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At the time this change was proposed, I was enrolled as a land surveyor-in-training (as well as an engineer-in-training) and was asked to comment on the proposed change. Having recently completed the process of enrollment as a land surveyor-in-training, I felt that the entire licensing process needed revision and in a memo, dated September 20, 2000, I responded with the following discussion. I do not know how these comments were presented to or received by the legislative committee, if at all, but I believe that they are still relevant and worthy of sharing with a broader audience.
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Before discussing licensure of the professional land surveyor (LS), it would be instructive to first examine the licensing procedure of the professional engineer (PE). In order for a PE candidate to be licensed he must (1) be over the age of 21; (2) be of good moral character; (3) obtain a degree in engineering from an accredited school of engineering, or the equivalent thereof; (4) pass the Fundamentals of Engineering examination; (5) obtain four years of satisfactory engineering experience under the direct supervision of a PE; and (6) pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination. Now, to generalize requirements (3) through (6) the candidate must (a) obtain a specified minimum level of education; (b) pass an examination of fundamental principles; (c) gain actual, hands-on experience under appropriate supervision; and (d) pass an examination of the principles of the practice of the profession. These requirements represent a reasonable progression of development: understanding the basic concepts, demonstrating understanding by examination, gaining practical hands-on experience, and demonstrating competence to practice as a professional.
The LS candidate, on the other hand, can currently choose one of three options to qualify for the land surveyor-in-training examination. The options vary in the amount of education and experience required and, as a result, do not establish a minimum required level of education and experience.
For guidance in structuring the process for licensure of the land surveyor, perhaps we should look at the scope of the examinations. The following is quoted from the NCEES Professional Land Surveying Candidate Handbook:
"The FLS [Fundamentals of Land Surveying] examination focuses on the recall of basic principles and the application of mathematical formulas in the solution of basic surveying problems. The PLS [Principles and Practice of Land Surveying] examination tests the candidate’s ability to apply the basic principles of land surveying in making judgements based upon typical field data."
Therefore, we may say that the FLS exam tests the understanding of basic concepts, which is obtained through education and that the PLS exam tests the application of concepts to real world problems, an understanding of which is developed through qualified experience. It would seem reasonable, then, to require a minimum level of education in order to qualify to take the FLS exam and to require a minimum level of qualified experience to take the PLS exam.
Based upon the above reasoning and the existing requirements, I would suggest the following requirements/procedure for licensure of the land surveyor:
A. Requirements for enrollment as a Land Surveyor-in-training
1) over the age of 21
2) good moral character
3) high school graduate or equivalent (GED)
4) satisfactory completion of college coursework as follows:
Mathematics, 8 credit hours
Algebra, Trigonometry and/or higher mathematics
Communications, 3 credit hours
e.g., Technical Writing, Speech, etc.
Board approved Surveying Courses, 12 credit hours
2 credit hours must be in Legal Aspects of Boundary Surveying
Science/Technical Arts, 9 credit hours
e.g., computer science/programming, CAD, physical science,
physics, chemistry, drafting, etc.
These educational requirements come directly, for the most part, from the Missouri Code of State Regulations, Sections 20 CSR 2030-14.030 and 20 CSR 2030-14.040 [go to 20 CSR 2030 now]. The gist is that just as the engineers are required to meet a specified course of study as defined by the degree requirements of an accredited program, the surveyor should also be required to meet a specified course of study. (Granted, the requirements for the surveyor are not as rigorous as for the engineer.) Is a minimum requirement of a four-year degree the panacea? While a four-year degree in an applicable field of study would be good, I believe that these degree programs contain a lot of fluff that really contribute nothing to a candidate’s preparedness for a professional land surveying license. A better solution would be a targeted course of study such as I have presented above. The specific course of study could be negotiated among professionals in a manner similar to the method of determining the content of the Missouri State-Specific Land Surveyor Exam.
5) pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Land Surveying 8-hour Exam
"Experience" gained prior to attaining the minimum level of education should not apply to the requirements for licensure, because, until this minimum level is attained, the candidate has not begun to approach the professional level. Only experience gained after enrollment as an LSIT should count toward qualifying for the PLS.
B. Requirements for licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor
1) enrolled as land surveyor-in-training
2) four (4) years of qualified field and office experience in land surveying under the direct supervision of a Professional Land Surveyor
3) Pass the 6-hour NCEES Principles and Practice of Land Surveying exam
4) Pass the 2-hour Missouri Specific Land Surveyor exam
I believe that this plan establishes a minimum level of education that should prepare the candidate for the FLS exam, without causing undo burden, while, at the same time, protecting the welfare of the public by demanding a minimum level of competence. The mathematics, communications, and science classes are readily available as day or evening classes at nearly every junior college, college, and university across the state. Obtaining the necessary surveying coursework, however, is still a challenge and is probably the most formidable obstacle in the licensing process.
I do not believe that classroom education can be substituted for field experience, nor can field experience be substituted for classroom education. The classroom is the best environment for learning the concepts and the field is the best place to learn the application of those concepts.
