November 2006

NCEES Model Law Changes Eligibility Requirements to Take the PE Exam

By Steven F. Barrett

At its 2006 Annual Business Meeting in September, the National Council of Examiners in Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) approved an amendment to the NCEES Model Law that will require engineers with bachelor's degrees to earn an additional 30 credits of acceptable undergraduate or graduate-level coursework from approved course providers before they can take the Principles and Practices of Engineering (PE) examination.

NCEES also added language to its Model Rules that will allow engineering graduates with bachelor's of science degrees requiring more than 120 credits to request that the extra credits be used to satisfy the new 30 additional credits requirement. The effective date for both recommendations is 1 January 2015.

Next steps are expected to include identification by NCEES, with help from concerned engineering societies, of what constitutes "acceptable coursework" and clarification of what is meant by the term "approved course providers."

It must be emphasized that although NCEES writes, produces and scores the PE exam nationally, laws governing the qualifications required to become licensed are established by the legislature in each state that regulates the practice of engineering. The NCEES provides its Model Law and Model Rules for use as guidelines by the states in the preparation or revision of licensing laws and rules of conduct for professional engineers and surveyors. At this point, it is unclear how many or how quickly individual states will amend their laws to mandate additional education beyond a baccalaureate degree.

The NCEES actions do, however, reinforce a growing body of opinion within the profession that engineers should have more than a bachelor's degree from an accredited educational program in order to be licensed. In 2002, for example, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) declared its support for the concept of requiring education beyond a conventional four-year degree for licensure. In 2003, a distinguished Engineering Licensure Qualifications Task Force (ELQTF), made up of representatives from NCEES, educators, government, industry and engineering professional societies (including IEEE-USA) concluded that additional education will be necessary in the future to prepare students for engineering practice. And in 2004, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) said that civil engineers need at least a master's degree or its equivalent to practice at the professional level.

For its part, IEEE-USA has also officially acknowledged the need for additional engineering education, but made its position contingent upon concurrence by IEEE's Educational Activities Board. At a meeting in October, IEEE-USA's Licensure and Registration Committee (LRC) expressed support for the NCEES action and offered to work with the Council to help implement the new Model Law and Model Rules provisions. Specifically, LRC members will provide input needed to help NCEES define what is meant by "acceptable coursework" and "acceptable course providers."

Members of IEEE-USA's Licensure and Registration Committee are all licensed professional engineers with a deep commitment to improving the licensing process in order to better serve the public, the engineering profession and the  IEEE's U.S. members.

Many LRC members also serve on NCEES examination policy-making and test-preparation committees.

NCEES is a non-profit organization made up of representatives from state and territorial boards that license engineers and land surveyors and regulate the practice of the two professions throughout the United States. Based in Clemson, S.C., NCEES was established in 1956 to help member boards develop and administer education, experience, examination and continuing competency standards to safeguard public health, safety and welfare.

More information about the recent NCEES actions and proposed next steps is available at www.ncees.org/news. The full text of the NCEES Model Law is also accessible online at
www.ncees.org/introduction/about_ncees/ncees_model_law.pdf

Steven F. Barrett, Ph.D., P.E., is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie Wyoming, and a member of IEEE-USA's Licensure and Registration Committee. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.