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ingly worked towards better training. This was achieved in progressive
stages, resulting finally in the course for geodetic engineers at Delft, a degree
offering many possibilities beside the career of the cadastral surveyor.
The first systematic course training surveyors for the Cadastral Survey
was established in 1918. Although even then the Technische Hogeschool at
Delft was considered, training was organized in the form of a course of
3J years at the Landbouwhogeschool (Univ. college of agriculture) at
Wageningen: partly because it was thought that at the Technische Hoge
school surveying would be considered an ancillary science, partly because
some training in rural engineering was considered desirable for the cadastral
surveyor, and the Landbouwhogeschool offered better facilities for this.
Training at any rate thus was established on an academical level. With a
school-leaving certificate at university entrance level for the science fac
ulties and having obtained better than average results for mathematical
subjects, students now could take their geodetic, legal and rural engineering
training in 3J years at the Landbouwhogeschool.
On satisfactory completion of this course they were taken on the staff of
the Cadastral Survey as apprentice surveyors, attaining the position of sur
veyor on passing another examination, more practical in nature, about
a year later.
Although this was a considerable step forward, criticism was heard in
later years regarding the mathematical and geodetic side of the programme.
It was felt by many that this part could be done more justice at the Tech
nische Hogeschool Delft. Particularly professor Tienstra, then a lecturer in
the Landbouwhogeschool and professor Schermerhorn of the Technische
Hogeschool were active in this direction, and the result was that in 1935
training was transferred to the Technische Hogeschool at Delft. Courses
remained at 31, years, leading to the diploma of "civiel-landmeter" (civil-
surveyor). This was not an engineering degree ("ingenieur") as could be
obtained after 5 or 6 years in other departments of the Technische Hogeschool.
It took as long as 1948 for a full 5-years course in surveying, levelling and
geodesy to be established in the Technische Hogeschool, thus making it
possible to grant the degree of "geodetisch ingenieur" to those succesfully
completing the course. In this way, geodetic training was put on the same
level as the courses for civil, architectural, mechanical, naval, aircraft,
electrical, chemical, mining and physical engineers at the Technische Hoge
school in Delft. Teaching staff and facilities were organized as a sub-de
partment Geodesy under the department of civil engineering, one to the
nine departments of the Technische Hogeschool.
The present course of study for geodetic engineers
The programme is based on a period of 5 years, but as most students
extend their last year by some months, actual time taken is often 5J to 6
years. The official schedule is as follows:
After 1st year: "propaedeutisch" examination 1st part (Pi)
After 2nd year: "propaedeutisch" examination 2nd part (P2)
After 3rd year: "kandidaats" examination 1st part (Ci)
After 4th year: "kandidaats" examination 2nd part (C2)
After 5th year: "ingenieurs" examination (I)
The academic year runs from september to july and is used as follows:
a) 27 teaching weeks; 12 before Christmas (october-Christmas)
15 after Christmas (january to 1st may)
b) 11 weeks vacation2 weeks at Christmas
2 weeks at Easter
7 weeks in summer
c) 3 weeks preparation for examinations (1-22 may)
d) 3 weeks for examinations (22 may to 15 june)
e) 4 weeks between examinations and long vacation
f) 4 weeks between long vacation and lecture period (noviciate for fresh
men in students' associations, and also examinations).
