Riga Technical University
Faculty of Civil Engineering

QUALITY ASSESSMENT REPORT

Professional Study Programme

“Geodesy and Cartography”

2000.

Contents

1. Section

The aims and objectives of geodetic and cartographic programmes 2

1.1. The aim of the programme 2

1.2. The tasks of the programme 3

2. Section

Quality assessment report of the programme of geodesy,

cartography and real estate valuation 5

2.1. Study programme and study plans 5

2.2. Advertisement and informational editions 11

2.3. Comparison to similar study plans of other Universities 16

2.3.1. Choice of comparison programmes and Universities 16

2.4. Perspective assessment of the study programme 17

2.4.1. Analysis of study programme from the point of view of Latvia 17

2.4.2. Perspective development of the study programme 18

2.5. The organisation of studies and knowledge valuation 19

2.5.1. Student praxis, laboratory works, diploma works and their

production organisation 19

2.5.2. Collaboration of departments in realisation of programmes 20

2.5.3. Knowledge valuation system 20

2.5.4. Humanities and social sciences 21

2.6. Academic personnel 21

2.7. The insurance and the lead of studies 23

2.7.1. Financial insurance 23

2.7.2. Methodical and materially technical insurance 23

2.7.3 Leadership of the study programme 25

2.8. The creative and the research work 26

2.9. Student possibilities 27

2.9.1. Possibility to get humanities and social science knowledge 27

2.9.2. Other possibilities 27

2.10. The system for the quality provision 27

2.11. The considerations about the study programme and its

fulfillment strong and weak places 28

Contents of supplement 31

1.
Section

The Aims and Objectives of Geodetic and Cartographic Programmes

1.1 The Aim of the Programme

The aim of geodetic and cartographic professional programme is to provide multilateral university education in such specialities as geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation, and to provide such environment at University, which in permanent development could give a possibility to develop students into high qualification experts, as well as for the scientific work teaching staff, who are supporting this environment.

The geodesy, the cartography and the real estate valuation at present developing stage are strongly connected to many modern technologies in acquisition, storage and application of information.

The purpose of professional (hereafter also used “engineering”) study programme is to master the theoretic fundamentals of geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation, to get the understanding and ability to work with contemporary methods in the work of surveyor in geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation. The aim of the study programme is to acquire the possibilities of modern technologies and working methods, and to prepare the graduates of those courses for eventual further academical studies in master study programme. It has to be admitted, that existing programme is generally directed to survey as a building construction science subsidiary branch status, to geodetic work performance in building science. That is why in this programme there are relatively many construction courses.

The aim of engineering study programme is to acquire professional knowledge in geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation, so that the graduates of this programme in supervision of experienced teaching staff could acquire engineering work not only in construction science, but also in other branches linked with geomatics. We have to furnish such knowledge and professional skill, that the graduates of engineering course could be able to solve problems related to survey successfully, which nowadays are encounted in building, and transport roads construction, as well as the State Land Service, private companies and in the praxis of certified surveyors.

1.2 The Tasks of the Programme

To carry out aims that are moved forward in the study programme, we have highlighted following tasks.

·  Students have to settle the basics of theory and the understanding of classical geodesy and cartography and their acquirements, as well as about the development of real estate valuation.

·  Students have to acquire skill to work with modern technologies of geodesy, survey and cartography, as well as the application of modern technologies in the processing of geodetical measurements, in cartography and real estate valuation.

·  Students have a possibility to choose intensive studies and praxis in one of three branches: in geodesy, cartography or real estate valuation.

·  Students have to acquire the understanding about the applied specialized digital information processing software and geographic information system data basis, and land information systems as well as digital cartography and the remote sensing in survey, as the main task highlighted to perform the professional work.

·  Students have to acquire the theory of theoretical geodesy, have to be able to apply the software of mathematical processing for the adjustment of geodetic network measurements, and to utilize these results in forming geodetic reference networks.

·  Students have to acquire basics of cartography, digital cartography, thematic cartography, geographic information, and land information systems and the skill to work in these spheres.

·  Students have to acquire theory and ability to work in the real estate valuation in cities and countryside, as well as the rights of land and the management of the land.

In order to provide the knowledge for students and so the education level could approximate that of European greatest Universities, the unceasing development requests for the professorial teaching staff and scientific investigation personnel has to be highlighted especially to procure faster qualification improvement of younger generation teaching staff.

2.
Section

Quality Assessment Report of the Programme of Geodesy, Cartography and Real Estate Valuation

When preparing this quality assessment report, all the estimations of education quality and discussions on the possibilities of quality improvement were considered, which were discussed in the last 2 years in the faculty of Civil Engineering in the geodetic and cartographic council of State, in the State Land Service, in many seminars of GEMLA project and in the NorBalt 3 seminars in 1999/2000, as well as those conclusions, who came from the inquiry of students, graduates and employers, and from the comments of the professorial group and from the appreciation of quality assessment report of working group.

The professional study programme in geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation currently is accommodated to the student groups completed in 3 types (Fig.1.): for students with general secondary education (duration of studies in RTU 4 years), for students with professional secondary education (duration of studies in RTU also 4 years) and for students, who have received bachelor degree in geodesy and cartography and now would like to get engineering qualification in geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation (duration of studies 2 years).

