Land Surveyor Education Requirements
Land survey education often begins with a bachelor's degree program in surveying or a related major. Becoming fully licensed requires passing two exams and completing the prerequisite work experience. At minimum, surveyor training lasts eight years from the time a student enters an undergraduate program to passing the final licensing exam.
Job Description for Surveyors
Surveyors are professionals who observe land, recording dimensions and physical identifiers such as shape and color. They may outline land, airspace or water boundaries and check soil or rock samples for mineral concentrations. Surveyors can find work in many industries, including engineering, architecture, construction and government. During projects, they may be part of a team that consists of other professionals from these fields. Surveyors must be skilled in math and earth sciences and must be knowledgeable about local government regulations for the area in which they wish to practice.
Educational Requirements
Most surveying jobs require a bachelor's degree in surveying or a related major. The non-surveying requirements include sequences in physics and calculus. The surveying curriculum includes coursework in geography, geology, and surveying techniques. A surveying program may be offered with a related major such as mapping science or cartography. Some programs offer concentration areas, which might include design or photo surveying.
Many surveying programs incorporate practical experience into the curriculum. Laboratory courses allow students to practice surveying techniques by working with instruments such as levels, lasers, electronic distance meters and optical alignment devices. Programs also include extensive time working with computers in programming and computer-aided design. Students often take cooperative internships in the summer to gain work experience with licensed surveyors.
Many state licensing boards require that applicants have graduated from a program accredited by ABET, formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (www.abet.org). While individuals with degrees from programs without ABET accreditation can still become licensed, it may require additional years of work experience.
Licensing Requirements
Becoming licensed requires passing two exams administered by the National Council for Examiners of Engineering and Surveying. The first is the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, which may be taken near the completion of a bachelor's program. The FS exam covers mathematical, scientific and basic surveying concepts. Following four years of work experience, individuals may sit for the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. The PS exam covers specific topics in surveying such as standards, legal principles, professional practices, business practices and types of surveys.
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
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Areas of study you may find at University of Florida include:
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Areas of study you may find at Ferris State University include:
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Areas of study you may find at Northeastern University include:
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Areas of study you may find at Troy University include:
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Areas of study you may find at Saint Cloud State University include:
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Areas of study you may find at Metropolitan State College of Denver include:
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Areas of study you may find at North Carolina A & T State University include:
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Areas of study you may find at East Tennessee State University include:
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Areas of study you may find at University of Alaska include:
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