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Cartography or Mapping
Sciences
Mapping and Cartography today encompasses a diverse range of
fields and disciplines.
To reflect these changes industry and the profession have adopted the broader
term Mapping Sciences, thus relating to work in the areas of Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), resource management, environmental monitoring,
transport, communications, and tourism.
Office or Outdoor Work
Training and studying to become a Cartographer / Mapping
Scientist generally means preparing for an indoor working career associated
with maps, land information, desktop publishing, digital imagery, and
3-dimensional data. This may involve working with Surveyors, Planners,
Engineers and other technical scientists to acquire, communicate and manage
geo-spatial information.
Which High School
Subjects should I study?
Maps and their coordinate systems relate directly to map
projections and data manipulation. For this reason a sound achievement in Mathematics
and English is recommended.
An understanding of Graphic Communication and knowledge
of Physics fundamentals is also desirable for Mapping Science related
disciplines.
Tertiary Institutions
The Australasian Surveying and Mapping Education Directory is
a web site dedicated to providing an index to all surveying, cartography,
GIS and related courses throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New
Guinea.
Job Prospects
Rapid technological developments in the mapping industry are
leading to a demand for tertiary qualified technical and managerial staff.
The need for People with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) skills is
expected to increase in the coming years.
Mapping Scientists are people who gather, process, analyse and present
spatial data. These skills enable the professional to specialise or
diversify into many interesting and exciting fields of employment.
Graduates will call upon a range of skills developed during their studies.
They may use their graphic design skills in the production of a variety of
mapping products; their computer skills in the creation of a geographical
data base and/or their analytical skills in data management and
communication.
Employment opportunities are available in all levels of Government,
semi-government agencies, statutory authorities and in private industry.
What are the job
prospects?
Experts believe that the demand for tertiary qualified
Mapping Scientists in the resource industries and local government sectors
will continue to grow in the coming years. Some are forecasting a large
annual growth in the GIS and Spatial Data Management fields.
The 1996 RMIT graduate destination survey revealed that 97.1% of the Land
Information graduates had jobs within 3 months of course completion, higher
than accountancy, computer science, psychology and tourism. Visit their web
site to find out more.
Work Experience
Work experience is best arranged at a local level through
school or via direct contact.
Businesses involved with the mapping industry can be found in the Yellow
Pages under Maps or Mapping. Many government agencies are also involved
with mapping and GIS.
Pay levels
Pay in both government and private industry is normally
related to qualifications and experience.
In the government sector this is generally based on the
Scientific or Technical Officer scale.
INDUSTRY INFORMATION
A tertiary qualification in Mapping Sciences opens up career
opportunities throughout Australia and overseas.
Skills developed through tertiary study are needed for work on the
development and management of resources and infrastructure both locally and
world wide.
Graduates can find themselves working within a great variety of fields.
Visit the RMIT Dept. of Land Information site to find out about where some
of their past graduates are now working.
Mapping can be seen as part of the bridge between engineering and science.
The Mapping Sciences industry is very diversified and includes working in
or being associated with the following areas of government agencies and the
private sector.
Technical Services
Using computer systems and equipment for data presentation
such as:
Geographical Information Systems (GIS),
Plotting and data management of floods, bushfires, accident reconstruction,
natural resource recording and sampling,
Transport system management using satellite data,
Remote Sensing and mapping from space,
Photogrammetry using aerial, terrestrial and satellite images,
Geological mapping,
Land and marine inventories,
Surface modelling for infra structure development,
Multimedia / Internet design and development.
Environmental
Management
Government Departments such as:
Geosciences Australia,
Primary Industries,
Lands and Environment,
Mines and Energy,
Harbours and Marine,
Forestry,
Water Resources,
Land Development,
Tourism,
Emergency Services,
Private Surveying and Mapping companies
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