To become a land surveyor, you need to have a Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv). The four-year professional degree is only offered through the University of Otago School of Surveying.

By law, only a licensed cadastral surveyor can certify cadastral (land title) surveys. To become a licensed cadastral surveyor you must do two years of practical work, take a series of oral exams and present some practical work to the Cadastral Surveyors Licensing Board. Most survey companies support graduate employees through this process.

A tertiary entrance qualification is needed to enter university, and usually an A or B Bursary or NCEA equivalent is preferred. Useful subjects include English, maths with calculus and statistics, geography, computer studies, physics, economics and graphics.

Land surveyors gain additional skills on the job, and may take continuing professional development courses through the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (NZIS).

Graduate surveyors may also join the NZIS' Young Surveyors Group to help them prepare for becoming a licensed cadastral surveyor.

Land surveyors can apply to become members of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors and work towards professional registration, which is voluntary.

To register you need to:

• hold a four-year Bachelor of Surveying degree or equivalent
• have at least three years of practical work experience
• pass the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors professional entrance examinations in spatial measurement
• specialise in at least two areas of surveying, such as project management or urban planning.

Useful experience for land surveyors includes:

• work as a surveyor's assistant or technician
• experience working in cartography, draughting or engineering
• experience working at a mining or construction site.