Geomatics Division. School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics. Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. University of Cape Town

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1 Geomatics Division School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town BSc Hon GIS HONOURS DEGREE PROGRAMME IN GIS HANDBOOK 2013 The latest version of this document is available on the Geomatics Programme website: Note: Information in the current Faculty Handbook ( The Green Book ) takes precedence over any information supplied in this document. In addition, courses, lecturers etc may change without notice within UCT rules and regulations. 1

2 GEOMATICS BSc Hon GIS - PROGRAMME HANDBOOK Geomatics is an applied science and a professional discipline. As an applied science it involves an integrated approach to the measurement, analysis, management, and display of geographic and other spatial data. As a professional discipline, geomaticians have specialist skills, knowledge, and understanding in order to provide services that meet the needs of society and which contribute to social and political stability, quality of life and the management of natural heritage and resources. Geomatics professionals may be involved in designing, conducting and managing activities relating to surveying, geography, information systems, land development and planning, law and commerce. Geomatics professionals use the latest satellite, laser, acoustic, and information technology and are continually branching into new challenging areas of specialisation, one of which is the growing field of GIS, which is the subject of this degree programme. The School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics offers the BSc Hon GIS degree in order to provide those with a first degree in the natural and geographical sciences, or who wish to add GIS skills and knowledge to their toolbox, a complete course in GIS which will allow them to operate as GIS specialists within their field of work. Students wishing to specialise further may register for a Masters (or a Doctoral degree if a Masters degree has been attained) and join the large team of enthusiastic and multi-national postgraduate students. Entrance Merit Scholarships are available from the University of Cape Town for new postgraduate students. For the closing date for applications consult the UCT web page. This handbook is targeted at graduate students with a first degree, and prospective postgraduate students at MSc and PhD level should refer to the Geomatics web page for more details of postgraduate options. 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. STAFF Academic Staff: Support Staff: 4 2. RULES FOR ADMISSION TO DEGREE see Faculty Handbook 5 3. GENERAL GEOMATICS PROGRAMME INFORMATION South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Details Aims of the Programme Outcomes of the Programme BSc Hon GIS Integration and Inter-relationship of Courses Recommended Options Timetable Assessment Quality Control ACADEMIC CALENDAR FOR Calendar of Public and UCT Holidays Term Dates: HONOURS PROJECT MISCELLANEOUS Postgraduate Programme Handbook Student Counsellors: Lecture Notes and other Course Material: Plagiarism, Referencing, and Bibliographies: Seminars: Course Evaluation: Insurance: Financial Assistance: Student Representation: Continue Your Studies 16 3

4 1. STAFF 1.1. Academic Staff: Mr S Hull, BSc (Survey), UKZN; MSc (Eng), UCT; PGCE, UNISA. Teaches introductory Geomatics, Surveying and GIS courses. Research interests in education, digital close-range photogrammetry, remote sensing and GIS. Room 508, fifth floor, Menzies Building. Dr G Sithole, BSc (Surveying) Hons UZ(Zim), MSc IGP ITC(NL), PhD TUDelft(NL), LSZ (Zim). Teaches photogrammetry, computer programming and numerical methods in geomatics. Research interests are in the areas of Laser Altimetry, Photogrammetry, Computing and 3D reconstruction. Room 5.06 Fifth Floor, Menzies Building. Associate Professor Dr J Smit, BSc (Survey), Cape Town, PhD, Cape Town. Teaches advanced geographic information systems (GIS) photogrammetry and remote sensing. Research interests in spatial data infrastructures, earth observation and mapping sensor design. Room , Fifth Floor, Menzies Building. Associate Prof Smit is the current Head of the Geomatics Division. Associate Professor Dr. J F Whittal, BSc (Survey) Cape Town, MSc (Eng.) Cape Town, PhD Calgary. Teaches GPS, advanced surveying, cadastral surveying and land law. Research interests in land tenure and cadastral systems. Room 504.1, Fifth Floor, Menzies Building. Emeritus Professors Associate Professor Charles Merry: BSc (Surv) Cape Town, PhD New Brunswick, FAIG. Teaches geodesy, coordinate systems and least squares. Research interests in geoid modelling, co-ordinate transformations and precise GPS applications. Professor Heinz Rüther (Chair of Surveying): Dipl Ing Bonn, PhD Cape Town. Teaches adjustments of observations and precise engineering surveying. Research interests in precise engineering surveying, conventional and digital close-range photogrammetry and machine vision. Fifth Floor, Menzies Building. Part-Time: Mr Rodney Cronwright, BA MC & RP MBA Cape Town TRP (SA) MSA/TRP. Teaches land use planning and township design. Fifth Floor, Menzies Building 1.2. Support Staff: Ms Soraya Shaffie Mr Dirk Matthee Ms Mignon Wells Mr Sidney Smith. Senior Secretary Chief Technical Officer Senior Technical Officer Laboratory Assistant 4

