Particular emphasis is placed on fundamental surveying principles required in all areas of surveying. Instruction is provided in the main divisions of surveying, including land surveying, mapping, photogrammetry, data analysis and adjustment, geodesy and map projection coordinate systems, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and land development. Students study various data collection techniques using surveying tools including total stations, levels, softcopy photogrammetry, satellite imagery, and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). They also study legal principles related to land surveying, professional ethics, applications for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in surveying, and data management techniques. Through the use of projects and capstone courses students will design measurement systems, alignments, land information systems, and land development.

Surveying is the science of measuring physical features of Earth to collect spatial information and to establish land boundaries. Surveying engineers learn the elements of surveying as applied to construction, land, topographic, geodetic, city, and photogrammetric surveys.