REPORT ON CARTOGRAPHIC EDUCATION IN OCEANIA
(Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea)
2004
Co-vice Chair Education and Training Commission, International Cartographic Association
Tuesday, 8 June 2004
Report from Australia for the International Cartographic Association, CET Commission meeting, joint seminar (Education - New Tasks) with the Commission on Theoretical Cartography and the Lithuanian cartographers and geographers, Vilnius, Lithuania, 28-29 June, 2004
 |
Australia is the largest contributor to cartographic education in the region but there is vital input from both New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Many education programs include
cartography, GIS, photogrammetry and remote sensing as key courses and some
provide majors in these discipline areas. Curtin University in the State of Western Australia and the RMIT University in the State of Victoria, Australia, are the only
two remaining bachelors degree programs devoted to cartography.
Provided below is a breakdown of cartography and mapping science related
programs available in the region.
|
Institution |
Faculty |
Programme |
Degree |
|
School of Civil Engineering |
Arts - Geography |
B A |
|
|
Engineering and Resource Sciences |
Surveying & Mapping. GIS Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry |
Certificate; Diploma; Advanced Diploma; |
|
|
Western Australian School of Mining, Engineering and Construction |
Surveying ( Survey Assistant ); Surveying and Cartography; Cartography; Engineering and Mine Surveying ;
|
Certificate II; Certificate IV; Diploma: Advanced Diploma |
|
|
Cartography (Honours); GIS (Honours); Surveying (Mine and Engineering Surveying); Associate Degree in Mine Surveying (Honours) PostgraduateGIS; Remote Sensing and Land Information; Surveying and Mapping;
|
Associate Degree; B Sc M Sc PhD Grad Cert Grad Dip PGrad Dip |
||
|
|
Spatial Information Services; GIS; Surveying; |
Certificate II, III, IV; Assoc. Dip; Diploma; |
|
|
Engineering |
Computer Aided Drafting; Spatial Information Systems; Surveying and Mapping; |
Certificate IV; Diploma; |
|
|
Cartography Geomatics Surveying Land Data Management; Urban Development;
|
B App Sc; Grad Cert: PG Dip; M App Sc; PhD;
|
||
|
Geographical Information Systems
|
Grad. Cert; PGrad Dip; Masters |
||
|
School of Environmental and Information Science |
Spatial Information Systems (Honours); GIS & Remote Sensing; Geographic Information Science; |
Bachelor; GCGIS; GDipGIS; Masters; |
|
|
Geomatic Engineering
|
Bachelor; PGDip; Masters; PhD |
||
|
Surveying
|
Bachelor; PGDip; Masters |
||
|
Geography |
Bachelor (Honours) |
||
|
School of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Surveying |
Surveying |
Bachelor |
|
|
Faculty of Engineering and Surveying |
GIS Surveying Geomatic Studies (GIS, Surveying) |
Bachelor Grad Dip |
|
|
The National Key Centre for Social Applications of GIS (GISCA) |
Spatial Information Science |
Grad Cert. Grad Dip. Masters |
|
|
Geoinformatics and Surveying (Hons); Geographic Information Systems (& IT); Geoinformatics
|
Assoc Degree; Bachelor Master PhD |
||
|
Engineering |
Computer Aided Drafting; Surveying and Mapping; |
Cert. IV Diploma |
|
|
Geomatics; GIS; Geomatics Science; Information Technology (Hon); Geographic Information Technology; |
Bachelor Master Dip Grad Dip PhD |
||
|
Geographic Information Systems |
Grad Dip. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Surveying
|
Bachelor DipGrad PG Dip Sc Masters PhD |
||
|
Geographic Information Studies and Spatial Analysis |
PG Dip in Sc. |
||
|
Surveying Cartography Land Studies Land Administration
|
Certificate;Diploma; Bachelor; PG Dip;
|
Information for the above table was primarily sources from the following website:
Australasian Surveying and Mapping Education Web Directory http://www.cage.curtin.edu.au/~asmla/ed/
Further details for these courses and other cartography courses from around the world, can be found at http://lazarus.elte.hu/cet/undergraduate/index.htm. Thanks go to Dr. Laszlo Zentai, Chair of the ICA Commission on Education and Training, for the establishment of this valuable resource. Your input is welcomed to help keep the information at the website up-to-date.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Employment prospects for cartographer in Oceania cover a wide and varied field. Graduates are involved in developing geographic information systems, designing tourist guide publications, interpreting remotely sensed satellite images, producing topographic and base maps, compiling street directories, operating desktop mapping packages and developing computer mapping systems. They are employed by many private organizations, local government and State and national mapping authorities, exploration and mining industries, environmental mapping agencies, and private mapping and town planning companies..
MAPPING SCIENCES
Professional Organisations in Australia, 2004
The members of professional organisations representing individuals and companies involved in the mapping sciences in Australia have decided to combine together and to be represented by the one professional body called the Spatial Sciences Institute. This change will impact on cartographic education in Australia and hopefully will provide new opportunities for the industry.
