Earn Your BS Degree Online Wednesday, May 9, 2018 (0 Comments)

Posted by: Jeremy T. McCombs, PLS

Share | The Bachelor of Science program at North Carolina A&T State University is a great program for Land Surveyors of all levels to further develop their skills.The program is an ABET accredited program under the Applied Science Accreditation Commission. With technology rapidly changing and the need for higher education in the industry, this program is an integral part of professional development.The Business Occupations and Professions Article 15-305, Annotated Code of Maryland subset b through e requires a minimum of thirty credit hours of higher education in Land Surveying and makes allowance for up to a four-year degree. This program is specifically designed to prepare surveyors for state licensure and is implemented by leading industry professionals. The well-respected professors in the program are Ms. Peggy Fersner, PE (retired) and Dr. Jerry Nave, PLS; they bring a wealth of knowledge to the program and curriculum. The professional level courses can be taken 100% on-line through the University’s distance learning program. The program will accept transfer credits from the CCBC surveying program or previous studies and will accommodate flexible scheduling to complete the program at a pace that is suited best for any full-time working survey technician. I completed the program in three years taking courses part-time as well as coming into the program with an Associates degree. The Maryland Society of Surveyors Educational trust also assisted in my endeavor at NCAT, awarding me two scholarships in consecutive years. Graduating from this program has enabled me to advance in my career by preparing me for licensure as a professional land surveyor. The program touches on all areas required to be competent as a licensed professional in the state of Maryland from boundary surveying to minor engineering. The minor engineering exam for the state of Maryland is one of the more challenging aspects to the Maryland licensure and Ms. Fersner will cover every topic featured on this exam with courses in Hydrology and Hydraulics. She also prepares students for computational adjustments of our traverse networks and differential leveling networks through Adjustment I and II with main topics in statistics and least squares adjustments. Dr. Nave takes on the surveying boundary and legal principles as well as geodesy and subdivision design; being a licensed professional and owning his own survey company allows for the format to be taught through the eyes of experience in theory and practice. The curriculum also includes courses in analytical photogrammetry, introduction to UAV’s, and Advanced UAV processing for exposure to our changing data collection methods. The vast experience of these professors and their dedication to this program are enough to inspire anyone. A graduate from this program leaves fully prepared to advance in the land surveying industry at a high level. The final aspect of the program is to work as a team with classmates on a large-scale survey project which incorporates the minor engineering design principles. The project takes the student through the industry process of a feasibility study involving a boundary analysis which leads into a subdivision design. The two semester long process creates a camaraderie with your classmates that will last a lifetime. I stay in regular touch with my classmates and professors and going through the program has made me a better individual personally and professionally. I just became a Maryland licensed professional Land Surveyor in January and the program a big part in achieving that goal. I would encourage anyone seeking advancement in the field to take a good look at this program.