Studies of Surveying Science & Geomatics was founded in 1971 under the name of the Department of Land Surveying, previously known as Land Surveying Department and was under the School of Engineering. The change to the existing name began in 1996. The Department envisaged to become a referral centre for industry; and distinguished academia: excellent in teaching, research and consultancy in the field of GEOMATICS nationally and internationally. The rationale for establishment is to produce graduates who generally have strong fundamentals in surveying knowledge covering the land surveying profession and in particular fulfilling the academic requirements of the Land Surveyors Board Peninsular Malaysia and to enhance students’ capability parallel with the industrial need.

The Department

The vision of offering a diploma course in land surveying in the early seventies was driven by Mr. Ung Cheng Pee, a retired Survey General. The Department of Land Surveying was established in 1971 under the name of Department of Land Surveying in the School of Engineering, Institute of   Technology MARA with Mr. Ung Cheng Pee as the first head of the department.  In 1992 Dr. Noordin Ahmad as the head of the department mooted the idea to rename the department as the Department of Surveying Science & Geomatic not only to better represent the changing role of the surveying profession but to better represent the widening breadth of the discipline which encompass the broad scope of modern measurement science, land information science and spatial data management. The department was officially named as the Department of Surveying Science & Geomatic in May 1995. However 25 years onwards and due to the restructuring of the Faculty of Engineering, the department was placed under the Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, University Technology MARA in 1996.

The Centre of Studies offered a three-year Diploma in Land Surveying program in 1971 with an enrolment of 10 students of which the diploma was first awarded in 1974.  A 2 1/2 year Advanced Diploma in Land Surveying was introduced in 1983 with an enrolment of 23 students of which the Advanced Diploma was first awarded in 1986.  Due to the changes in the name of the department in 1995, the diploma program was renamed the Diploma in Surveying Science & Geomatic in 1997 which was subsequently renamed as the Diploma in Geomatic Science in 1999. The Advanced Diploma was renamed the Bachelor of Surveying Science & Geomatic (with honours) in 1997.

In order to keep abreast with the technological change and demands on graduates in Geomatic who should have sound knowledge in geo-measurement,  processing, interpretation, analysis and presentation of land-based spatial information as well as knowledge in the interpretation of satellite data and digital image processing,  the department in 1995 offered two new programmes, namely the Diploma in Geomatic Science (Geographical Information System) with an enrolment of 16 students and the Diploma in Geomatic Science (Natural Resources) with an enrolment of 16 students.

The department now is one of the leading local educational institutions that offer excellent opportunities to pursue education in surveying and geomatics.