FORMATIVE AIMS TO PROVIDE BASIC KNOWLEDGE ON MAJOR THEORETICAL, METHODOLOGICAL AND OPERATIONAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN SURVEYING, SO THAT THE STUDENT CAN ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO DESIGN AND PERFORM A SURVEY AND TO PROCESS THE DATA RELATED TO IT. WE DISCUSS THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GEODESY AND CARTOGRAPHY, THE PRINCIPLES OF SURVEYING AND THE QUANTITIES THAT CAN BE MEASURED WITH THE TOPOGRAPHICAL INSTRUMENTS, BOTH TERRESTRIAL AND SATELLITE, THE SURVEY METHODS AND THE TREATMENT OF OBSERVATIONS.