ENEC12009 - Engineering Surveying and Spatial Sciences

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit introduces you to engineering surveying techniques and spatial sciences. It outlines the fundamental principles of the plane and geodetic surveying, such as measurements of distances, elevations, and angles. You will learn surveying methods such as triangulation and traversing and use industry-relevant software QGIS or equivalent to develop skills in mapping and visualisation. This unit also introduces you to concepts related to automated survey instruments, errors and survey adjustments, computerised processing of survey data, and a range of advanced surveying tools such as GPS, laser scanners, and drones. You will also develop teamwork and communication skills necessary to implement such systems in the civil construction and mining industries.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: MATH11218 Applied Mathematics or MATH11160 Technology Mathematics.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gladstone
Mackay
Online
Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Project (applied) 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 66.67% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 11.32% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
The students would benefit from more on-time feedback on the assignments.
Recommendation
Timely feedback on assignments should be provided in the next offerings.
Action Taken
Marking timelines were improved, and a further detailed rubric should be provided in future offerings.
Source: SUTE UC's Reflection
Feedback
Expanding the content and dedicating more time to developing software skills will better align the unit with current industry needs and enhance students' practical competencies.
Recommendation
Resources and time on QGIS should be expanded in future offerings.
Action Taken
Additional updated resources and practical activities, particularly focused on QGIS, were introduced, contributing to improved scores with the usefulness of learning materials.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students would benefit from earlier access to QGIS setup guidance and practical learning resources.
Recommendation
The introductory tutorial should be held earlier in the term, and the resources will be released sooner, in line with the study schedule.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE UC's reflection
Feedback
Students would benefit from clearer assessment requirements and more transparent marking criteria.
Recommendation
More detailed assessment requirements and rubrics should be provided in future offerings to clarify performance expectations and grading criteria.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students noted that the unit structure supported their learning.
Recommendation
The current unit structure should be maintained, with ongoing refinement to ensure consistent delivery throughout the term.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Recognise and discuss basic concepts and principles of engineering surveying and spatial sciences
  2. Perform spatial computations in two and three dimensions
  3. Apply surveying principles in civil and mining engineering works such as setting-out, earthwork calculations, and underground surveying
  4. Apply advanced techniques to perform spatial computations and solve a range of measurements and data management problems
  5. Demonstrate a professional level of communication and teamwork.

The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:

Introductory
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N )
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools, and resources. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N )
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 2N 3N 4N 5N )

Intermediate
1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2I 3I 4N)
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 4N)
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 1N 2I 3I 4N)
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4I 5N )
3.4 Professional use and management of information. (LO:  3N 4I 5N)
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership. (LO: 2N 3N 4N 5I)

Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate, and A - Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Written Assessment • • •
3 - Project (applied) • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
5 - Team Work • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10