News Releases

New UWI Programme offers Land Management Experience

For Release Upon Receipt - April 9, 2008

St. Augustine


The University of the West Indies (UWI), Faculty of Engineering, Department of Surveying and Land Information has recently introduced a new degree programme in Land Management (Valuation) created to fill a growing need-both locally and regionally.

“This programme was modelled after the top programmes in the world and incorporates the best elements of the Land Valuation programmes internationally” said Dr. Michael Sutherland, Lecturer and Programme Coordinator of the new degree programme.

The B.Sc. programme contains elements of Valuation Surveying, Estate Management, Land Administration and other areas of Land Management. Specific training is also delivered in Land Economics, Land Surveying, Cadastral Studies, Engineering Management, Construction techniques, Taxation methods and techniques, Geographic Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Statistics for Surveyors, as well as various relevant aspects of accounting and law.

Students enrolled in the programme will also have opportunities to gain practical experience in professional practice through professional internships. The Department is already embarking on creating internship programmes with professionals in the Valuation Surveying field so that graduates and employers can reap the mutual benefits. Graduates of this programme can expect “relatively quick job placements, as well as potential for gaining higher qualifications within graduate programmes, both locally and internationally,” says Dr. Sutherland. He expects that graduates will contribute to the profession in Trinidad and Tobago and eventually internationally.

In order to commence the B.Sc. in Land Management, applicants must satisfy the general matriculation requirements for entry to the University, in addition to specific matriculation requirements for the programme. However, some individuals who do not meet the above requirements may gain entry into the programme, but evaluation will be on a case by case basis.

The programme was created to meet an established need for valuation surveyors, in the Caribbean. There is a need due to regional and international establishment and development of land markets. Regionally, it is estimated that close to $US860 million has been invested since 1996 in property formalisation with the objective of establishing land markets. In this environment, a degree in Land Management holds much for the future as there is an obvious need for property professionals who are knowledgeable about local, regional, and international economic, social and environmental land matters.

For further information, please contact UWI Faculty of Engineering, Department of Surveying and Land Information at Surveying.AndLandInformation@sta.uwi.edu, or (868) 662 2002 Ext. 2108, 2109. For more information on the B.Sc. programme, please contact Dr. Michael Sutherland at michael.sutherland@sta.uwi.edu or (868) 662 2002 Ext. 2564.

ABOUT UWI

The University of the West Indies (UWI) is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

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