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Surveying Career Ahead,
Start Planning Your Future Today!
Surveyor
n.
One skilled in the
science of determining the boundaries, area, position, and contour of a tract
of land by means of linear and angular measurements.
Webster’s
Dictionary
A
Very Important Job
Surveyors work in all kinds
of weather and environmental conditions to make the land measurements
necessary for the design and construction of the facilities and services that
are essential to our daily quality of life. From roads and bridges, and water
and sewer systems, to the homes and buildings that make up our communities,
Surveyors are the providers of property, land use, and development boundaries,
and they’re measuring for our future.
Throughout
History
In
the beginning, early practitioners provided for the layout and construction of
great edifices like the pyramids
of Egypt (2700 B.C.), temples
of ancient Greece (440 B.C.),
Great
Wall of China (221 B.C.), aqueducts
and highways of the Roman Empire (100 B.C.) and the cities of the
Aztec,
Maya
and Inca
of Mexico and Central and South America (200 A.D.). In more recent times,
Surveyors contributed to the founding of our nation by establishing property
and community boundaries, compiling geographic data for the making of maps,
and measuring the proposed sights of development projects.
Virtual
Museum of Surveying
Our
World Needs YOU!
There
is an ever-growing need for students to enter the field of Surveying. Without
the Surveyors of tomorrow, we cannot continue to address many of the
land use and engineering problems that face our world. Challenging our
ways of life and mere existence are needs for improved nuclear and toxic waste
disposal, garbage recycling, water purification and delivery, sewage
treatment, housing, transportation, and energy development.
The
Right Stuff
To
become a Surveyor, one must have a strong proficiency in English, Math,
Science, Computers, and analytical problem solving. Educational requirements
include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Surveying or Civil Engineering, with
at least 24-quarter hours or equivalent of State Board approved surveying
courses. Those wishing to obtain a Professional Surveyor’s License in Ohio
must take the qualifying “Fundamentals
of Surveying Exam.” Successful candidates are then designated as “Survey
Interns.” Following four years of practical experience, they are eligible to
take the final exam to become licensed as a Professional Surveyor.
High
Tech Minds
To
learn about the college surveying programs offered in Ohio, we urge you to
contact student recruitment counselors at these accredited schools:
Case
Western Reserve University | Cleveland State University
| Ohio Northern University
| Ohio University
| The Ohio State University
| University of Akron
| University of
Cincinnati | University of Dayton
University of Toledo
| Youngstown State
University
Where
We Work
In
Greater Columbus’ government sector, Surveyors are employed by the County
Engineer’s Office, Ohio Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Park
District, Ohio National Guard, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, City of
Columbus Division of Engineering & Construction and other municipal
engineering and public works departments. Private sector positions are with
surveying and engineering firms, construction companies, utilities and real
estate developers.
U.S.
Department of Labor Occupational Outlook
Pioneers
Charles
Mason (1728-1786) & Jeremiah
Dixon (1733-1779) – British Astronomers and Surveyors that set
the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland known as the Mason-Dixon Line.
Thomas
Hutchins (1730-1789) – Frontiersman
and first Geographer of the United States, Surveyor of the “Seven Ranges”
of Ohio, and first to use the rectangular system of surveys in the U.S.
Benjamin
Banneker (1731-1806) – African American Astronomer, Clock Maker, Publisher, and member of
the survey team responsible for the layout and planning of Washington D.C.
George
Washington (1732-1799) – Surveyor,
Commander and Chief of the Continental Army, and First U.S. President.
Thomas
Jefferson (1743-1826) – Surveyor,
Patriot, Author of the Declaration of Independence, and third U.S. President.
Thomas
Worthington (1773-1827) – Pioneer,
Surveyor, one of Ohio’s first Senators, and the sixth Governor.
Meriwether
Lewis (1774-1809) &
William
Clark (1770-1838) – Leaders of the expedition to explore
and survey the Louisiana Purchase.
Abraham
Lincoln (1809-1865) – Surveyor,
Lawyer, and 16th U.S. President.
Henry
David Thoreau (1817-1862) –
Surveyor, Philosopher, Environmentalist, and Author of “Walden.”
George
Ketteringham (1876-1954) –
Inventor and
harvester of spider web used as cross hairs in optical equipment, periscopes
and survey transits.
New
Heights
Today’s
modern Surveyors use the latest technologies, such as total station transits
equipped with an infrared light that measures distances, angles and
elevations; aerial photography for precision mapmaking; and computers that
analyze data. Since 1993, 24 satellites have provided for the operation of the
Global
Positioning System (GPS) that provides Surveyors with the exact
latitude and longitude of where they’re located on the face of the earth.
E
is for Education
The
Franklin County Engineer’s Office is committed to Education within our
schools and universities. We provide staff that lecture on engineering,
surveying and transportation related topics, as well as participate in career
day activities, science and math fairs, and Learning
for Life programs. At
the college level, internship opportunities are offered for those majoring in
Civil Engineering and Surveying.
Aim
for Success
Best
wishes to you in your academic pursuits. We greatly appreciate your interest
in Surveying and we hope you will consider a career in this important field.
Careers
in Civil Engineering
Links
to Specialized Surveying Organizations
American
Congress on Surveying and Mapping
| Cartography
and Geographic Information Society
National
Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
| National
Geodetic Survey |
National
Society of Professional Surveyors |
Ohio
Professional Engineers and Surveyors Board
| Professional
Land Surveyors of Ohio
| Surveying
Career.com
Surveying
Career Ahead Brochure (PDF)
Surveying
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