Professional Engineering ©2010 Dr. B. C. Paul Note – These notes contain information from National Society of Professional Engineers and the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers

Role of Professional Societies Professional Societies try to enhance the value and perception of their services and to keep “snake oil salesman” out  National Society of Professional Engineers holds the Engineers Code of Ethics  Individual Engineering specialties may have their own code Most follow NSPE closely  Societies have the ability to discipline or censure their own members – but limited ability to impose legal penalties

The Role of Government Late 19 th century saw governments actively credentialing various profession or worker classes  Idea was to distinguish those people who were truly qualified for certain work from those who were not  Damage being done by unqualified scam artists and the incompetent was becoming obvious

Licensure States License Professional Engineers  P.E.’s are given stamps with which to professionally certify designs or drawings  Obtaining Licensure requires Training Time in rank and practice To put some control on practice people coming out with “book learning” they were given a chance for examination and recognition  EIT (Engineer In Training) and successor FE (Fundamentals of Engineering)

Recognition Law makers usually do not know enough about professions to check credentials themselves  Created Board Structures of Professionals These individuals have a professional interest in preventing tarnishing of their profession (Occasionally also turned out they had some anti- competitive interests and sense of class elite as well) With time boards have taken on more national scope and states have worked on reciprocity agreements  (Means one state recognizes the licenses granted by another)

Why Get Licensure Non-licensed practitioners are limited by law in the scope of work they are allowed to perform.  Increasingly regulators are using licensure as the standard for defining qualified SEC standards are demanding it MSHA with Miner act is starting to demand it  Just expecting someone to rubber stamp your work is unethical  You really have to be working under the PE supervision to get your work stamped

Why Licensure Employment – Licensed employees enhance the reputation of engineering firms and become symbols of competency, professionalism, experience, and character. Promotability – Getting licensed demonstrates motivation, responsibility, and success orientation. The same qualities are demanded for positions requiring individual thought, discretion and responsibility. Global Competitiveness – Engineering projects increasingly cross national borders. Most countries require some form of professional licensing and will expect the members of the international team to be licensed in their home countries.

How Do You Get Licensed in Illinois? Students who are in their senior year of an accredited four-year engineering program are approved to take the FE exam during their final year in school by filing the appropriate paperwork with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.  When you pass the FE exam, you achieve Engineer Intern (EI) status. You must have four years of engineering experience if you graduated from an accredited four-year engineering program  Note why keeping our program ABET accredited is important Take and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam (PE).

Test Deadlines In Illinois, the FE and PE exams are offered in April and in October.  the deadline to apply to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to take the Spring exam is November 15 of the preceding year  the Fall exam deadline is May 15.