>
> However, most practical experience will provide little to no theory.
BS
You better have your laces tight. I barely got away from Dr. Loon with my life in '09.
Of course it can help your career. But you are the only one that can take advantage of it or not. It should give you knowledge and skills that will allow you to take on more challenging and better paying geomatics jobs. You don't want to be in the lowest bid game for jobs that the uneducated can perform cheaper. For example, google vietnam geomatics and read about the public private partnerships going on. Read the FIG 2004 paper on the future of the profession. If you want to be one of the last surveyors standing and making a good living you should continue for the masters.
On a similar note, I disagree with Prof. Cliff on boundary work. I would have none I could afford to do without the JD. Pretty quickly the only feet on the ground work needed is going to involve very sticky legal issues that clients want someone with elevated legal knowledge to tackle for them. Boundary work is no different than any other surveying. In fact I would say people learn more about other aspects of surveying from experience than they do boundary. Lots of good measurers out there who have learned GPS, GIS, CADD on the job but still couldn't find a boundary if they tripped over it, because they have no or little education in the matter.
Times are changing fast. Yes, one can learn anything they need outside of college, but that's a tough row to hoe. The rest of the world is looking for credentials.
> I barely got away from Dr. Loon with my life in '09.
It was that same way when I graduated in 04' with just a B.S. His classes were always at 8 am also.
> >
> The question being:
> Will the graduate degree get me further in the profession?
> Will I get a bid just because I have a Master's?
>
> From my years of experience, I see that: reputation,
> business/client skills, continuing education, umderstanding the profession(legalities, technology, techniques), knowing the threshold of services that I am licensed to provide, and BST(blood,sweat,tears) will set me apart from others, not necessarily an additional degree.
Whether or not it will get you further depends upon what you want to do with your career. If you see yourself working in the same aspects of surveying as most of your colleagues: residential, retail, and light commercial development, boundary, design topo, any but the most complicated construction layout, ALTAs, elevation certificates, etc. - your are likely to get little from it than another student loan payment to make for the next 10 years.
If you intend to go into more specialized fields of high tech surveying, perhaps overseeing the surveying portions of very large multi-faceted projects, or go into education, an advanced degree will be a distinct advantage.
Surveying is full of people in all positions, from chainman to CEO, who are or can be intimidated or resentful of those with more education than them. So, unless you intend to go into an area where formal education is more highly valued, an advanced degree could be a liability if you look to build your career in the wrong portion of the profession or in the wrong organization.
If you intend to build your career in the areas of land development and boundary, a law degree would probably serve you better because the problems presented in those types of projects are typically not technically difficult requiring creative technical solutions. It is more likely that you will face challenges that a good understanding of applicable law can lead you to the most defensible boundary, or help to navigate the regulatory, political, and legal issues that tend to appear in some (many) development projects.
Even then, you will have to ensure that you end up in an organization that has the foresight to take advantage of your combined training and experience and whose leaders are not afraid to offer consulting based on your knowledge when it exceeds their own in particular matters, and then properly compensate you for the value you bring to the company. Such companies exist but seem to be few.
> > >
> > The question being:
> > Will the graduate degree get me further in the profession?
> > Will I get a bid just because I have a Master's?
> >
> > From my years of experience, I see that: reputation,
> > business/client skills, continuing education, umderstanding the profession(legalities, technology, techniques), knowing the threshold of services that I am licensed to provide, and BST(blood,sweat,tears) will set me apart from others, not necessarily an additional degree.
>
>
> Whether or not it will get you further depends upon what you want to do with your career. If you see yourself working in the same aspects of surveying as most of your colleagues: residential, retail, and light commercial development, boundary, design topo, any but the most complicated construction layout, ALTAs, elevation certificates, etc. - your are likely to get little from it than another student loan payment to make for the next 10 years.
>
> If you intend to go into more specialized fields of high tech surveying, perhaps overseeing the surveying portions of very large multi-faceted projects, or go into education, an advanced degree will be a distinct advantage.
>
> Surveying is full of people in all positions, from chainman to CEO, who are or can be intimidated or resentful of those with more education than them. So, unless you intend to go into an area where formal education is more highly valued, an advanced degree could be a liability if you look to build your career in the wrong portion of the profession or in the wrong organization.
>
> If you intend to build your career in the areas of land development and boundary, a law degree would probably serve you better because the problems presented in those types of projects are typically not technically difficult requiring creative technical solutions. It is more likely that you will face challenges that a good understanding of applicable law can lead you to the most defensible boundary, or help to navigate the regulatory, political, and legal issues that tend to appear in some (many) development projects.
>
> Even then, you will have to ensure that you end up in an organization that has the foresight to take advantage of your combined training and experience and whose leaders are not afraid to offer consulting based on your knowledge when it exceeds their own in particular matters, and then properly compensate you for the value you bring to the company. Such companies exist but seem to be few.
:clap: :good:
I met this gentleman in '93 or '94 when I worked with ODOT. He came and schooled us about many things from our densification of the HARN network to maintaining static networks to catching cut throat trout. I was impressed with his comprehension of geodesy and spatial positioning.
His last night in town we ate fried catfish and drank beer around a fire up at Al Zeigelgruber's place.
I haven't spoken with him for a number of years, but he was always ready to answer questions. He has done well for our industry and has done well for himself. I can only imagine what his reply would be if you flew your question past him.
Don't know if he's still at this address, it's the last one I have:
Michael E. Jackson, Ph.D
Director, Plate Boundary Observatory
UNAVCO, Inc.
6350 Nautilus Dr.
Boulder, CO 80301
303 381 7554 (wk)
303 888 0718 (cell)
jackson @ unavco.org
> I met this gentleman in '93 or '94 when I worked with ODOT. He came and schooled us about many things from our densification of the HARN network to maintaining static networks to catching cut throat trout. I was impressed with his comprehension of geodesy and spatial positioning.
> His last night in town we ate fried catfish and drank beer around a fire up at Al Zeigelgruber's place.
> I haven't spoken with him for a number of years, but he was always ready to answer questions. He has done well for our industry and has done well for himself. I can only imagine what his reply would be if you flew your question past him.
>
> Don't know if he's still at this address, it's the last one I have:
>
>
> Michael E. Jackson, Ph.D
> Director, Plate Boundary Observatory
> UNAVCO, Inc.
> 6350 Nautilus Dr.
> Boulder, CO 80301
> 303 381 7554 (wk)
> 303 888 0718 (cell)
> jackson @ unavco.org
:good: