respectively. This progress rate has to be compared with that of the sure
veying and mapping activity which in itself is several thousand years old.
This is best illustrated by a graphical presentation as shown in Figure 1.
The. question whether photogrammetry should or could be considered as an in-
dependent profession depends on the range of its application, the manpower
involved and the annual turn-over. As far as the range of applications is
concerned photogrammetry compares favorably with land surveying and mapping
as the range of applications of photogramme try / including non-topographi-
cal photogrammetry / is much wider than that of land surveying and mapping.
Consequently, it appears not un-realistic to discuss whether photogrammetry
should be considered as an independent profession or not, at least in large
countries such as the U.S.A. and the USSR. Consider for instance the U.S.A.
with photogrammetric annual expenditures of over U.S.$ 100 million / man-
power in excess of 6.000 excluding combattant armed forces / and roughly
30.000 specific professions with an average of the annual expenditures of
U.S.$ 30 million; then the annual expenditures for photogrammetric work
would be well above the average value for the 30,000 specific professions,
It does therefore not appear unlikely that in large countries and in the
near future photogrammetry might be specified as an independent profession.
This doubtlessly would have a favorable effect in as much as it would re -
sult in a strenghtening and accelerating of education in photogrammetry.
4. PHOTOGRAMMETRY AN INDEPENDENT DISCIPLINE AT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ?
In consideration of the discussion presented in the previous paragraphs the
question arises on the formal status of a course program in photogrammetry
at educational institutions. At the present time there are at the universi-
ty level entire faculties of photogrammetry / USSR, People's Republic of
China /, departments of photogrammetry / Eastern Europe, Canada /, institu-
tes of photogrammetry etc. In addition there is the I.T.C. in the Nether -
lands, an institution which is entirely devoted to photogrammetry and some
closely related disciplines. This applies also to photogrammetric education
on the technician and plotter operator level; there are photogrammetry de-
partments at technician schools and specialized plotter operator schools
/ Switzerland, U.S.A. /.
The replies to our questionnaire favor the elevation of photogrammetry to
the departmental or higher level at universities only for large countries.
For- smaller countries the replies to the questionnaire favor the incorpora-
tion of photogrammetry education into the programs of existing university
surveying and. mapping departments. At the technician and plotter operator
level more. replies. to the questionnaire are in favor of having elevated
photogrammetry education to departmental level when compared with those. fa-
voring elevating photogrammetry to departmental level at universities.