5 2. RULES FOR ADMISSION TO DEGREE see Faculty Handbook The Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geographical Information Systems degree is offered by the Faculty through the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics The degree is not available to BSc Geomatics (or equivalent) graduates. Minimum Admission Requirements FHG1 A person shall not be admitted as a candidate for the degree unless he or she: (a) is a graduate of the BSc degree of this University; or (b) is the holder of any three-year bachelor s degree of this, or any other university recognised for the purpose by the Senate as equivalent to the BSc degree of this University; or (c) has an approved first year (two semesters) University course in Mathematics OR an approved first year (one semester) University course in Mathematics and a first year (one semester) University course in Statistics (d) has in any other manner attained a level of competence which in the opinion of the Senate is adequate for the purpose of admission.. Selection FHM2 Selection is based on an applicant's academic record and experience. Applicants may be required to attend an interview and/or write an entrance examination. Duration FHM3 A candidate must be registered for a minimum of one academic year. Registration Requirements FHM4. Subject to the provisions of the Rule on Readmission, 1 below, a candidate must register annually unless granted leave of absence by Senate. FHM4. A candidate must register or reregister by not later than the 2 end of Registration Week, or, if any of the courses begins earlier, by not later than the date on which the first course starts. Curriculum FHM5. A candidate: 1 (i) must comply with the curriculum and course requirements prescribed by Senate which are published in the Programmes of Study and Courses Offered sections of this Handbook; and (ii) must complete approved coursework of a value not less than 144 credits. 5

6 FHM5. A candidate's curriculum in each year shall be subject to 2 the approval of the Dean and the Head of the Department administering the Degree Programme for which the candidate is registered. FHM5. When registering for courses a candidate shall be required 3 to adhere to the prescribed lecture timetable slots, as documented in the departmental Lecture Timetable. A candidate shall inform the Head of the Department in writing of any clash of courses (lectures/tutorials/practicals etc) arising from adherence to this Rule immediately it becomes apparent that such a clash exists. Except with the permission of the Head of Department, a candidate may not be permitted to register for a course which clashes with another in the lecture timetable. In the event of such a clash precedence shall be given, for registration purposes, to courses which are being repeated or undertaken in arrears. FHM5. Except by permission of Senate a candidate may not 4 withdraw from a course which he or she is repeating. Method of Assessment FHM6. General 1 Courses are assessed by formal examination, by review or by satisfactory performance of the duly performed certificate (DP) requirements. If a course is assessed by formal examination or review, a student may be refused permission (DPR) to present himself/herself for the examination or review if he/she fails to satisfy the Senate that he/she has satisfactorily attended and duly performed the work of the class by the date set in the conditions for the award of a DP certificate. FHM6. Formal Examination 2 Assessment by formal examination may be by means of written and/or oral examination, tutorials, class tests, term papers, notebooks or other course assignments. An external examiner is appointed for each course assessed by examination. FHM6. Duly Performed (DP) Certificate 3 A DP certificate may be withheld unless (i) all parts of each project, tutorial and other assignments are completed to an acceptable standard and submitted for assessment at stipulated times; (ii) there is satisfactory attendance (as prescribed by Senate) and satisfactory participation in all sections of the course. Readmission Requirements FHM7 Except by permission of the Senate a candidate may not renew his or her registration 6

