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There was not one clear path into surveying for the current generation of land surveyors, and there still isn’t a single path today. There
are pros to this fact, but also cons.

In recent years, more emphasis has been put on advanced education, but our numbers are declining more than ever. Are new degree
requirements to blame? Perhaps in part, but that doesn’t explain why numbers in states like California and Arizona are also declining—
neither of which has any degree requirement for licensure.

The truth is that the puzzle is more complicated than that.

Requirements are inconsistent between states
Education requirements from state-to-state have always varied. Currently,
there are about 38+ states that require either a certificate, a two-year
degree, or a four-year degree in order to become a licensed land surveyor.

On one end of the spectrum are states like Arizona, which requires only
six years of experience, and no education. This makes it one of the least
stringent and easiest of all 50 states.

On the other end of the spectrum are states like Nevada, which requires a
four-year bachelor’s degree plus four years of experience in order to become
licensed, although the degree does not have to be strictly a bachelor’s
degree in surveying, but you will be required to have some college credits
in surveying. In the middle are states like Utah, which requires a two-year
associate’s degree plus four years of experience.

Requirements aren’t static. For instance, Texas just switched from a four-year education requirement to two years. The problem? Their
test pass rate went down significantly. The purpose of lowering the education requirement was to get more people licensed. But if
you’re not getting people licensed, it’s not helping the profession. North Carolina just did the same thing by lowering their requirements
from a four-year degree to a two-year degree as well. You can read more about the changes by searching North Carolina Senate Bill
219.

Pros of multiple paths to licensure:

The multiple paths to licensure discussed above do have benefits. Not all students are interested in 4-year degree requirements, and
would prefer to attend community college. By talking to the Association of School Counselors, we can advertise the fact that there are
multiple paths into our profession, including those students who want to get working right after high school.

In Arizona, the overall number of licensed surveyors is going down, but that drop does not seem to be tied to education. 75% of land
surveyors in the last year and a half have had either no formal education or an associate’s degree, but they are still passing all the
exams required to get licensed.
When we define licensure, it is a minimum standard to be able to practice as a land surveyor. It is not a statement that you’re actually
good at what you’re doing; it means that you are minimally competent to do it.

Many surveyors believe that a path to licensure through experience is just as
valid as a path through education. For example, the CST program is not tied
to a formal education requirement, but is still an opportunity for surveyors to
prove their knowledge through exams.

The largest benefit to multiple paths to licensure is this: the more options
you offer, the bigger the “funnel” will be of incoming surveyors. If the
problem with our professions is getting bodies in the door, strict education
requirements will only limit that. Such requirements may result in better
surveyors, but fewer of them.

Having multiple paths opens up that base level of surveying to a lot more
people. The key is to get people in the door, period, and then funnel them up
as they become ready. If we restrict the base level by adding requirements,
we restrict the profession as a whole.

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