Department of Geography & Environmental Management

Geomatics is the fusion of geography and informatics activities and services involved in the collection, analysis, management, and integration of location-based data to enable improved decision and policy making. The Geomatics program will include courses in geographic information systems, remote sensing global positioning and surveying, spatial statistics, and computer science. The computer science component will give graduates the strongest advantage in the field of Geomatics. Students completing this program will be able to go beyond the competent use of existing Geomatics tools to develop applications involving spatial database development and management, data dissemination, spatial analysis, decision support, and modeling. 

The requirements are as follows:
The 40 course (20 units) degree requirements for the Geomatics plan will require a core of 25 courses (12.5 units). Degree requirements common to all Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) academic plans are outlined in the Academic Plan section for the Faculty of Environment. The 25 Geomatics plan core courses include: 18 Geography courses, two (2) Environmental Studies (ENVS) courses, four (4) Computer Science courses, and one (1) Mathematics course.  

Geomatics Four-Year Honours Requirements (Regular and Co-op)

Year One

Three electives including, one in English: either one of ENGL 109, 129R, 140R, taken in Year One or ENGL 210E, 210F taken in Year Two. A student who receives greater than 80% in English 4U (grade 12 university level) is exempt from the English elective requirement.

Year Two

Students must take at least one course from each of the two following specializations:

1. Earth Systems Science: one of GEOG 201, 209
2. Development and Environment: one of GEOG 202, 203

Two Electives

Year Three

GEOG 293 Professional and Scholarly Practice in Geography
or GEOG 294 Approaches to Research in Physical Geography
GEOG 316 Multivariate Statistics 
or GEOG 318 Spatial Analysis 
GEOG 371 Advanced Remote Sensing Techniques
GEOG 381 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
CS 338 Computer Applications in Business: Databases 
Five Electives

Year Four

GEOG 471 Remote Sensing Project (1.0 unit)
GEOG 481 Geographic Information Systems Project (1.0 unit)
Electives to fulfill degree requirements
or GEOG 490A/B Honours Thesis (1.5 units)

Recommended Electives

Other electives, where appropriate prerequisites have been taken

Note: Co-op students, see Note 5 below 

Notes for the Honours Geomatics Academic Plans

1. Minimum Required Units
   Total: 20.0 units. Geomatics Plan: 12.5 units (9.0 Geography, 2.0 Computer Science, 1.0 Environmental Studies, 0.5 Mathematics). All courses for which 1 unit is awarded will count as the equivalent of two courses. All units designated Geography (GEOG) and Environmental Studies (ENVS) are included in the cumulative major average. All Computer Science and Mathematics courses are included in the cumulative overall average (see note 3).
2. Course Load
   No more than 2.5 units may be taken in a term without the approval of the Associate Chair (Undergraduate Studies). Normally, approval for a sixth 0.5 unit will be considered only if the cumulative Geomatics average is 78% or higher.
3. Average Requirements
   Students in the Geomatics Honours Academic Plans must maintain an overall cumulative average of 65%, a Computer Science cumulative average of 60% and a Major cumulative average of 70%. All required courses must be passed.
4. Materials and Costs
   For some courses, extra fees may be required to cover field expenses/travel costs, e.g., GEOG 391. Statements on extra costs, where required, will be found with the course descriptions.
5. Honours Co-operative Academic Plan
   Honours Geomatics Co-op is a five work term Academic Plan in which four satisfactory work-term reports must be written.
   Co-op students in the Faculty of Environment are required to complete a minimum of four Professional Development (PD) courses. PD1 and PD2 are mandatory. PD1 must be taken prior to the first work term and PD2 during the first work term.
   Professional Development 2 (PD2) requires the submission of a written report. Successful completion of PD2 will be considered one of the four required work-term reports.
   Other than PD1, PD courses are normally taken during Co-op work terms. Students are encouraged to take a Professional Development course each work term until the requirement is met.
   The first work term occurs in the winter term of the second year.
6. Enrolment in Honours Geomatics Co-op 
   Students are admitted to the Co-op Academic Plan in first year based on secondary school grades. Interested students enrolled in first-year Regular Geomatics at the University of Waterloo may be considered for admission to any remaining Co-op positions at the end of first year based on university academic performance, an interview and work experience related to Geomatics.
   The Honours Geomatics Co-op Plan has the same course requirements as the Honours Regular Plan.
7. Transfer Courses
   It is possible for non-Geomatics students to apply for admission to Year Two. Advanced standing may be obtained through the transfer of courses/units from other Academic Plans and Institutions. Normally, advanced standing will not be granted to transfer students beyond the Year-One level (10 courses/5.0 units). All transfer students are required to complete a minimum of two full academic years before being eligible for graduation.
8. Restriction on Number of First-Year Courses
   For a four-year Honours degree a student must have at least 13.5 units at or above the 200-level.
9. Double Counting Courses
   Students may double count courses, i.e., once for the Geomatics Plan and one additional count for a joint honours or concurrent degree, specialization, minor, option, or diploma unless otherwise stated.

Year One

Year Two

Fall Term 2A

1. Earth Systems Science: one of GEOG 201, 209
2. Development and Environment: one of GEOG 202, 203  

Electives, one of which must be ENGL 109, 129R, 140R taken in Year One or ENGL 210E, 210F preferably taken in spring term 2B. A student who receives greater than 80% in English 4U (grade 12 university level) is exempt from the English requirement. 

Winter Work Term 1

Spring Term 2B

Year Three

Fall Work Term 2

Winter Term 3A

GEOG 293 or 294 
GEOG 316 or GEOG 318 
GEOG 381
CS 338
Elective 

Spring Work Term 3

Fall Term 3B

Year Four

Winter Work Term 4

Spring Term 4A

Fall Work Term 5

Winter Term 4B