7 (i) if he or she, in the courses recognised for the degree fails to pass courses of a value of not less than 50% of the total credits for which he or she is registered in the year concerned; (ii) if he or she, in courses recognised for the degree fails to complete a course after having been registered for it twice. Award of the Degree FHM8 The degree may be awarded with distinction. Exemption from or Modification of Rules FHM9 Any exemption or deviation from the rules requires the approval of Senate. BSc Hon GIS - PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 7

8 3. GENERAL GEOMATICS PROGRAMME INFORMATION The BSc Hon GIS degree is presented as a one-year full-time programme South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Details The appropriate National Standards Body in which the programme falls is that of NSB12 Physical Planning and Construction. The BSc Hon GIS is a Level 7 qualification in terms of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Aims of the Programme The curriculum of the BSc (Hons) in Geographic Information Systems programme is aimed at graduates intending to work in disciplines associated with the natural, geographical and computer sciences. The degree is intended to equip graduates with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge they need to incorporate GIS techniques in their everyday work routine. Registration with the Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors may be possible in the category of Geoinformatics Practitioner. This is work in progress. PLATO: Outcomes of the Programme The cross-field and general outcomes of the programme are listed below in outcomes based format as required for the registration of the Programme with SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority). Cross-field outcomes are outcomes expected of a wide range of qualifications at Level 7, but particularly technical qualifications relating to GIS. General outcomes are expected of a graduate of this particular programme. Cross-field Outcomes: The graduate is critically aware of his/her responsibility and the contribution he/she can make as an individual to the advance and well-being of society and the protection and management of the environment. He/she can judge the impact of GIS related activities on society and environment. The graduate understands the role in and contribution of GIS with respect to relevant disciplines and professions. The graduate is aware of the relevance of independent learning in a rapidly developing world. Independent learning skills towards the maintenance of a high level of competence are developed. The graduate has developed communication skills, both orally and in writing, to communicate adequately with clients, decision makers, experts from other disciplines and the community at large. The graduate is able to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multi-disciplinary environments with the potential to lead and act responsibly in critical situations. 8

9 General Outcomes: BSc Hon GIS - PROGRAMME HANDBOOK Upon completion of the Programme, the graduate has knowledge of and competence in: Assessment of GIS related problems, the acquisition of measured data for importing to a GIS, processing, managing, analysing and communicating of spatial data using GISs Design and coding of computer algorithms as required for the solution of GIS related problems Design, planning, execution and reporting of complex GIS projects 3.4. BSc Hon GIS A candidate shall complete approved courses of a value required to bring the total to a minimum of 144 credits and shall comply with all the prescribed curriculum requirements. Core Courses Number Course Credits APG2018X GIS Camp 4 APG3012S Geomatics III 24 APG4003Z Geomatics Project 40 APG4006S Geomatics Practice and Land Management 12 APG4011F Remote Sensing 12 APG4007F Introductory GIS 24 APG4008S Advanced GIS 24 APG4009F Programming for GIS 18 Total credits 158 Africa desperately needs graduates with geo-information competence, while many of our graduates work internationally. Career opportunities vary widely as the application areas of geo-information are practically endless. Historically, geomatics exist in private practices, offshore survey companies, mining houses and government. This is an ideal career for a person who enjoys mathematics, would like to spend some time working outdoors and have a great deal of independence in their day to day work. Moreover, one can work for oneself as a one-person business, join a large international corporation, or work for government Integration and Inter-relationship of Courses The Geomatics degree equips the graduate with a wide range of skills in GIS for application in his/her field of specialisation. The structure of the syllabus and the interrelationship between the courses reflect the specialisation of the degree and the background knowledge required by the student in order to obtain the required level of technical competence Recommended Options Students must take a sufficient number of optional courses which, together with the core and coreelective courses, will comprise a total of not less than 144 credits. Note that no student in the faculty may graduate with an honours degree with less than 144 credits and it is the student s responsibility to manage the attainment of credits through the programme. A list of recommended options is given on the registration forms. It should be noted that timetable clashes might prevent the student from taking some of these courses, and that some of them have 9

