Education Requirements in Surveying and Geodesy

As a result of the lack of training of scientists and engineers in modern methods of precise field measurements and in elementary geodetic phenomena, numerous engineering projects have experienced expensive errors. Administrators and planners responsible for initiating projects are so lacking in this knowledge that they are unaware of the need for geodetic consultants. The abandonment of the teaching of plane surveying and the substitution of two other courses as required subjects for all engineering and science students would remedy this situation. The courses would be: (1) Principles of precise field measurements and (2) elementary aspects of geodesy. The recommended courses could each be taught in a single quarter. The student generally familiar with these subjects would not make many of the mistakes of the past and would be aware of the occasional need for consultation with a qualified geodesist in the design and planning of new projects.