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The earmark that distinguishes a professional engineer is the authority to sign and seal or "stamp" engineering documents (drawings and calculations) for a design or a structure, thus taking legal responsibility for it. TITLES Post-nominal Letters used vary by location:
REGISTRATION AND REGULATION Each country or state/province has specific procedures and requirements for the license or registration. The procedure in the U.S. and Canada is significantly different. United States In the United States, registration or Licensure of Professional Engineers is performed by the individual states. Each registration or license is valid only in the state in which it is granted. Many Professional Engineers maintain licenses in several states for this reason, and reciprocity agreements between states can make it easy to gain a license in one state based on a license in another state without going through the full application process. The exact licensing procedure can vary from state to state, but the general process is: #Graduate with a degree from an accredited four-year university program in engineering. #Complete a standard Fundamentals Of Engineering (FE) written examination, which tests applicants on breadth of understanding of basic engineering principles, and optionally some elements of an engineering specialty. Completion of the first two steps typically qualifies for certification in the U.S. as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT). #Accumulate at least four years of engineering experience under the supervision of a P.E. #Complete a written Professional Engineering Examination, testing the applicant's knowledge and skills in a chosen engineering discipline (mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.), as well as engineering ethics. In a few states it is still possible for an individual to bypass steps 1 and 2, and apply to take the Professional Engineering Examination, as long as a P.E. will sponsor the applicant and work experience can be substituted for academic experience. The years of experience may also vary; for instance, in California it is possible to take the Professional Engineering examination with only two years of experience after a bachelor's degree, or one year of experience after graduate school. Some states issue generic Professional Engineering licenses. Others, known as "discipline states", issue licenses for specific disciplines of engineering, such as Civil Engineering , Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering . In all cases, however, engineers are limited to practicing in their area of competency, which is usually a small portion of a discipline. While licensing boards do not often enforce this limitation, it can be a factor in negligence lawsuits. As regulation of the practice of engineering is performed by the individual states in the U.S., areas of engineering involved in Interstate Commerce are essentially unregulated. These areas include much of Mechanical Engineering, such as Automotive Engineering and Aerospace Engineering , and Chemical Engineering , and may be specificly exempted from regulation under an "Industrial Exemption". An industrial exemption covers engineers who design products such as automobiles that are sold (or have the potential to be sold) outside the state in which they are produced, as well as the equipment used to produce the product. Structures subject to Building Code s are not covered by an industrial exemption. Civil Engineers account for a large majority of licensed Professional Engineers, and many of the remainder are Mechanical and Electrical Engineers whose practice involves areas that states regulate, such as HVAC systems and Power Engineering . However, some engineers in other fields obtain licenses for prestige even though they are never required to stamp design documents. The title "Engineer" is legally protected in many states, meaning that it is unlawful to use it unless permission is specifically granted by a state, through a professional engineering license, an industrial exemption, or certain other non-professional engineering licenses. These laws are not frequently enforced unless the individual is explicitly offering engineering services to the public. Likewise, a business cannot offer engineering services to the public or have a name that implies that it does so unless it employs at least one Professional Engineer. In many states, Professional Land Surveyors are regulated in a similar manner, and are required to pass a Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, perform a period of internship and then pass a Practices of Surveying (PS) Exam. A four-year degree in engineering or land surveying may also be required. In a few states, licensed Civil Engineers may also perform land surveys. Canada In Canada regulation including registration is accomplished through a self governing body (Association of Professional Engineers) that is given the power to register and discipline engineers as well as regulate the field of engineering in their province. Many of these associations are also responsible for regulating other related professions (such as Geoscience ). The process for registration is generally as follows: #Graduate with a degree from an accredited program in engineering or applied science, #Complete an ''Engineer in Training'' program under the direction of a P.Eng. (This is normally a four-year program) #Review of work experience by the Association, #Pass a ''professional practice'' exam (essentially an engineering ethics and law exam). Engineers are not registered in a specific discipline, but instead are prohibited by the Code of Ethics from practicing beyond their training and experience. Breaches of the code are often sufficient grounds for enforcement, which may include the suspension or loss of license, as well as financial penalties and now, through recent changes to Canadian law, could also result in jail time should negligence be shown to have played a part in any incident in which there is loss of human life. The Canadian Engineering Licensing model is unique in that engineers are not tested on technical knowledge during the licensing process, but instead the accreditation of schools and their accredited degree granting status are tightly monitored and controlled. Unlike many countries where accreditation processes are typically quite broad and simply ensures a low minimum standard, leaving the ultimate testing of the engineer to the licensing stage, the Canadian system ensures a that a very specific and regimented curriculum is offered and tested with strict accordance to set national standards. This streamlines the overall licensing process and ensures a firm national standard on the quality of Engineering in Canada. This accreditation process is governed by the Canadian Council Of Professional Engineers through their active group the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board . The accreditation process is continuous and enforced through regular accreditation reviews of each school. These reviews typically include the review of the school's curriculum (including marked final exams and assignments), interviews of current students, extra curricular activities and teaching staff as well additional areas the visiting board may feel need addressing. The specific areas considered are Curriculum Content, Program Environment, and General Criteria. Legislatively, the Code of Ethics is legally binding on Professional Engineers. EXTERNAL LINKS
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