10 prerequisites not listed. BSc Hon GIS - PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 3.7. Timetable Timetables for the second, third and fourth years of study are available on the web page: and hardcopies are made available at registration. Note that these are subject to change. Students should further note that these include core courses only. If a clash of lectures occurs, as in the event of a repeated course and a concession form signed by both course convenors, there is likely to be a clash in the exam timetable. This may result in the student writing one exam directly after the other not an easy environment to perform at your best. Changes in lecture timetables are difficult due to the centralized timetabling and venue management system. Change of exam timetable can be facilitated in a case when all registered students and course convenor sign for the change and in the event that a suitable venue can be found on the specified day and time. Repeat changes of timetable will not be accommodated, and there is no guarantee that any suggested change will be accommodated. PLEASE NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure that no timetable (i.e. lectures and examinations) clashes occur with your choice of optional courses. Clashes of lecture time usually mean a clash of examination slot as the examination timetable is designed using the lecture slot allocations Assessment (a) Structure Examinations are set for most courses in the curriculum, and generally weight 50-70% of the final mark. There are two examination blocks in the academic year, at the end of each teaching semester. Courses with an F code are examined in May/June, those with an S or W code are examined in October/November, and those with a Z code at any time of the year. Half semester (or quarter) courses are coded A, B, C, and D indicating the quarter in which they are held. A and B courses are examined in June, while C and D courses are examined in November. Other contributions to the year mark may be made up from practical and tutorial assignments, seminars, and tests. Courses with an X code are generally camps/projects and are not assessed by examination. There is a requirement for at least 50% of the material counting towards the final mark be externally examined. Usually the externally examined portion comprises the final examination, but on occasion it will include material from the work assessed during the academic year. In this event, assignments will be required to be returned to the course convenor for external examination purposes. The permission of Senate is required in cases where coursework exceeds 50% of the year total, in the event that this requirement cannot be met. Candidates who successfully complete each course shall obtain a pass in one of the four classes as follows: First Class - 75% and above Upper Second Class - 70% to 74% Lower Second Class - 60% to 69% Third Class - 50% to 59% (b) Maintaining of standards and examinations The standards of courses are maintained at a high level by the appointment of external examiners for each course. External examiners are selected on the basis of their prominence in their respective fields and are thus usually drawn where possible from the ranks of academics at other institutions, or senior managers in industry. Their role is to monitor the relevance of the examination papers to course syllabuses; clarity and standard of examination papers; and standard and fairness of assessment. (c) Examiners reports 10

11 External examiners may submit directly to the Dean of the Faculty confidential reports, in which they comment on the syllabuses, the standard of teaching and the performance of students and highlight potential problem areas and make recommendations for improvements. Examiners are also required to present feedback reports to programme committees Quality Control (a) Internal programme assessment To ensure that the highest academic standards are maintained, the structure and contents of courses are regularly reviewed, updated and developed. Changes in emphasis are interpretation of both Academic and Professional advances and developments are closely monitored and where necessary, refinements and improvement to courses are implemented. The Programme Committee plays an integral role in course restructuring and design and has representation from the student body, senior course convenors, representatives from the professional bodies, external examiners, service course convenors, and the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED). The programme committee assesses student feedback, in particular the course evaluation questionnaires. Final proposals are then put before the Faculty Board for consideration and approval prior to implementation. 11

12 4. ACADEMIC CALENDAR FOR Calendar of Public and UCT Holidays New Year s Day 01 January Sax Appeal Day 07 February Human Rights Day 21 March Good Friday 29 March Easter Monday (Family Day) 01 April Freedom Day 27 April Workers Day 01 May Youth Day 16 June National Women s Day 09 August Heritage Day 24 September Day of Reconciliation 16 December Christmas Day 25 December Day of Goodwill 26 December When any of the holidays fall on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a public holiday Provisional Term Dates: 1 st Quarter: 11 February to 20 March 1 st Vacation: 21 March to 01 April 2nd. Quarter: 02 April to 07 June Graduation: Mid-Year Vac: 08 June to 14 July 3 rd Quarter: 15 July to 30 August Sept. Vac: 31 August to 08 September 4 th Quarter: 09 September to 17 December Graduation Week: 12

