The Department was established in 1993 within the Faculty of Engineering, comprising five Divisions: Geodesy, Surveying Techniques, Photogrammetry, Cartography, and Public Measurements. The Department commenced its academic activities on 6 October 1995 following the appointment of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sebahattin BEKTAŞ, a faculty member of the Geodesy Division, as Head of the Department. Undergraduate education formally began in the 1997–1998 Academic Year, and the first undergraduate degrees were awarded in the 2000–2001 Academic Year.
As of the 2006–2007 Academic Year, a Second Education (Evening Education) program was introduced, and its first graduates completed their studies in the 2009–2010 Academic Year. Student admissions to the Second Education program were discontinued as of the end of the 2017–2018 Academic Year.
Master’s degree education was initiated in the 1998–1999 Academic Year. A joint doctoral program with Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) was launched in the 2011–2012 Academic Year. Subsequently, pursuant to the decision of the Executive Board of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) dated 01 February 2017, and upon meeting the required faculty adequacy criteria, the PhD Program in Surveying Engineering was established under the Graduate School of Natural Sciences at Ondokuz Mayıs University.
In 2020, the Division of Cadastral Surveys was renamed as the Division of Land Management.
Prof. Dr. Faik Ahmet SESLİ was appointed as Head of the Department on 23 December 2022. Prof. Dr. Sedat DOĞAN was appointed as Head of the Department on 23 December 2025.
From the year the Department began graduating students until the end of the 2022–2023 Academic Year, a total of 1,574 undergraduate students have graduated, including 1,071 students (16 international) from the regular education program and 503 students (1 international) from the Second Education program. In addition, the Department has awarded degrees to 1 associate degree graduate, 90 master’s degree graduates, and 12 doctoral graduates.
In order to ensure the sustainability of education and training activities through a curriculum that reflects current developments and technological advancements, curriculum revision studies were conducted through External Stakeholder Meetings (Focus Group Studies). The revised curriculum, approved by the University Senate, has been implemented as of the Fall Semester of the 2018–2019 Academic Year. These revisions were carried out in full compliance with the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, the Bologna Process, and MÜDEK Accreditation criteria.
With the objective of further enhancing the quality of education and documenting compliance with national and international standards, accreditation activities were undertaken. Following the Institutional Visit conducted by the MÜDEK Evaluation Team, the Surveying Engineering Department was granted accreditation for a period of two years. This accreditation has contributed to the Department’s quality assurance and continuous improvement efforts and has constituted a significant step toward attracting students with higher academic achievement levels.
Vision of the Department
The Surveying Engineering Department aims to establish a qualified academic and administrative infrastructure capable of fulfilling its institutional responsibilities; to educate graduates with the competence to operate at both national and international levels; to develop and sustain a relationship between education and service production based on societal needs and principles of social justice; to define future-oriented strategies and objectives; and to conduct all activities in accordance with the principles of scientific ethics.
Mission of the Department
The mission of the Department is to advance and promote the surveying engineering profession, which provides services in numerous fields including urban planning, agricultural activities, land consolidation, and public works; to provide students with the education and training required by the profession and ensure their graduation as internationally comparable professionals; to conduct scientific research and publications in relevant fields; to monitor international developments and formulate policies in line with national and societal interests; to develop solutions to professional problems faced by the country and the surrounding region; to support the implementation of professional advancements; and to educate the academic staff and qualified personnel required by universities and public institutions.
Fields of Study
Definition of terrestrial coordinate systems and establishment of reference networks; design, establishment, measurement, computation, analysis, control, and densification of horizontal and vertical geodetic networks for national and international engineering projects
Integration of spatial data with these networks and systems, and monitoring of temporal variations
Monitoring of crustal movements and deformation measurements for the control of engineering structures using established networks; application and analysis of satellite-based modern surveying techniques (GPS/GNSS)
Data acquisition, processing, and evaluation using aerial photographs and satellite imagery; derivation of decision-support components for various disciplines; production of large-, medium-, and small-scale digital and printed topographic and thematic maps using photogrammetric methods
Establishment of land registry records in accordance with the Civil Code through property cadastre applications; regulation of urban land in line with contemporary urban planning principles; restructuring of rural land in accordance with modern agricultural practices
Execution of expropriation, easement rights, and real estate valuation services for national and international engineering projects
Analysis, design, implementation, and dissemination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Urban Information Systems; execution of interdisciplinary collaborative studies