UW’s Cadastral Land Surveying Certificate Eligible for Federal Financial Aid

In 1907, Wyoming became the second state to license land surveyors and, in 1918, land surveying was a foundational program at the University of Wyoming.

Now, UW’s Cadastral Land Surveying Certificate -- using self-certification through the university’s existing accreditor and state approvals -- will be Title IV eligible. This means students enrolled in the program for UW’s summer session, beginning Tuesday, May 26, may be able to receive federal financial aid.

“Many of the students in our program are self-pay, and being eligible for federal aid would allow them to accelerate their timelines and increase their education for pursuit of professional licensure in their respective jurisdictions,” says Shelley Macy, professor of practice in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management.

The Cadastral Land Surveying Certificate can have 100-120 students at any given time per semester and, currently, about 200-230 seats are filled in land surveying classes per semester, Macy says. Title IV eligibility could allow for higher program capacity. The program, which is entirely online, serves students in Wyoming as well as across the United States. It requires a minimum of 30 semester hours, with at least 21 completed at UW.

Students enrolled in the land survey program come from a variety of backgrounds, including high school students working to graduate concurrently with their high school diploma and associate degree; college students pursuing a minor in land surveying; graduates pursuing the education necessary for licensure; and nontraditional remote students who have not finished their education.

The latter group “can have anywhere from five to 40 years’ experience in the land surveying industry,” Macy says.

With a growing landscape and an increase in technology, there is need for higher education in the land surveying industry, she says.

In all states, a certain level of formal education is required in land surveying to become a professional, she adds. Professionals must have mastery, which is derived from education, experience and proven benchmark exams.

Land surveying can be its own profession and involves a mixture of field and office work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for surveyors is projected to grow 4 percent by 2034, from 2024. As of 2024, the median salary for surveyors was $72,740 per year or $34.97 an hour. But the program also can enhance the education of other engineering degrees, including construction management majors; rangeland management majors; students within the professional land management concentration; law and criminal justice students; and geographic information science students.

“This can change people’s lives and the trajectory of those living both urban and rurally, as the program is 100 percent remote,” Macy says. “We have students enrolled in our classes who represent 37 state residencies and one student in Puerto Rico.”

About the University of Wyoming Land Surveying Program

The UW Cadastral and Land Surveying Program is a distance learning program that offers a 30-hour Cadastral Survey Certificate or an 18-hour minor in surveying. The program also serves professional licensed land surveyors, or people who want to pursue licensure, in Wyoming or any other jurisdiction and need to take additional classes to meet application requirements.

Offered entirely online through various platforms, the land surveying program is designed for working professionals and allows them to maintain their current jobs while earning the certificate on their schedules. There are several additional advanced land surveying courses offered at nonregular intervals for students seeking to deepen their understanding, including remote sensing, least squares adjustment, geographic information systems and water boundaries.

For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/uw/degree-programs/land-surveying-certificate.html.