Engineering

Master of Science in Surveying

The Master of Science in Surveying is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in land surveying, geospatial engineering, and spatial data management. The programme provides specialised training in cadastral surveying, geodetic surveying, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and geographic information systems.

Core areas include surveying, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS, cadastral surveying, engineering surveying, hydrographic surveying, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, field surveys, and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi as a public institution through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology within the Faculty of Engineering. The programme is available in full-time and part-time modes over two to three years, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in surveying, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, field surveys, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for surveying, mapping, and spatial data management roles.

UoN charges approximately KES 531,500 per year. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Surveying, Geospatial Engineering, or a related field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as surveyors, geospatial engineers, GIS specialists, cadastral surveyors, photogrammetrists, and lecturers across government survey departments, land registries, engineering firms, mining companies, and universities.

Skills Required

Land and Cadastral Surveying
Geodetic Surveying and Positioning
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Engineering and Hydrographic Surveying
Spatial Data Management and Analysis
Digital Cadastre and Land Registration
GPS and Satellite Positioning
Research Methods in Surveying
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Land and Cadastral Surveying
Geodetic Surveying and Positioning
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Systems
Engineering and Hydrographic Surveying
Spatial Data Management
GPS and Satellite Positioning
Digital Cadastre and Land Registration
Research Methods in Surveying
Thesis Research

Certifications

ISK Professional Membership
RICS Professional Certification

Specializations

Cadastral Surveying

Focuses on cadastral surveying, covering cadastre, land, boundaries, surveying, and managing cadastral surveying and land registration.

Geodetic Surveying

Examines geodetic surveying, covering geodesy, positioning, GPS, surveying, and managing geodetic surveying and positioning.

Photogrammetry

Covers photogrammetry, covering photogrammetry, mapping, imagery, surveying, and managing photogrammetric mapping and analysis.

Remote Sensing

Focuses on remote sensing, covering remote, sensing, satellite, imagery, and managing remote sensing and satellite imagery analysis.

Engineering Surveying

Examines engineering surveying, covering engineering, surveying, construction, infrastructure, and managing engineering surveying and construction setting out.

Hydrographic Surveying

Covers hydrographic surveying, covering hydrographic, surveying, water, marine, and managing hydrographic surveying and marine mapping.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 531,500
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Land and Cadastral Surveying
Geodetic Surveying and Positioning
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Systems
Engineering and Hydrographic Surveying
Spatial Data Management
GPS and Satellite Positioning
Digital Cadastre and Land Registration
Research Methods in Surveying
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Surveying and Measurement
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines surveying, covering surveying, measurement, land, positioning, and managing advanced surveying and measurement techniques.
Geodetic Surveying and Positioning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers geodetic surveying, covering geodesy, positioning, GPS, satellite, and managing geodetic surveying and positioning.
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines photogrammetry, covering photogrammetry, remote, sensing, imagery, and managing photogrammetry and remote sensing.
Geographic Information Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers GIS, covering GIS, data, spatial, analysis, and managing geographic information systems and spatial data.
Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines cadastral surveying, covering cadastre, land, boundaries, surveying, and managing cadastral surveying and land registration.
Engineering Surveying
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers engineering surveying, covering engineering, surveying, construction, infrastructure, and managing engineering surveying and construction setting out.
Hydrographic Surveying
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines hydrographic surveying, covering hydrographic, surveying, water, marine, and managing hydrographic surveying and marine mapping.
Research Methods in Surveying
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, surveying, design, and conducting research in surveying, preparing students for their thesis.
Digital Cadastre and Land Information Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines digital cadastre, covering cadastre, digital, land, information, and managing digital cadastre and land information systems.
GPS and Satellite Positioning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers GPS and satellite positioning, covering GPS, satellite, positioning, navigation, and managing GPS and satellite positioning systems.
Spatial Data Management and Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines spatial data, covering spatial, data, management, analysis, and managing spatial data management and analysis.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a surveying topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and surveying knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Cadastral Surveying
Focuses on cadastral surveying, covering cadastre, land, boundaries, surveying, and managing cadastral surveying and land registration.
Geodetic Surveying
Examines geodetic surveying, covering geodesy, positioning, GPS, surveying, and managing geodetic surveying and positioning.
Photogrammetry
Covers photogrammetry, covering photogrammetry, mapping, imagery, surveying, and managing photogrammetric mapping and analysis.
Remote Sensing
Focuses on remote sensing, covering remote, sensing, satellite, imagery, and managing remote sensing and satellite imagery analysis.
Engineering Surveying
Examines engineering surveying, covering engineering, surveying, construction, infrastructure, and managing engineering surveying and construction setting out.
Hydrographic Surveying
Covers hydrographic surveying, covering hydrographic, surveying, water, marine, and managing hydrographic surveying and marine mapping.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Surveying programme combines lectures, field surveys, laboratory work, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover surveying, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS. Surveying sessions examine surveying, land, measurement, positioning, and managing surveying and measurement. Geodesy sessions cover geodesy, positioning, GPS, satellite, and managing geodetic surveying and positioning. Photogrammetry sessions cover photogrammetry, mapping, imagery, surveying, and managing photogrammetric mapping. Remote sensing sessions cover remote, sensing, satellite, imagery, and managing remote sensing and analysis. GIS sessions cover GIS, data, spatial, analysis, and managing geographic information systems. Cadastral surveying sessions cover cadastre, land, boundaries, surveying, and managing cadastral surveying. Engineering surveying sessions cover engineering, surveying, construction, infrastructure, and managing engineering surveying. Hydrographic surveying sessions cover hydrographic, surveying, water, marine, and managing hydrographic surveying. Field surveys provide practical experience in land measurement, GPS positioning, and topographic mapping. Laboratory sessions provide practical experience in GIS, photogrammetry, and remote sensing software. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a surveying topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme provides specialised training in surveying and geospatial technology, a growing field in Kenya.
Graduates are eligible for ISK professional membership and RICS international certification.
Programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical field surveys and laboratory work.
Programme covers modern technologies including GPS, remote sensing, and digital cadastre.

