GLENVILLE, WV – The Fundamentals of Surveying exam is generally the first step in the process to becoming a professional licensed surveyor. Two current Glenville State College (GSC) students, Jacob Petry and Asa Dick, recently passed the exam on their first take.

Both students received their Associate of Science degree in Land Surveying in the spring before going on to take the exam this summer. Petry and Dick are also continuing at Glenville State and completing a four-year program.

Graduates of GSC’s Land Surveying associate degree program are eligible to take the Fundamentals of Surveying examination and, upon successful completion, obtain the status of surveyor intern. The curriculum of the program is approved by the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Land Surveyors and the degree provides two of the six years required for licensure.

Petry, a senior from New Haven, West Virginia, is completing a degree in Natural Resource Management with a concentration in Land Surveying Technology and a minor in Mathematics. He is also currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Land Resources, teaching an Introduction to Drone Technology course.

“I chose the Land Surveying program because I like math and the outdoors and wanted a career that would focus on both. The courses I’ve already had at GSC were crucial to passing the Fundamentals of Surveying exam. The program, along with independent study, left me well prepared,” said Petry.

“I’m very relieved and proud to have passed the exam. The day I was notified of my passing score it was as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I plan to pursue graduate school in either math or land resources, while also working toward a professional surveying license for the State of West Virginia after I graduate,” Petry added.

Dick, a junior from Frankford, West Virginia, is also completing a degree in Natural Resource Management with a concentration in Land Surveying Technology.

“I chose the Land Surveying program because I love working outside and with maps. The surveying courses helped greatly, especially the Fundamentals of Surveying Exam Review, Professional Decisions, and any math classes,” Dick said.

After graduation he plans to sit for the Professional Surveyors exam as soon as he is eligible.

Both students said they recommend note-taking and studying for those who plan to take the exam in the future. “Know your calculator and be able to work efficiently with it, and take the test as soon as you finish the bulk of your surveying related classes,” Dick added.

“We are pleased that Asa and Jacob passed the Fundamentals of Surveying exam. The recent addition of the specific Fundamentals of Surveying exam review class has obviously shown very positive results. We as Land Surveying instructors, and also with everyone within the Department of Land Resources, are striving to give the State of West Virginia’s only Land Surveying degree program the reputation it deserves,” said Doyle Hupp Jr. and Earl Thompson, both Lecturers of Land Surveying at Glenville State.

The Land Surveying program at GSC provides a pathway for associate degree students in land surveying to continue their education for a baccalaureate degree. Students are trained in land surveying and develop a strong concentration in geographic information systems and resource allocation for careers with government agencies and the private sector.

The degree also provides the baccalaureate degree necessary for licensure as a professional land surveyor in West Virginia and Ohio.