FAQ – Students & Family
Where can I find employment? Graduates can find employment just about anywhere a graduate wants to live. Logically, there will be more opportunity in the Boston area than Fort Kent. Graduates have gotten jobs all over the United States from Hawaii to Florida, Maine to California.
Can I get licensed as a surveyor? The program is geared to help graduates obtain a surveyor’s license. In Maine, graduation from the program, two years experience, and successfully passing two exams will lead to licensure as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS). Requirements do vary state to state, so you should contact your local board. Find out about surveying exams at the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
What jobs can I get as a graduate of Surveying Engineering Technology? There are numerous jobs in the surveying and mapping fields. The most common jobs are survey technician, party chief, project supervisor, photogrammatrist, and office manager.
What is the starting salary? Starting salaries depend on the location of the employer. The Boston area has a higher starting salary than Fort Kent. The starting salaries have ranged from $40,000 to $80,000.
Where do graduates work? Graduates work across the United States. They work in small towns and large cities. Some work in small family surveying companies. Others work in large multi-state surveying and mapping companies. Graduates can generally work where ever they desire, in whatever size firm they feel comfortable.
How hard is it to get jobs? The last graduating class was getting approximately three job offers per student. We have companies calling desperately looking for graduates. So many of our students are already in the field we encourage companies to hire people and then help them complete the educational requirements.
How difficult is it to find summer jobs? With a little effort, students can obtain Summer positions in the surveying or mapping field near their home. A typical student will have surveying the first year. As a result, they will have some skills to offer employers after the first year of college. For those students that wish to see other parts of the United States, the Bureau of Land Management offers Summer and full-time employment.
Who are the faculty? There are four full-time faculty within the Surveying Engineering Technology program. All faculty are licensed professional land surveyors in several states. All have a bachelors and masters degree in surveying, GIS, or engineering. Two faculty have Ph.D.s. One faculty has a law degree. All have several years of surveying practice before teaching in the program.
Are the courses difficult? All engineering courses are difficult. Surveying Engineering Technology courses are no exception. Students who put sufficient effort into their studies generally pass. There are tutoring services available. Students with learning disabilities are provided with help and faculty provided with instructions on how to help the student learn.
Can the SVT graduate go to graduate school? Yes, SVT graduates can go to graduate school. We have several avenues for graduate school here at UMaine. We have Graduate Certificate, M.S., P.S.M., and Ph.D. programs that are also fully accessible online.
Can the SVT student get a professional engineering (PE) license along with a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license? Yes, students can obtain a P.E. license. Surveying engineering technology positions do not require a professional engineering license and most graduates do not pursue licensing as a PE. However, some graduates have pursued and earned their professional engineering license. Maine makes no distinction between a regular engineering graduate and a technology graduate in pursuing an engineering license. It is more difficult to obtain an engineering license as a SVT graduate because of the focus of the program. SVT seniors are required to take the fundamentals of surveying (SIT) licensing exam.
If you have other questions about the Surveying Engineering Technology program, contact Raymond Hintz at the following:
Raymond Hintz
Surveying Engineering Technology
5711 Boardman Hall, Room 119
Orono, Maine 04468-5711
207-581-2340