Land Surveying and Geomatics Technology» Class Descriptions

Class Descriptions

SURV 100 - Navigating with the Global Positioning System
SURV 110 - Surveying Measurements
SURV 120 - Introductory Surveying
SURV 201 - Land Description Systems I
SURV 202 - Land Description Systems II
SURV 203 - Land Description Systems III
SURV 210 - Public Land Survey System I
SURV 211 - Public Land Survey System II
SURV 212 - Public Land Survey System III
SURV 215 - Boundary Law and Legal Principles I
SURV 216 - Boundary Law and Legal Principles II
SURV 217 - Boundary Law and Legal Principles III
SURV 218 - Boundary Law and Legal Principles IV
SURV 219 - Boundary Law and Legal Principles V
SURV 220 - Fundamentals of Geodesy I
SURV 221 - Fundamentals of Geodesy II
SURV 222 - State Plane Coordinate Systems
SURV 225 - Advanced CAD for Surveyors
SURV 230 - Construction Design and Layout
SURV 240 - Advanced Surveying
SURV 245 - Geopositioning with Global Positioning System

SURV 100 Navigating with the Global Positioning System 3 credits
An introduction to the Global Positioning System and its many uses. Covers operation and set up of hand held GPS receivers, interpreting and extracting spatial information from maps, basic map projections and coordinate systems, and use of the magnetic compass for cross county navigation. Prerequisite: None.
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SURV 110 Computer Manufacturing II 5 credits
Error and measurement theory applied to surveying and geomatics applications. Covers least squares and traditional methods for distributing random errors in a system of measurements, calibration and adjustment of surveying instruments, use of advanced adjustment software and manual adjustment methods. Prerequisite: MATH 101 and MATH 102.
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SURV 120 Introductory Surveying 5 credits
An introduction to precise plane surveying and mapping field techniques and office procedures. Includes point recovery and perpetuation, precise taping procedures, basic operation of levels, electronic theodolite/laser surveying instruments, and associated computations and dendrology. Using manual data collection techniques and working in small parties, students collect and process field data and using Microsoft Office® and other computer applications, produce reports and drawings of all work performed. Prerequisite: SURV 110 or concurrent enrollment.
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SURV 201 Land Description Systems I 1 credits
A study of land description fundamentals for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Covers concepts and modes of land ownership and title transfers and fundamentals of land descriptions: land description elements, structure and types of land descriptions, words and phrases, guidelines for formatting and punctuation and construction of written land descriptions. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 202 Land Description Systems II 1 credits
A study of the interpretation of written land descriptions for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Covers sectionalized land descriptions, rules of construction and determining controlling elements in written land descriptions. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 203 Land Description Systems III 1 credits
Advanced topics relating to the construction and interpretation of written land descriptions for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Using case studies, students analyze and construct written land descriptions using a variety of formats. Covers the rule of monument control in Washington State. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 210 Public Land Survey System I 1 credits
History and development of the Public Land Survey System in the United States and its impact on private land ownership and land registration. Covers initial points, baselines and meridians; establishment and subdivision of townships; PLSS land descriptions and nomenclature; interpreting field notes and plats, corner monuments; standard, closing, junior, senior corners and meander corners; accessories, line trees and other "minor" corners. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 211 Public Land Survey System II 1 credits
Restoration of lost and obliterated PLSS corners. Covers independent, dependent and retracement surveys; order of precedence in original surveys, manifest errors, case studies of obliterated PLSS corners and restoration of lost PLSS corners using primary restoration methods: double and single proportionate measure, original control and modification of these methodologies for special cases. Prerequisite: MATH 101 and MATH 102. Successful completion of SURV 210 recommended. Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 212 Public Land Survey System III 1 credits
Subdivision of normal, lotted and fractional PLSS sections in accordance with applicable federal and Washington state statutes and regulations and with reference to the current edition of the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: MATH 101 and MATH 102. Successful completion of SURV 210 and SURV 211 recommended. Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 215 Boundary Law and Legal Principles I 1 credits
A study of the statutes and regulations relating to boundary location and the practice of land surveying in Washington State. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 216 Boundary Law and Legal Principles II 1 credits
A study of legal principles and court decisions relating to modification of upland land boundaries in Washington State. Covers sources of title and the adverse possession, parole agreement, common grantor, equitable estoppel and the recognition and acquiescence doctrines. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills
or CIS 123.
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SURV 217 Boundary Law and Legal Principles III 1 credits
A study of easements, Rights of Way and vacations in Washington State and how they affect landowners' rights. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 218 Boundary Law and Legal Principles IV 1 credits
A study of legal principles and court decisions relating to riparian l and boundaries in Washington State. Covers riparian rights, navigability, tide and shorelands, accretion, evulsion, erosion and reliction, meander lines, and tidal definitions. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 219 Boundary Law and Legal Principles V 1 credits
A study of ethical and legal principles relating to the practice of land surveying. Covers professional and ethical obligations of land surveyors, also: implied and expressed agreements, discovery rule, negligence, privity of contract, standards of care. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 220 Fundamentals of Geodesy I 1 credits
History and development of horizontal geopositioning and accuracy standards for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Covers shape of the earth, ellipsoid models, horizontal datums, and horizontal geopositioning techniques, spherical excess and data reductions. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: MATH 101. Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 221 Fundamentals of Geodesy II 1 credits
History and development of vertical geopositioning and accuracy standards for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Covers geoid modeling and the interrelationship of the three major surfaces encountered in
geodetic surveys: topographic, geoidal and ellipsoidal. Also, vertical datums, and vertical geopositioning techniques. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: MATH 101. Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 222 State Plane Coordinate Systems 1 credits
A study of the use and construction of the state plane coordinate systems for advanced GIS and surveying applications. Includes map projections, computation of state plane coordinates from field data, retrieval of control data from the National Geodetic Survey's database, use of geodetic software utilities for state plane system-to-geographic system coordinate conversions, computation and application of convergence, Laplace, scale and elevation factors. Delivered in an on-line format. Prerequisite: MATH 101. SURV 220 and SURV 221 is a recommended prerequisite. Requires basic computer skills or CIS 123.
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SURV 225 Advanced CAD for Surveyors 5 credits
Use of advanced surveying-engineering design software for the production of surveying and engineering plans and drawings. Covers drafting standards, plot scales and plotting, attributes, coordinate geometry, digital terrain modeling, importing of raster images. Preparation of plan, profile and cross-sectional views, survey recording act drawings, topographic maps and planimetric maps incorporating digital aerial photo imagery. Prerequisite: CAD 150 or instructor's permission.
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SURV 230 Construction Design and Layout 5 credits
Introduction to and application of geometric road design principles: horizontal curves, vertical curves and grades, superelevations, typical sections and earthwork computations. Includes construction and slope staking. Students develop a personal software library for typical design computations. Prerequisite: SURV 225 or instructor's permission.
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SURV 240 Advanced Surveying 5 credits
Application of advanced techniques for the solution of surveying problems. Includes solar and stellar observations for determination of the true and geodetic meridians, advanced coordinate geometry, route surveying and layout techniques, cadastral surveying, project estimating and research. Prerequisite: SURV 120.
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SURV 245 Geopositioning with Global Positioning System 5 credits
High accuracy applications of the Global Positioning System. Includes GPS mission planning and network design for static relative, fast static and post-processed kinematic GPS surveys; baseline processing, network adjustment and data management. Students perform field operations and use advanced GPS software to plan, design and process GPS survey projects. Prerequisite: SURV 220, 221 and 222.
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