice of spatial science in one of two fields: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Surveying. The program provides students with sufficient knowledge of surveying and spatial information systems to be eligible to gain employment, certification and, where appropriate, registration as a Professional Surveyor or Spatial Scientist.

In addition, students obtain knowledge of the natural, legal, commercial, industrial and social environments in which they will function as professionals. The program instils in students the need for continuing professional development and is designed to identify, and award honours to, students who have the capacity to undertake study at an advanced level and to make an original contribution to the fundamental science and practice of spatial science. The class of honours will be determined by academic performance. Refer to the Honours section of this entry for further details.

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Program objectives

A student who successfully completes the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) should be able to apply:

• advanced knowledge in the theories, concepts, methods and technologies in the areas of surveying and spatial science

• skills and knowledge in the analysis, synthesis and evaluation of appropriate technologies, methods and processes to solve and complete a range of surveying and spatial science

• development of advanced technical and cognitive skills to create innovative and sustainable solutions utilising cutting-edge technologies, supported by research to collect, store and manipulate spatial data

• knowledge and skills to accept responsibility and autonomously apply well-informed judgements regarding professional practices, theories and processes

• advanced oral and written communication skills to transmit and convey the necessary information and ideas to relevant stakeholders

• consistent adaptation and application of academic norms and ethical standards in decision making when working collaboratively in a professional capacity

• knowledge of surveying and spatial information systems of sufficient depth to be eligible for employment, certification and, where appropriate, registration as a Professional Surveyor or Spatial Scientist.

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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 08. Graduates at this level will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Program Information Set

View UniSQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Have achieved a minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 74.15, or equivalent qualification.^

• Subject Pre-requisites: English (Units 3 & 4, C) and Mathematical Methods (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent.

• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 2.

Applicants are advised to also address the following:

• Recommended Prior ¾«¶«´«Ã½app: Physics (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a , which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, external or online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) is a 32-unit program comprising Academic courses plus Practice courses.

Academic courses are normally one-unit courses and involve approximately 155 hours of student workload per unit.

Practice courses are zero unit courses and each involves approximately 50 hours of student workload.

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 10 years to complete this program.

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Electives/Approved courses

Approved courses are part of the Academic program and students must select approved courses from a specified list.

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Practice courses

The majority of the practical and professional experience requirements for the program are contained within the major recommended enrolment pattern in the following table. These are zero unit courses, which are a compulsory part of the program, however they do not attract a student contribution charge for Australian Residents or a tuition fee for international students.

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Practical experience

Work experience is desirable and encouraged but is not required for the completion of the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) program. Students are encouraged to obtain work experience during vacation periods.

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements, please refer to the .

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Residential schools

The attendance requirement of residential schools within this degree is indicated by the following letters: R = Recommended; HR = Highly Recommended; M = Mandatory. To find out more about , visit the to view specific dates for your degree, or visit the .

Students are required to undertake practical and professional activities relevant to their program through enrolment in a series of Practice courses in the program. Practice courses are zero unit courses that may be undertaken in either on-campus or external mode and the final grades available are Pass (P)/Fail (F) only. They are a compulsory part of the program and do not attract a student contribution charge for Australian residents or a tuition fee for international students. The recommended enrolment schedule for Practice courses is shown in the Recommended Enrolment Pattern for the program in this Handbook.

External students must attend a number of during their program to obtain experience in practical and professional activities appropriate to the program. The residential schools are included in Practice courses which are conducted in Semester 3 or during the recess periods. The dates for each residential school Practice course are shown in the in this Handbook and external students should ensure they are able to attend the residential school prior to enrolling in a Practice course. Personal protective equipment is compulsory in many engineering, construction and spatial science laboratories, students should confirm the requirements before attending residential schools for Practice courses.

Students who enrol in on-campus mode for Practice courses normally undertake a series of weekly activities and/or attend a compulsory residential school.

PSG3900 Professional Week 1^** and ENG4110 Engineering Research Methodology are to be studied in the student's penultimate year. After completing PSG3900 Professional Week 1 , students must study the following courses;PSG4111 Research Project A and PSG4112 Research Project B and PSG4900 Professional Week 2^** in the same academic year.

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Exit points

Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) and who satisfy all of the requirements of either the Bachelor of Surveying Technology, the Associate Degree of Surveying or the may be permitted to exit with that award.

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Credit

Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the .

Work Experience

Work and industrial experience that has not been formally assessed, does not normally qualify for course credit in the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) program.

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Honours

The level of honours awarded will be determined based on the UniSQ procedure. Please refer to the , using Schedule B for overall GPA and EITHER: the average grade across both PSG4111 Research Project A and PSG4112 Research Project B; OR the grade in PSG4112 Research Project B alone (whichever is the higher) to satisfy the ‘Performance in honours project component’.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Geographic Information Systems major recommended enrolment pattern
• Geographic Information Systems major recommended enrolment pattern (part-time)
• Surveying Major recommended enrolment pattern (Toowoomba and Springfield campus)

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Geographic Information Systems major recommended enrolment pattern

To satisfy the requirements of the program students must complete all of the Academic and Practice courses in the following table that shows the recommended enrolment patterns for on-campus and external students for our Toowoomba campus. Students following a non-standard enrolment pattern should consult the to ascertain if a course is offered in another term.

Full-time recommended enrolment pattern

Notes

Other courses may be admissible as an approved course. However students must obtain approval from the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences prior to enrolling in the course. Students may undertake only one appropriate level five or level eight course from this program or another program in the area of Engineering and Built Environment as an approved course with the approval of the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

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Geographic Information Systems major recommended enrolment pattern (part-time)

Notes

Other courses may be admissible as an approved course. However students must obtain approval from the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences prior to enrolling in the course. Students may undertake only one appropriate level five or level eight course from this program or another program in the area of Engineering and Built Environment as an approved course with the approval of the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

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Surveying Major recommended enrolment pattern (Toowoomba and Springfield campus)

To satisfy the requirements of the program students must complete all of the Academic and Practice courses in the following table that shows the recommended enrolment patterns for on-campus and external students for our Toowoomba campus. Students following a non-standard enrolment pattern should consult the to ascertain if a course is offered in another term.

Notes


Students may undertake only one appropriate level five or level eight course from this program or another program in the area of Engineering and Built Environment as an Elective with the approval of the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.