2.1 Study Programme and Study Plans

The construction of Engineering programme (Table 1.) guide was created from the formulation of teaching work and ideology in the whole of Riga Technical University. In accordance to this ideology the first study year for RTU students is devoted to the acquirement of general courses, and it is almost the same for all the specialities. In the second year students continue to acquire general courses, but additional speciality courses are also included. For the faculty of Civil Engineering students one of these courses is geodesy; in the Fall semester the theoretical course is read, and in the Spring semester the practical (praxis) is performed on a once – weekly basis. In the third and fourth year, the Engineering degree students who have chosen the Geodesy, Cartography and Real estate valuation programme, commence the total complete studies. In this plan, such courses as Geodetic Network Adjustment, Engineering Geodesy, Cartography, Photogrammetry, Gravimetry, Geographical Information Systems, Land Information Systems in Latvia, Real Estate Valuation and management are included. Practically beginning from the 3rd year of studies many students parallel to their studies obtain a work in the State Land Service or private survey companies.

Table 1. Engineering study programme in geodesy, cartography and real estate valuation

# /
Study courses
/ After the acquisition of general secondary education / After the acquisition of professional secondary education / After the acquisition of the Bachelor degree
A / Mandatory subjects / 103 / 82 / 28
1 / Mathematics / 6 / 6
2 / Advanced mathematics / 3 / 3
3 / Physics / 6 / 6
4 / Chemistry / 2 / 2
5 / Descriptive geometry and engineering graphics / 2 / 2
6 / Computer graphics of building construction / 2 / 6
7 / Computer sciences (basic course) / 3 / 3
8 / Computer science (special course) / 2 / 2
9 / Economics / 2 / 2
10 / Models of social development / 2 / 2
11 / Fundamental rights / 2 / 2
12 / Civil defence / 1 / 1
13 / Physical training / 0 / 0
14 / Fundamentals of labour protection / 1 / 1 / 1
15 / Geodesy / 3 / 2
16 / Practical geodesy / 2 / 2
17 / Fundamentals of Geomatics / 2
18 / Building mechanics (lead – in course) / 3
19 / Building mechanics (general course) / 5
20 / Finite element method in building construction / 2
21 / Building materials (basic course) / 3
22 / Building machinery (basic course) / 3
23 / Architectural design (basic course) / 2
24 / Engineering geology (basic course) / 2 / 2
25 / Road construction (basic course) / 3
26 / Computer graphics in Geomatics / 6 / 6 / 6
27 / Advanced geodesy / 6 / 6
28 / Processing of geodetical measurements / 6 / 6
29 / Photogrammetry / 6
30 / Real estate cadastre / 3 / 3
31 / Property valuation systems / 2 / 2
32 / Engineering geodesy / 2
33 / Cartography / 4 / 4
34 / Fundamentals of geoinformation systems / 4 / 4
35 / Geodetical networks / 4 / 4
36 / Fundamentals of geomatic data processing / 4 / 4
37 / Application of building materials in building construction / 3
38 / Fundamentals of global positioning / 3
39 / Geographic information systems / 4
40 / Digital terrain models / 3
41 / Thematical cartography / 3
B / COURSES OF RESTRICTED CHOICE / 29 / 18 / 25
1. / Courses of the programme and branch / 16 / 9 / 17
1.1 / Global positioning systems / 3
1.2 / Application programs in Geomatics / 3
1.3 / Land law / 3 / 3 / 3
1.4 / Basic territorial planning / 3 / 3 / 3
1.5 / Fundamentals of geomatic data processing / 4
1.6 / Fundamentals of land management / 4
1.7 / Geodetical networks / 4
1.8 / Geographic information systems / 4
1.9 / Hidrographic survey / 2
1.10 / Architectural photogrammetry / 5
1.11 / Local geodetic networks / 3 / 3
1.12 / Real estate valuation / 3 / 3
1.13 / Geodetic data processing / 6 / 6
1.14 / Photogrammetry / 6
1.15 / Land information systems / 3 / 3
1.16 / Digital mapping / 3 / 3
1.17 / Digital terrain models / 3
1.18 / Analytical photogrammetry / 6
1.19 / Inspection and audit of engineering structure / 2
1.20 / Transport and environment / 2
2. / Languages / 5 / 5
2.1 / English, german or French / 5 / 5
3. / Humanitarian/social courses / 4 / 2 / 4
3.1 / Common sociology / 2 / 2
3.2 / Managerial sociology / 2 / 2
3.3 / United Europe and Latvia / 2 / 2
3.4 / Politology / 2 / 2
3.5 / Psychology of personality and small groups / 2
3.6 / Political system in Latvia / 2
3.7 / Ethics / 2
3.8 / European classical philosophy / 2
3.9 / Business sociology / 2
3.10 / Social psychology / 2
4. / Economical/ management courses / 4 / 2 / 4
4.1 / Management and organizing of building construction / 2 / 2
4.2 / Management of building construction / 2 / 2 / 4
4.3 / Economics of entrepreneurship / 2 / 2 / 4
4.4 / Business and economics / 2 / 2
4.5 / Management of geodetic works / 4
C / Free choice courses / 4 / 4 / 4
D / Praxis/practical work / 8 / 20 / 8
E / End examination / 16 / 16 / 16
1. / Engineering design project / 16 / 16 / 16
In total / 160 / 140 / 81


The duration of the professional studies after getting a Bachelor degree is 2 years, where the courses mentioned above are studied more deeply, but as a supplement there are other courses of geodesy, cartography, real estate valuation and land management (Table 1.) which are especial oriented to develop the skill of practical work in these branches. Student can choose one of three courses – real estate valuation, theoretical geodesy or theoretical cartography as a course of the restricted choice.

During the studies most of students also are working. They already are meeting with those problems in their working places, what they are acquiring when studying, and this interface develops deepened interest about the courses, that have to be acquired, but on the other hand they are bringing the professional information and working skill, which was acquired in their working places, in their study group and in the environment of other students.

Comparing 3 different flows of professional education, at the end it is planned to get achievement, that students could get equivalent level professional knowledge, apart from the earlier obtained education.