| THE EDUCATION AND PRACTICE OF THE GEODETIC SURVEYOR IN WESTERN EUROPE | |
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APPENDIX D11 - Spain (Population 44 million) ( Refs. A11, B11, C11 ) |
Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos en Topografia (COITT). This is a professional body which now represents Spain at FIG.
The Colegio organises National Symposia and Workshops in Madrid and in the provinces and postgraduate courses in conjunction with Schools of Surveying.
11.2
Other related organisations
(1) Those wishing to practice surveying in the private sector must, by law, belong to the Colegio [See reference (1)].
(2) Rights to practice are also guaranteed to members, together with insurance cover. The Colegio employs a part time lawyer to protect those rights.
(3) Inter alia, membership of the Colegio requires the acquisition of the qualifications of technical engineers (see (D) of A11).
(4) There is a long term demand for surveyors both in the cadastral and general fields.
(5) Advanced special post graduate courses in Photogrammetry and Remote
Sensing are run by the Military school, and special courses for hydrographers
are run by the Navy. These are not open to civilians. 
11.4
University Education
(See refs. A11 and B11)
11.4.1 Secondary schools
(Ref. A11)
Each Spanish secondary school student has an educational record book, the "Libro de Calificacion Escolar Bachillerato". Following a national curriculum the student can obtain the "Titulo de Bachiller" (B). For entry to a University he has to gain a suitable score in the "Pruebas de Acceso a la Universidad" (C) [see A11]. Entry standards vary from faculty to faculty. Medicine demanding a score of 8.2, whilst the average for Technical Topographic Engineers was 6.2, the minimum for acceptance to University is 5.0, a very, very few exceptional students gain 9.0 points.
It is possible to gain entry to University via (an alternative) secondary educational route at professional schools, and the acquisition of qualifications (F )and( G) (See A11). Officially 30% of the entry to the Madrid course for Technical Topographical Engineers is permitted by this route.
11.4.2
Five year studies
A few students study the theoretical aspects of Geodesy and Astronomy at the
Complutense University in Madrid, within the Department of Applied Mathematics.
Such courses last five years.(E) (A11)
In 1994/95 a new degree of Engineer on Geodesy and Cartography started in Valencia and Jaén. In October 1995 will start in Madrid. This is a second cycle degree to which graduates in Technical Topographic Engineer have direct access without any other requisite. Graduates in the first cycle of Geography have, by law, access after a "bridge course" mainly devoted to Mathematics, Physics and Geology; none of these graduates has tried as yet to enter to this new degree.
11.4.3
Three year studies
The bulk of professional surveyors come from the three year Technical
University courses at Madrid, Avila, Barcelona, Jaén, Las Palmas,
Mérida, Mieres (Asturias), Valencia and Vitoria. There is a private
School in Mérida (Badajoz) linked to the Extremadura University. The
number of students, teaching staff, administrative staff and graduates last
year, in the schools, is as follows:
School Number of Teaching Staff Administrative Graduates
Students Staff per year
1st Cycle 2nd Cycle 1st Cycle 2nd Cycle
Avila 369 21 9 1
Barcelona 288 18 5 21
Jaén 550 75 30 12 12 6
Las Palmas 247 14 7 14
Madrid 1300 54 30 100
Mérida 876 23 9 53
Mieres 104 10 3 0
Valencia 701 79 34 17 20 15
Vitoria 343 20 - 2
The Madrid course currently has a total of 1300 students (l994-95) who are
taught in half day shifts with duplicate staff, in 5 morning classes and 4
evening classes. There are 54 full time and 6 part time academic staff members,
30 administrative staff. For l994/95 the students intake has been 320.
Following the 3 year course a further year is required to complete a practical surveying project in a student group. A high professional standard is required. The student has to defend his work at a meeting with his professors. Currently six professors supervise students in the field work at a site close to Madrid, used specially for such exercises.
11.4.4 Research
At present, MSc and PhD degrees can be obtained via the Engineer in Geodesy and
Cartography degree.
11.5 Professional Practice
(See appendix C11)
Since l974 the Spanish government has established professional bodies with the legal right to practice in various fields. The Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos en Topografia (COITT) is one of nine engineering associations grouped together under the I.N.I.T.E. which has direct representation to the European Commission via FEANI. Architecture is also part of this group.
The COITT has some 2000 members (who must be (D) of A11) with its own administration, working in private practice, governmental and quasi governmental agencies, and in education. Recent legislation obliges civil servants to ask for a special permission for private practice.
The Colegio (COITT) sets a minimum scale of fees for work and adjudicates on prices. Clients can appeal to the courts in matters of dispute. The Colegio retains a part time lawyer to protect its rights and against unqualified surveyors; it also provides insurance arrangements for members, who may make private arrangements if they wish.
Members carry out all survey and mapping activities for clients. The present cadastral system is purely fiscal and is being massively overhauled. Land Information Systems are fully developed in public and private companies, local government, town councils etc. which employ several graduates in this work.
There is a general belief that too few technicians are being trained for survey work.
The work of building maintenance and cost control in construction is carried
out by technical architects and technical civil engineers, and by rural
engineers in country districts.
The Colegio publishes a Technical journal, Topografia y Cartografia, at two monthly intervals, and every four years, the proceedings of its nationwide congress.
The author wishes to acknowledge the help of all persons named in the 1989 edition of this report, and with this updated version, again the assistance of Pedro Cavero Abad and his colleagues at the Technical University of Madrid. Since the earlier visit, the author has paid several more visits to Madrid including the last in February 1995.
(1) Legislacion Basica de la Ingenieria Technica Topografica. Collection of the Spanish legislation published by the Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Technicos en Topografia - l988, 53 pages.
(2) Curriculum and Syllabuses of the degree of the Technical Topographical Engineer at the Technical University of Madrid (In Spanish), (Curriculum summary in English).
(3) Report on the proposed changes in University Education of the Technical Topographical Engineer at the Technical University of Madrid. (In English).
(4) Curriculum and syllabuses of the degree of Higher Engineer in Geodesy and Cartography (Technical University of Madrid).
(5) Specimen copies of the technical journal of the Colegio.
(6) Author's notes made during visits to Madrid in l988 and 1995.
Spanish Association of Surveyors Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos en Topografia Avda Reina Victoria 66-2°C 28003 Madrid Technical University of Las Palmas E.U.I.Technia Topografica c/Pérez del Toro 1 35003 Las Palmas Technical University of Madrid E.U.I.Technia Topografica Ctra de Valencia Km 7 28031 Madrid Technical University of Valencia E.U.I.Technia Topografica c/Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia Technical University Avila E.U.I.Technia Topografica Santo Tomás s/n 05003 Avila Technical University of Vitoria E.U.I.Technia Topografica c/Nieves Cano 12 01006 Vitoria (Gasteiz) Technical University of Jaén E.U.I.Technia Topografica Avd/Madrid 35 23008 Jaen Technical University of Barcelona E.U.I.Technia Topografica Av/Gregorio Marañón s/n 08028 Barcelona Technical University of Mérida E.U.I.Technia Topografica c/Calvario 4 06800 Merida (Badajoz) Technical University of Mieres E.U.I.Technia Topografica c/Reinerio Gsrcía s/n 33600 Mieres (Asturias)
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