Skip to content
Pathrel
Start free
All courses
Engineering

Artisan in Land Surveying

The Artisan in Land Surveying is a TVET-CDACC Level 4 competency-based programme that trains students in fundamental land surveying support skills for the construction and land management sector. The course is examined by TVET-CDACC and offered across accredited TVET institutions in Kenya. Students learn basic survey equipment handling, site assistance, measurement support, marking, and field work safety.

Duration
4 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 67,189
Ksh 268,756 total
Private tuition
Ksh 99,550
Ksh 398,200 total
Job market
Moderate
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 67,189 a year at a public institution, Ksh 268,756 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 99,550 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of E mean grade at KCSE or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 4 years, full-time, with 2 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 3 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Auto Diagnostics Technician, at 3 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

The curriculum covers basic units including communication skills, numeracy skills, digital literacy, entrepreneurial skills, employability skills, environmental literacy, and occupational safety and health practices. Core units focus on basic survey equipment handling, site assistance, measurement support, marking and pegging, field work safety, and industrial attachment with a surveying firm or construction company.

Kenya's construction sector, land administration, and infrastructure development projects create demand for entry-level surveying support personnel. Surveying firms, construction companies, and government land departments require trained assistants for field survey operations and equipment handling.

Training combines classroom theory with practical sessions in field and site environments. Students practice equipment handling, measurement, marking, site assistance, and field safety under supervised conditions. The programme includes industrial attachment with surveying firms or on construction sites where students apply their skills in real surveying environments.

Graduates work as surveying assistants, field helpers, equipment carriers, and site assistants for surveying firms, construction companies, and government land departments. The qualification provides a foundation for progression to Land Surveying Level 5 and Level 6 for specialised surveying technology and land management roles.

This programme is suitable for KCSE certificate holders with a mean grade of E or KCPE certificate who are interested in field work and land measurement and seeking entry-level positions in the land surveying and construction sector.

What you study

6 subjects
  • Land Surveying
  • Measurement Methods
  • Surveying Equipment
  • Mapping
  • Boundary Determination
  • Surveying Techniques

Modules

10 in the programme

  • Introduction to Land Surveying

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Overview of land surveying industry, measurement principles, and safety in surveying work.

  • Land Surveying

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Surveying principles, measurement systems, land surveying fundamentals, and basic survey concepts for entry-level land surveying support operations.

  • Measurement Methods

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Measurement techniques including distance measurement, angle measurement, chaining, taping, and basic area calculation for land surveying field work.

  • Surveying Equipment

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Surveying tools and measurement equipment including tapes, compasses, levels, staff, and basic surveying instrument handling and maintenance.

  • Mapping

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Map reading, map making, scale interpretation, contour understanding, and basic survey mapping techniques for land surveying documentation.

  • Boundary Determination

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Boundary identification, boundary marking, beacons, land boundary procedures, and basic cadastral surveying support for property determination.

  • Field Work

    Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

    Field techniques, data collection, survey field operations, equipment setup, and basic field assistance for land surveying fieldwork activities.

  • Computations

    Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

    Survey calculations, area computations, distance and angle calculations, volume calculations, and basic numerical processing for surveying data.

  • Workplace Safety

    Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore

    Occupational health and safety, personal protective equipment, and safe working practices.

  • Entrepreneurship Skills

    Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore

    Basic business skills for self-employment including surveying services and business management.

Specialisations

  • Topographic Surveying

    Specialisation in topographic surveying and land mapping including terrain measurement, contour surveying, and topographic data collection for land surveys.

  • Boundary Surveying

    Focus on boundary determination and land boundary surveying including beacon placement, property line identification, and cadastral survey support.

  • Construction Surveying

    Focus on construction surveying and building layout including site setting out, level transfer, and basic construction survey support for building projects.

  • Equipment Management

    Basic survey equipment management including handling, cleaning, transport, and maintenance of survey instruments for field survey operations.

A day as a student

Students attend practical surveying sessions, theory classes, and field practice to gain hands-on land surveying skills.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Growing demand for land surveying staff in Kenya's construction and land management sectors.Surveying work involves field work in various outdoor conditions.
Foundation for progression to specialised surveying careers and land management.Work requires mathematical skills and attention to detail.
Opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship with surveying businesses.—

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses
Public67k to 67k
67k at Baringo Technical College67k at Aldai Technical Training Institute
Private57k to 100k
57k at Vitech Training Institute100k at Regional Centre Training Institute

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Public TVET 67,189/yr. Private: Vitech 57K, RCTI 99K/yr (vti.ac.ke, rcmrd.institute).

TVET funding available for eligible students. Some institutions offer bursaries based on financial need.

Funding options

  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • County Government Bursaries

    BursaryKenyan

    Residents of respective counties, targeting orphans, learners from low-income households, students with disabilities, and vulnerable youth.

  • TVET Funding

    Government fundingKenyan

    Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited TVET institutions, based on financial need and programme requirements.

  • National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)

    BursaryKenyan

    Students from disadvantaged backgrounds including low-income families, orphaned children, and persons with disabilities.

Scholarships you could apply for

6 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade
E mean grade at KCSEminimum entry
Alternative entry

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) certificate or equivalent qualification. Adults with relevant experience may also apply.

When it next starts

Taught at 3 institutions
January 20273 institutions

Including Technical University of Kenya, Tindiret Technical and Vocational College, Friends College Kaimosi.

May 20273 institutions

Including Technical University of Kenya, Tindiret Technical and Vocational College, Friends College Kaimosi.

September 20273 institutions

Including Technical University of Kenya, Tindiret Technical and Vocational College, Friends College Kaimosi.

How you are assessed

4 components

  • Trade Test

    Exam100% of the mark

    KNEC national examination for artisan certification in land surveying.

  • Surveying Projects

    Project20% of the mark

    Completion of surveying projects demonstrating measurement skills.

  • Theory Tests

    Test40% of the mark

    Written tests on surveying theory, measurement principles, and surveying techniques.

  • Continuous Practical Assessments

    Practicum40% of the mark

    Ongoing evaluation of practical skills in surveying sessions throughout the training period.

Accreditation

  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority

    NationalRequired

    Mandatory accreditation for all TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.

Accredited by Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA). The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), the statutory body responsible for quality assurance and regulation of university education in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

  • Measurement Assistant

    Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 50,000

    Assist with land measurement and area calculations.

  • Survey Technician

    Medium demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 55,000

    Support surveying operations and measurement activities.

  • Field Survey Worker

    Medium demandKsh 31,000 to Ksh 56,000

    Conduct field work, data collection, and survey measurements.

  • Land Surveying Assistant

    Medium demandKsh 32,000 to Ksh 58,000

    Assist with land measurement, boundary determination, and surveying operations.

  • Self-employed Surveying Service Provider

    Medium demandKsh 27,000 to Ksh 60,000

    Operate own surveying business providing measurement and surveying services.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work in land surveying, measurement, and construction across Kenya's construction and land management sectors.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Land surveying is only about measuring land

    Land surveying encompasses measurement methods, surveying equipment, mapping, and comprehensive land determination.

  • Artisan land surveying has limited career growth

    Land surveying provides a foundation for progression to craft certificate, diploma, and eventually specialised positions in surveying and land management.

  • Land surveying is simple

    Land surveying requires technical skills, mathematical abilities, precision, and continuous learning.

  • Land surveying is declining

    Land surveying remains essential for construction, land management, development, and the growing construction industry.

Further reading

Read next