How to Earn your Professional Engineer License
Are you just starting out with the FE and PE?
If you have questions about what the FE exam is all about and how becoming a PE professional can benefit you, click here
Becoming a Professional Engineer
While every state will have their own variation in the licensure process, the basic steps to becoming a professional engineer are:
- Get an Engineering Degree
- Pass the FE Exam
- Work
- Apply for Registration
- Pass PE Exam
Get an Engineering Degree
The first step is to complete undergraduate study in an ABET accredited engineering or engineering related degree. Typically these are four-year programs in a discipline of engineering including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and chemical engineering.
Engineering degrees are great fields of study to enter. Not only can engineering graduates earn big bucks, but the field is expected to grow at a fast pace in the decades ahead. According to the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2010, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that engineering degrees account for four of the five highest paid majors coming out of college.
Pass the FE exam
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam is designed to test your basic math, science, and engineering knowledge. It is the entry exam toward the licensure process and is meant to cover the core competencies one would gain in an ABET approved undergraduate engineering curriculum.
To find out how to pass the exam, check out the study guide here.
Work (Get Experience with Documentation)
In order to eventually apply for licensure, you MUST have engineering job experience for at least four years prior to your application submittal date. This experience must be documented in the form of a written narrative that describes your involvement in engineering work. This information is needed during your application process for the exam.
Apply for Registration
In addition to your experience record, you will have to provide a number of other key pieces of information including:
- Application Form
- Registration Fee
- College/University Transcripts
- Reference Letters
Pass the PE Exam
The Professional Engineering examination differs in that you must demonstrate knowledge solely in your particular branch of engineering including civil, electrical, etc.
Last Notes
Hopefully this article points you in the right direction on the steps you need to take. Like other worthwhile professions, it takes discipline and hard work. But you can do it! Good luck!
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