Course

Ethics for Land Surveyors

Time limit: 90 days
4 credits
Instructor: Gary Jeffress

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Full course description

CONRAD BLUCHER INSTITUTE FOR SURVEYING AND SCIENCE

Ethics in Surveying

4.0 Ethics PDH Online & Asynchronous Self-Paced — 90 Days
4.0
PDH Ethic Credits
90
Days Access
80%
Passing Score
4
Modules
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Course Overview

Ethics in Surveying is a fully online, self-paced continuing education course that explores what it truly means to be a licensed land surveyor in Texas. Over four modules, you will examine the legal scope of practice under the Texas Professional Land Surveying Practices Act, how surveying work functions within the courts when boundary disputes arise, and the philosophical and regulatory foundations of professional ethics through the four Canons of the TSPS Code of Ethics and TBPELS rules. You will also explore the bigger picture — how surveyors anchor the entire real estate economy through the cadastre, deeds recording, and title registration systems, and why the profession faces an urgent workforce crisis that makes ethical practice and mentorship more critical than ever. This course satisfies the TBPELS requirement for ethics-related PDH credit and can be completed at your own pace within 90 days.

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Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, participants will be able to:

1

Define professional land surveying under the Texas Professional Land Surveying Practices Act, including the three core licensed activities and the surveyor's primary obligation to the public.

2

Explain how boundary disputes are resolved in the Texas court system and what is professionally at stake when survey work becomes evidence in litigation.

3

Apply all four Canons of the TSPS Canon of Ethics — duty to the public, duty to the client, honor and dignity of the profession, and continuous professional development — to real professional situations.

4

Describe the role of the cadastre, deeds recording, and title registration systems in supporting the real estate economy, and connect that role to the ethical obligations of licensed surveyors.

5

Analyze the economic forces shaping the Texas surveying workforce and articulate why recruiting the next generation of surveyors is itself a professional and ethical responsibility.

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Module Breakdown

MODULE 1

Who Is a Professional Surveyor?

Professional Identity and Scope of Practice

  • The Texas Professional Land Surveying Practices Act
  • Three core licensed activities
  • The hierarchy of calls
  • Duty to the public vs. the paying client

Legal Stakes of Survey Work

  • Who resolves boundary disputes in Texas
  • How the district court system works
  • Real boundary dispute case studies
  • The surveyor as expert witness

Assessment: Professional Identity and Legal Stakes Quiz | 80% to pass

MODULE 2

The Ethical Framework

Philosophical Foundations of Ethics

  • The British tradition of professional ethics
  • How philosophical principles became professional codes
  • The TSPS Canon of Ethics preamble

The Four Canons

  • Canon 1: Duty to the public — fidelity and public safety
  • Canon 2: Faithful agency — duty to the client
  • Canon 3: Honor and dignity of the profession
  • Canon 4: Continuous professional development

TBPELS Rules

  • Continuing education requirements for Texas RPLSs
  • The Annual Surveyor's Oath
  • Board rules governing licensed practice

Assessment: The Four Canons Quiz | 80% to pass

MODULE 3

Surveying and the Real Estate System

The Value Surveyors Bring to Society

  • Surveys as the foundation of the real estate market
  • The ethical obligation to charge appropriately

Land Records Systems

  • Origins of the cadastre — from the Domesday Book to Texas
  • Deeds recording systems and their limitations
  • Title registration and the Torrens system
  • The value of secure tenure — World Bank Thailand case study

Assessment: Real Estate Systems Quiz | 80% to pass

MODULE 4

The Profession's Future

Economics of Surveying Services

  • Supply, demand, and fee-setting as a professional responsibility
  • Technology, efficiency, and the case for ad valorem fees

The Workforce Crisis

  • Texas RPLS age and attrition data from the Blucher Institute
  • Population growth vs. declining surveyor numbers
  • A global skills shortage — lessons from the Australian surveying profession
  • The ethical imperative to recruit and develop the next generation

The Surveyor's Oath

  • Reading and understanding the annual Texas surveyor's oath
  • Connecting course themes to the commitment surveyors make each renewal

Assessment: Ethical Economics Quiz | 80% to pass

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Target Audience

  • Registered Professional Land Surveyors (RPLS) in Texas
  • Licensed State Land Surveyors (LSLS)
  • Surveying interns preparing for licensure
  • Geospatial professionals seeking ethics PDH credit
  • Any licensed surveyor required to meet TBPELS ethics CE requirements
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Technical Requirements

  • High-speed internet connection
  • Modern web browser
  • Audio capability for video lectures
  • No software installation required
  • Optional: printer for supplementary materials
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Professional Benefits

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Satisfies TBPELS ethics PDH requirements — 4 Professional Development Hours applicable toward license renewal

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Grounded in real Texas boundary dispute case studies and the actual legal and regulatory framework governing licensed practice

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Connects Texas surveying obligations to the broader economic and social systems that depend on accurate, ethical survey work

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Puts the Surveyor's Oath in full context — so that signing it each renewal year carries genuine professional meaning

Note: Participants are responsible for verifying acceptance of this course with their individual state licensing board. Course content is subject to updates at any time.

For registration assistance, contact Shelby Sharpe at shelby.sharpe@tamucc.edu

A Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science Professional Development Course ©