Indiana license requirements

My gut feeling is the first one would hold since they aren't recognizing certain correspondence courses.

The "legal" right answer would just be to contact their board and ask. They are the ruling body so get the right answer from them.

That's my 2 pence.
E.

Matt, What is Your Current Status ?

Have you not yet taken the fundamentals exam?

I thought you were beyond that stage?

Please outline what you do have in education and experience?

The word correspondance may not apply to online and certain distance learning programs. I think they may be referring to the old style correspondance course from International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania which operated from 1897 to 1996. It is now Penn Foster College. The old ICS was somehere above a vo-tech high school but not quite a college.

Paul in PA

Matt, What is Your Current Status ?

Paul,

I have my license in Kentucky. I have been surveying for 14 years and have been licensed for 4.

Matt

Matt, What is Your Current Status ?

How many years since you took the FS exam?

Would not the 14 years meet the Indiana requirement?

With the 14 years aside, what is your formal surveying education?

Paul in PA

Matt, What is Your Current Status ?

I have no formal surveying education. I pasted the FS exam in October 2006 and the PS and Ky state specific exam in October 2008.

The actual text of the law is legally controlling. The compilation you linked gives another link to get the official law. However, the board is created to interpret the law and apply it. They are legally presumed to be correct. Trying to argue about their interpretation would be legally costly and very difficult to win in court. From a practical standpoint, you are stuck with whatever the board says.

Matt, What is Your Current Status ?

With no formal education you should not even look at the education, but let me throw it out there anyway.

Indiana describes a survey education as 27 credit hours of surveying and 3 credit hours (roads, hydraulics and hydrology) for a total of 30 hours.

From looking at a lot of surveying programs an AS usually involves 30 credit hours and a BS 36-45 credit hours. It is stated an approved BS program, but there is no list nor even mention as in most states that a ABET BS is automatically approved. That means the board has to consider that individual college program as a part of the application process or they might have a list posted elsewhere.

I am aware of 2 degree programs in Indiana, Vincennes University has an AS in surveying with a whopping 38 surveying credits required. They have transfer agreements with some out of state 4 year programs such as Ferris State. Purdue has a Land Surveying Minor (31 credits) option for a BS in Engineering. So where do you learn more about surveying? I venture that any BS surveying program ABET or not exceeds Purdue's level of surveying plus there are AS/AAS programs out there that can equal it.

That second document is attempting to deal with experience and no degree, allowing one to add a year of education to seven years of experience to come up with eight years. However a year of surveying education is not defined. Again I will venture that two semesters of college with 10-12 surveying credits should equal a year. Most college BS programs do not introduce surveying until after the first year, so maybe 15 credits. Some have one intro course in the first year but most concentrate on getting the general education out of the way first.

That now out of the way, Indiana does have an experience only path. Your 14 years exceed the 8 required. Six years after passing the FS is also favorable. Apply to Indiana based on that passing the FS in 2006 was sufficient to qualify you as an SIT and that passing the FS and PS is sufficient acknowledgement of your self education. "Comity" is the key word in most statutes I did not find it in Indiana's but it means a state recognizes another states equivalent requirements.

All in all the Indiana statute contradicts itself at several levels and should be rewritten. But as of now the decision is up to the board.

In your position I would go for it.

Paul in PA

> The actual text of the law is legally controlling. The compilation you linked gives another link to get the official law. However, the board is created to interpret the law and apply it. They are legally presumed to be correct. Trying to argue about their interpretation would be legally costly and very difficult to win in court. From a practical standpoint, you are stuck with whatever the board says.

Agreed. :good:

How many of us would hire a Medical Doctor knowing his degree was only distance learning?

Not me.

I read it as either 1) degree in an approved land surveying curriculum and 4 years of approved experience in land surveying or 2) a minimum of 8 years of approved experience in land surveying. If you are already licensed in KY with the stated experience that you have, I would definitely submit your application.

Indiana is also most likely intending to revise these statutes soon to remove the "written" and "eight-hour" language for the various examinations listed as the FS exam will no longer be written or 8 hours in length beginning 2014

I appreciate all of the responses! This board has such a wealth of knowledge! I thank you all!

Matt

> I appreciate all of the responses! This board has such a wealth of knowledge! I thank you all!

You're a better man than me.
If I had posed the question, and the set of responses was defined as "X", then I would have appreciated "X-1". 😉