Learning Objective: Examine the methods and reasoning for obtaining the Professional Engineer License A professional engineer (P.E.) is a person who is licensed to practice engineering in a particular state or U.S. territory after meeting all the requirements of the law. This seminar will give you the information you need to obtain the Professional Licensure and an understanding of the responsibilities that must be fulfilled to keep it. At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: a. Understand the reasoning behind being a Licensed Professional Engineer. b. Identify the procedures for completing the Licensed Professional Engineer Registration Process. c. Identify the responsibilities for maintaining the Professional Engineer License. d. Outline the Principles of Standard Care.

1. (BEYA 2312)
Licensure as a
Professional
Engineer
Its Value and the Steps to Take

2. •Introductions
• Why become a Licensed
Professional Engineer?
• What is a Licensed
Professional Engineer?
• How do you become a
Licensed Professional
Engineer?
Welcome

3. • Understand the reasoning behind being a
Licensed Professional Engineer.
• Identify the procedures for completing the
Licensed Professional Engineer Registration
Process.
• Identify the responsibilities for maintaining
the Professional Engineer License.
• Outline the Principles of Standard Care
Expected Outcomes

4. Introduction
• Samuel G. Wilson, P.E., F.NSPE
• Purdue University, BSE
• Licensed District of Columbia
• Past President
• District of Columbia Society of
Professional Engineers
• DC Council of Engineering &
Architectural Societies
• Member
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• National Society of Professional
Engineers
• National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying
• Chairman, DC Board of Professional
Engineering

5. Why Become a Licensed
Professional Engineer?
• What is a professional engineer?
• A professional engineer ( P.E.) is a
person who is licensed to practice
engineering in a particular state or
US territory after meeting all
requirements of the law. To
practice in multiple states or
territories, the P.E. must be
licensed in each state in which he
or she wishes to practice.

6. What makes a Professional
Engineer different from an
engineer?
• Only a licensed engineer may prepare, sign and
seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to
a public authority for approval, or seal engineering
work for public and private clients.
• PEs shoulder the responsibility for not only their
work, but also for the lives affected by that work and
must hold themselves to high ethical standards of
practice.

7. Licensure vs.
Certification
• License, the state’s grant of legal authority
• Prerequisite for certain activities
• Drivers license
• Business License
• Licensure, is the Legal requirement to practice
engineering
• Certification is:
• voluntary process;
• by a private organization;
• for the purpose of providing the public information
on those individuals who have successfully
completed the certification process

8. LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
• All States and Jurisdictions have Registration Laws
Governing the Practice of Engineering
• Most States prohibit persons who are not registered PE’s
from:
• advertising, using a business card, or otherwise indicating
to the public that they are an engineer
• assuming the title of engineer
• practicing, offering to practice or holding themselves out
as qualified to practice as an engineer
• Current Exemptions for Industrial Practice

9. History
• 1907 Wyoming
• Maps were required for access to water
• The State Engineer saw a large variance in the quality
of the maps
• Dramatic improvement was seen immediately
• 1908 Louisiana
• 1915 Florida & Illinois, followed soon by Iowa,
Colorado, Michigan, Idaho, Nevada, and
Oregon
• 1947 Wyoming
• 1950 All states plus Alaska, Hawaii, the District
of Columbia, and Puerto Rico now have
engineering registration law

10. National Council of Examiners for Engineering
and Surveying
• 1920 In Chicago, the Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners
is founded
• 1932 NCSBEE approves the Model Law for Registration of Engineers
and Land Surveyors. The Council’s National Bureau of Engineering
Registration is created
• 1965 First Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination is
administered
• 1966 First Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination is
administered
• 1984 All member licensing boards now use uniform national engineering
examinations.
• 1989 The organization’s name is changed to National Council of
Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

11. NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering
(FE) examination
• Fundamentals: what you learned in college
• Computer-based exams
• Offered year-round at approved Pearson VUE
test centers

12. NCEES Principles and Practice of
Engineering (PE) examination
• 7 freestanding discipline-specific exams
–Chemical, Civil, Computer and Electrical,
Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical, Other
Disciplines
• 110 multiple-choice questions
• Exam specifications (what’s on the exam)
–Available at ncees.org/exams
• PE Reference Handbook
• Practice exams

13. • Reflects real-world practice
• Tests for minimal competency
• Given twice a year, pencil-and-paper format
• Transitioning to computer based testing
• Developed by licensed engineers
• Open-book: reference materials permitted
• Specifications and exam prep materials
available at NCEES.org
NCEES Principles and Practice of
Engineering (PE) examination

14. Conversion Schedule to CBT
• 2014 FE Exam
• 2014 FS Exam
• 2017 PS Exam
• 2018 PE Chemical
• 2018 PE Nuclear
• 2019 PE Environmental
• 2019 PE Petroleum
• 2020 PE Fire Protection
• 2020 PE Industrial and Systems
• 2020 PE Mechanical: HVAC and Refrigeration
• 2020 PE Mechanical: Machine Design and Materials
• 2020 PE Mechanical: Thermal and Fluids Systems
• Continued next page

15. Conversion Schedule to CBT, Continued
• 2021 PE Agricultural and Biological
• 2021 PE Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering
• 2021 PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications
• 2021 PE Electrical and Computer: Power
• 2021 PE Mining and Mineral Processing
• 2022 PE Architectural
• 2022 PE Control Systems
• 2022 PE Metallurgical and Materials
• 2022 PE Naval Architecture and Marine
• 2022 PE Software
• 2022 PE Civil: Construction
• 2022 PE Civil: Geotechnical
• 2022 PE Civil: Structural
• 2023 PE Civil: Transportation
• 2023 PE Civil: Water Resources and Environmental
• 2023 Structural exam (SE)

16. Summary
• To use the PE Seal, engineers must complete
several steps:
• Earn a four-year degree in engineering from an
accredited engineering program
• Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
• Complete four years of progressive engineering
experience under a PE
• Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering
(PE) exam

17. WHY Become a PE?
• PE’s earn more than non PE’s, at least 5%
• Entrepreneurial spirit?
• You cannot sell your engineering services to the
public without a license
• Graduate Degree?
• Prestige
• You stand out among your peers with a clear
accomplishment
• Flexibility
• Many opportunities with government and
consultants require the PE

18. What can you do?
• What do hiring firms look for?
• Degrees, work references, technical skills
• A universal standard that is recognized
throughout the profession?

19. DO IT!
• It’s tough–for a reason.
• Keep your eye on the target.
• There are resources that can
help you get there.

20. Benefits
• As a Professional Engineer
• It opens career doors.
• In a stack of resumes, yours stands out.
• You belong to a licensed profession.
• You serve the public–not just your employer.
• You typically earn more than peers without a P.E.

21. QUESTIONS
• Samuel G. Wilson, P.E., F.NSPE
• @SGWENGINEERS

22. (BEYA 2312)
Licensure as a
Professional
Engineer
Its Value and the Steps to Take