23. The future . . . Are you ready? Having a P.E. license is the best insurance policy and could affect your career. The time to start is now . Contact your state licensing board for requirements and examination dates. Licensing board addresses and phone numbers can be obtained from the Internet -- http://www.ncees.org/boards.html
Before getting into the details of professional licensing, let’s answer the question “What is a professional engineer? Like other professions such as medicine, law, or accounting, engineering is a profession regulated by certain laws. Thus ...
Let me give you a quick overview of some of the topics I intend to discuss with you today, so we will all share the same concept of where we are going in this discussion. And please, feel free to ask questions at any time. We will discuss...
In 1907, Wyoming became the first state to require professional registration for those persons who wanted to practice engineering and land surveying. Now all states and jurisdictions of the United States have registration laws governing the practice of engineering, as do many foreign countries. These laws are often both “title acts” and “practice acts”, i.e.... Despite these legal provisions, the majority of engineers in the U.S. are not licensed. Why? ...Because in most states there are certain exemptions for industrial practice.
What are the requirements to become licensed as a P.E.? While there are minor differences from state to state, generally licensing for engineers, just as in other professions, is based on education, experience, and examinations ....
The first four hours of the FE exam covers topics that form the basis for all disciplines of engineering.... Note that engineering ethics is included in this exam, so if you are not already familiar with one of the Codes of Ethics for Engineers, you should study the ethics section furnished by NCEES.
The afternoon section of the exam provides questions in each of the five largest engineering disciplines of engineering .... The “General” afternoon exam is provided for those individuals whose major is not one of these traditional disciplines, such as systems engineering, biomedical engineering, and the like. However, if your major is not one of the major five, I suggest that you look carefully at the specifications before selecting your afternoon exam. For example, aeronautical engineers might want to select mechanical and petroleum majors may want to work the chemical exam.
The PE exam for electrical and computer engineering was recently changed to a breadth and depth format. All candidates work the problems in the morning four hour examination. Candidates choose to work one of the three afternoon examination modules: Power Engineering, Computer Engineering or Electronics, Communications, and Control Systems Engineering. Details about the topics in each exam can be found at the IEEE-USA web site under the L&R Committee or on the NCEES web site.
The PE exam is now entirely multiple choice format. There are a total of 40 questions in the morning and 40 questions in each of the afternoon modules.
Since the FE is a multiple choice exam, there are certain test-taking strategies that you should employ to help you pass the test....
There are many different study guides and review manuals available to help you prepare for the FE and PE exams. Since the NCEES is the organization that prepares the tests for all jurisdictions to use, I particularly suggest that you get...
Let me answer a few of the questions that I am frequently asked about professional engineering registration. I’ll begin with some o the simplest ones....
If you have never heard of EAC/ABET, you might first wonder if your school is accredited. You can usually find out by consulting the school’s catalogue or asking a faculty person. If your school is accredited you can typically become licensed with an engineering BS degree, four years of qualifying experience after graduation and passing the FE and P&PE examinations. If your school is not accredited, it may take additional experience or, in some states, you cannot become licensed as a P.E. (Note: It is recommended that the presenter be prepared to answer the question about which schools are EAC/ABET accredited within the territory of interest to the audience).
About a dozen of the states license engineers by their discipline. Most of the states provide a license as simple a Professional Engineer, or P.E. Even in some of these states that license as simply a professional engineer, the Board may publish a roster of registrants which lists your primary discipline.
Licensing professional practitioners is not mentioned in the US Constitution, so it is among those powers “reserved to the states”. However, since engineering has adopted quite uniform licensing requirements and national examinations, it is usually very easy to obtain your license in additional states through a process called comity.
Well, finally we are ready to address those top ten reasons for becoming licensed as a Professional Engineer.....
Some engineering graduates may initially be employed by a Consulting Engineering firm. They cannot sign and seal documents until they are licensed. Increasingly, engineers who change careers or are required to leave employment of a company, turn to consulting if they are licensed.
Current trends are for some companies to downsize by reducing employees on their payroll, but hiring them back through a consulting engineering firm. In this case, the engineer must be licensed or must work under the direct supervision of a P.E. employed at the consulting firm. Some states have already eliminated industry and utility exemptions as not in the public interest. Others are considering the same step. The PE licensure will assure potential employers that you are maintaining professional competency.
Look at advertisements for engineering positions. You will find that many employers encourage their engineers to become a P.E. Some of you will decide to become faculty members, and some colleges require the faculty to be licensed P.E.’s. Many senior engineering positions require the P.E.
Don’t forget that most foreign countries recognize the P.E. license!
Perhaps the most important reason to become a P.E. is the personal satisfaction that it brings to you. It is a credential that belongs to you , not your employer or your position. It brings the respect of your peers and goes with you wherever you career interests may take you.
Oh....and there is one other reason for becoming a PE that may interest you. While there are many things that will affect your salary, the results of this survey of several thousand engineers a few years ago illustrates that ....
So, I hope this has given you some perspective on professional licensing of engineers and convinced you that your future would be well served by deciding now that you will become a P.E. There is no question that it will never be easier to start the process than right now. As you graduate from your engineering school, your command of the basic areas of engineering is the best it can be....
![But first, what is a professional engineer? ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)