13 5. HONOURS PROJECT The honours project (APG4003Z) is co-ordinated by the Programme Convenor, Dr G Sithole. Students may choose one of the topics placed on the noticeboard at the start of the second semester, after consultation with the responsible staff member, or may propose one of their own (it will need to be approved by the appropriate staff member). As a guide the following indicate which field each staff member embraces. Topics must be decided by within 1 week and thesis students should submit their choice of topic with a brief thesis proposal (1 paragraph) to their supervisor on or before one month after registration. Only one student may work on one proposed topic unless the topic is specified for two or more students. The choice of topics is on a first come, first served basis and by agreement with the supervisor. TBC Geodesy and GPS Mr S Hull: GIS, Photogrammetry and Surveying Emeritus Prof. H Rüther: GIS, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Dr G Sithole: GIS, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Associate Professor J Smit: GIS, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Associate Professor J Whittal: Land Tenure and Cadastral Systems (theoretical as well as practical implementation of GPS, GIS and other technologies in practice), Surveying, Professional practice Students are advised to begin research work for the project as soon as possible as there are sometimes unforeseen problems which may require extra time to sort out. As an indicator, the course has a time allocation of 400 hours in total. With 12 weeks in the second semester, you should allocate about 35 hours per week for the project on average. As the constraints of other courses will prevent you from maintaining this average every week, you should begin by spending more time than this initially and less time during blocks of tests and exams during the year. You should have an approved project proposal within the first two weeks. Regular course meetings will be held (a schedule will be drawn up) and one-on-one meetings with supervisors are the responsibility of the student to organise. Students should be prepared to provide regular feedback on progress both in a group context and individually with the supervisor. Refer to the course handout for more details of interim assessments such as presentations, report-back meetings etc. At least two hardcover bound copies of the thesis must be submitted on the due date. It often takes up to a week for the binding to be performed, and this is conducted by the student and at his/her expense. In addition, the supervisor may wish to pay for an extra copy in order to provide this to any collaborative institutions/industry partners. The Division will also require the final thesis write up on CD. This need not include appendices, but should include all the thesis chapters. Items excluded should be discussed with the supervisor. The final mark is determined through evaluation of the thesis document (70%), the poster (10%), and the oral presentation (20%). All of these elements are externally as well as internally examined. The thesis document is examined by the internal and external supervisors, whereas the oral and poster presentations are examined by all academic staff present, and the external examiners. 13

14 6. MISCELLANEOUS 6.1. Postgraduate Programme Handbook There is a detailed faculty document for postgraduate students available on the Engineering and the Built Environment Faculty website Student Counsellors: All staff members are available to assist students struggling with any issues and direct them to appropriate help. They are not qualified to provide counselling. Students are advised that the Student Health facility provides professional counselling; it is also in the student s interest to inform the programme convenor (confidentially) of any problem he/she is experiencing during the year which impacts on his/her ability to perform academically. The faculty has a dedicated student counsellor, Nazeema Ahmed, who is a clinical psychologist. She can be contacted on or nazeema.ahmed@uct.ac.za Lecture Notes and other Course Material: In most courses there are no prescribed textbooks, only recommended texts. In lieu of prescribed texts, printed lecture notes are provided to the students. Accordingly, where available, lecture notes will be available from Programme Secretary. Material relating to tutorial and practical assignments and other handouts will be provided free of charge. The use of information technology as a means of course administration and providing resource material is becoming routine in the Programme, and students will be expected to use WebCT to access internet based courseware from the second year of the Geomatics Programme. In time, the programme will move onto the new Vula internet-based system of course management Plagiarism, Referencing, and Bibliographies: Students are advised to give due credit to original authors and are further warned of the seriousness and potential consequences of plagiarism or passing off the work of another as your own. All registered Geomatics students are required to: a) read and understand the UCT policy on plagiarism (available via the UCT web page) b) date, sign, and append the UCT plagiarism declaration (download from the UCT web page) to every assignment. In addition, c) All references to other authors/work in the documentation submitted for assessment purposes should be formally included in a reference section at the back of the document and should be completed using the Harvard style of referencing. Students are advised to be wary of internet references (except for the use of this as a medium of acquiring formally published material), to restrict the use of these, and to reference them adequately. The course lecturer/convenor should be consulted in cases of confusion. d) A bibliography is used to refer the reader to all sources of information used by the author, which are not directly referenced in the text, and are thus not included in the list of references. Again, the Harvard style should be used. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in the assignment not being marked. 14