Against it

Only one confirmed institution (UoN) offers this exact programme.
No private university confirmed offering this exact programme.
Fee data is estimated from MSc GIS, not confirmed for Surveying specifically.
The traditional MSc in Surveying programme is noted as under review at UoN.

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

Public260k to 532k

260k at Technical University of Kenya532k at University of Nairobi

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

UoN GIS 531.5K/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). TUK Group I 260K/yr (eafinder). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. UoN may offer scholarships for eligible students. FIG and RICS may offer scholarships and fellowships for surveying research and education.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
FIG Scholarship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 200,000Kenyan
UoN may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate surveying students.
FIG Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 200,000
FIG and international surveying organisations may offer scholarships for surveying research and education.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: UoN requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Surveying, Geospatial Engineering, or equivalent. Lower Second Class may be considered with past experience or postgraduate diploma. Contact the university for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, field survey reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering surveying, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS.
Field Survey Project
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through field survey projects, demonstrating surveying, measurement, and data processing skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a surveying topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and surveying knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi (public) offers MSc in Surveying through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in surveying. Graduates may interact with ISK for professional certification, the Land Surveyors Board for professional licensing, and FIG and RICS for international surveying standards. The programme aligns with FIG and RICS global surveying frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi (public) offers MSc in Surveying through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in surveying. Graduates may interact with ISK for professional certification, the Land Surveyors Board for professional licensing, and FIG and RICS for international surveying standards. The programme aligns with FIG and RICS global surveying frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Surveyor
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts surveying, covering surveying, land, measurement, positioning, and managing surveying and land measurement.
Geospatial Engineer
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages geospatial projects, covering geospatial, engineering, data, surveying, and managing geospatial engineering and analysis.
GIS Specialist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages GIS projects, covering GIS, data, spatial, analysis, and managing geographic information systems and analysis.
Cadastral Surveyor
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts cadastral surveying, covering cadastre, land, boundaries, surveying, and managing cadastral surveying and land registration.
Photogrammetrist
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 380,000
Conducts photogrammetric mapping, covering photogrammetry, mapping, imagery, surveying, and managing photogrammetric mapping and analysis.
Surveying Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches surveying at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
ArcGIS for geographic information systems and spatial analysis, covering GIS, data, spatial, analysis, and managing geographic information systems.
QGIS
Software
QGIS for open-source GIS and spatial data analysis, covering GIS, data, spatial, analysis, and managing open-source GIS.
AutoCAD Civil 3D
Software
AutoCAD Civil 3D for surveying and civil engineering design, covering surveying, design, civil, engineering, and managing surveying and design.
ERDAS Imagine
Software
ERDAS Imagine for remote sensing and image processing, covering remote, sensing, imagery, processing, and managing remote sensing and image analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Surveying is just about measuring land.
Surveying covers geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS, and spatial data management beyond just land measurement.
This programme is only for engineering graduates.
Surveying is for professionals from geography, environmental science, and computing backgrounds, not just engineering graduates.
Surveying has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Surveying graduates are in demand in government, land registries, engineering firms, mining, and construction sectors.
This programme is the same as GIS.
Surveying covers land measurement, geodesy, and photogrammetry alongside GIS, providing a broader geospatial education.
Surveying is outdated technology.
Modern surveying uses GPS, satellite imagery, drones, and digital cadastre systems, making it highly technology-driven.
You need to be good at mathematics to study surveying.
While mathematical foundations are important, surveying emphasises practical measurement, technology, and spatial analysis.