The following text has be extracted and modified from information available at the Spatial Sciences Institute website (http://www.spatialsciences.org.au/index.asp).
In April 2003, the members of the Mapping Sciences Institute, Australia (MSIA); the Australasian Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (AURISA); the Institution of Engineering and Mining Surveyors Australia Inc (IEMS); the Institution of Surveyors, Australia (ISA) and the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Association of Australasia (RSPAA) voted to become founding members of the Spatial Sciences Institute.
The Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) is the national body combining the professional disciplines of mapping, surveying, engineering & mining surveying, remote sensing & photogrammetry and spatial information. The national structure takes advantage of economies of scale and standardised administrative procedures. Service delivery, however, especially Continuing Professional Development, remains at the regional level to ensure the needs of members are best understood and met.
There are no barriers to membership of the Institute, but all members must adhere to SSIs Code of Ethics. Members will not be required to hold an academic qualification. However, training, qualification and experience will be recognised and rewarded through formal certification.
The Spatial Sciences Institute represents the professional interests of people who specialise in the spatial disciplines and Communities of Practice that use spatial information to complement and support their business operations or personal activities. Some of the people represented come from the:
Spatial disciplines - surveying, geographic information systems, mapping sciences, remote sensing, global positioning systems, photogrammetry; and
Communities of Practice - land administration, natural resource management, emergency management, forestry, agriculture, defence, marine environment, local govt, health, education, tourism, transport and many more.
The SSI recognises that the Australian and global communities can improve and become more efficient, safer and healthier places to live with the help of spatial sciences applications and services.
Education
According to the Spatial Sciences Institute documentation the following aspects of the Institutes activities relate to education.
SSI will promote and contribute to spatial literacy activities across all school-based curriculum
SSI will have a strong presence at careers days and orientation weeks at relevant universities and tertiary institutions
The tertiary education sector will recognise the role of spatial sciences in everyday life
SSI will maintain the lead role in the Spatial Sciences Education and Skills Formation Advisory Committee
SSI will maintain representation on our industry sector Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB)
The term spatial literacy will be understood and used by the education sector
Continuing Professional Development will be recognised by the spatial sciences community as an inherent attribute of the SSI
International Relationships
According to the Spatial Sciences Institute documentation the following aspects of the Institutes activities relate to international professional groups.
SSI Commissions will be recognised by international professional groups as representing Australia in their area of interest, and will participate in their activities
By June 2006, SSI members will:
Have access to on-going CPD programs across all regions and commissions
Have access to a certification program that is recognised as a valuable addition to their professional standing
Receive a suite of publications that are interesting, educational, informative, and which promotes innovation
Participate in regular forums to network and share ideas and experiences
Recognise the biennial conference as the premier spatial science event
Access a diverse range of seminars and other events reflecting their business interests and professional disciplines
Have access to services that meet the particular needs of under-represented groups , including women, young professionals , senior and retired members, Para-professionals, non core users of spatial information services and those in remote localities
OTHER MAPPING SCIENCES - PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN OCEANIA
ˇ Mapping Sciences Institute, Australia
ˇ PNG Institute of Cartographers
ˇ New Zealand Cartographic Society (Contact: IgorDrecki igor@envbop.govt.nz)
RESOURCES
MAPPING SOFTWARE IN COMMON USE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA
ESRI products, MapInfo, CorelDraw, Corel Photopaint, Microstation, AutoCAD, Flash, DreamWeaver, MacroMedia Flash
SUMMARY COMMENTS
Cartographic training in Oceania is undertaken through Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges (or equivalent) where student gain skills which allow them to produce the maps required in the region. Students obtain a certificate, diploma, associate diploma or advance diploma on graduating.
Cartographic education in Oceania is undertaken through the advance college (AC) stream at a University. Students leave the course equipped to manage cartographic project and to provide future direction for the industry. Students obtain a Bachelors degree and can do an honours year. Higher degree options are available as Master by Coursework, Master by Research and PhD.
There is usually an articulation agreement to allow student to move from one sector (TAFE) to the other (AC).
Upon successful completion of an undergraduate or postgraduate course, graduates are academically eligible for admission to a number of professional organisations including the Spatial Sciences Institute.
Cartography graduates are employed in a diverse range of industries. Some specific organisations that employ cartography graduates are presented at the following website, http://www.gs.rmit.edu.au/courses/c-mp3.htm.
Cartography and cartographers will always be in demand but each will gradually change from year to year. Our challenge as cartographers is to make sure that our profession does not lose its clear definition in the midst of the technological and professional changes we face now and in the future.
For further information please contact:
Dr. David Fraser
Co-Vice Chair ICA Commission on Education and Training
MSIA Education and Training Program Manager
School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences
RMIT University
Tel +61 3 9925 3265 Fax +61 3 9663 2517