15 A document on referencing and submission of reports will be handed to you at registration in your first year. This document outlines the expectations for the courses in this degree programme and you are expected to read, understand and implement the contents of the document Seminars: As part of the requirements for some courses students are required to present seminars on a topics relating to the course material. Skills in professional communications learnt in the first degree are revised and the student is strongly advised to use audio-visual aids, such as an overhead projector or slide projector, to practise his/her presentation in advance, and to keep as closely to the specified time as possible. Students are warned to reference their work correctly Course Evaluation: It is a University requirement that all courses (and, implicitly, all lecturers) be evaluated annually. All students are urged to participate and to give a frank and honest assessment of the course material and lecturing through the medium of questionnaires. These evaluation results are collated and form part of the documentation for the programme committee meeting held annually. Even camps, project work courses, and thesis courses are required to be evaluated Insurance: Students are covered by the University's personal accident policy while attending university and while participating in field trips (including survey camp). The cover is limited for death, permanent total disability, and medical expenses (note: this is for accidental injuries only; it does not cover illnesses). Students are liable for the first portion of any claim. Please also note that you are expected to first make use of your personal medical cover and that this is intended as a top-up. A number of exclusions apply and Student Affairs must be notified within 48 hours of the accident. Due to the rising cost of modern medical expenses you are strongly advised to partake in a medical scheme or hospital plan before using the UCT scheme. Please contact Mrs Posniak (Ext. 2210) at Student Affairs for further details. 15

16 6.8. Financial Assistance: Scholarships, Bursaries and Loans are available from a variety of sources. The University of Cape Town administers all three forms of financial assistance, and prospective students should apply to: The Undergraduate Awards Office University of Cape Town Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7700 Note that the closing date for Scholarships and Bursaries is 31 October each year. Bursaries and Loans are also available from professional surveying bodies, industry, and government departments. Information on these awards can be obtained from the Programme Secretary who keeps an up-to-date list of these. For updates on bursaries, also visit the Programme website: Student Representation: Students are represented by class representatives who should be elected in the first week of the first semester. A final year or third year student is then chosen to attend the representative body of the School of APG. Students should also consider making themselves available to serve on the EBE student council. Student representatives are present at many Faculty level committees, and also on the Programme Committee s which meet annually. It is the responsibility of the student representatives of each year to ensure that the student course and lecture evaluation forms are completed each semester, and that the results of these questionnaires and responses to them, are communicated back to students. There is also a postgraduate students association, and students wishing to partake in their activities should consult the postgraduate students in Room 531 Menzies Building. Each year a representative to this body is elected from Geomatics Continue Your Studies One of the most important outcomes of the degree in GIS is the development of the skills and culture of lifelong learning. Students with a good academic record in undergraduate study should consider acquiring specialist (Specialist = level 8 of NQF) skills and knowledge through the registration for a Masters degree in Geomatics. UCT strives to be a leading research university and approximately 1/3 of the registered students are postgraduates. A Masters degree can be completed by full research thesis, or the taught MSc in GIS can be taken. The research MSc should take approximately 18 months to complete, and interested final year students should choose a thesis topic in a possible area of interest for postgraduate study (although this is not essential). The taught MSc in GIS is a one year programme. Note that the University offers Entrance Merit Scholarships for new postgraduate students and the closing date for applications is the end of November. Funding may also be sourced by the supervisor, but this requires sufficient lead time for the necessary applications for bursaries to be made, unless funding is already available for a specific project. Postgraduate scholarships are available for students who wish to continue their studies. These should be accessed from the Postgraduate Funding Office - note that the applications need to be submitted by 31 October in the year preceding postgraduate study i.e. in your final year. If you elect to end your formal education with a Bachelor s degree, you are encouraged to subscribe to at least one journal in your chosen field of specialization, as well as to attend conferences, workshops and seminars relevant to your area of practice. 16