§ 37.31. Requirements for certification as an engineer-in-training and for licensure as a professional engineer.
(a) The following requirements apply to a candidate who received a qualifying academic degree on or after June 30, 1994, or who began acquiring qualifying experience on or after February 19, 1991.
(1) Engineer-in-training. A candidate for certification as an engineer-in-training shall be of good moral character and achieve a passing score on the NCEES fundamentals of engineering examination. To qualify for the fundamentals of engineering examination, the candidate shall possess one of the following qualifications:
(i) Graduation from an undergraduate engineering curriculum in the United States accredited by ABET. A student who has completed 2 years in an ABET-accredited undergraduate curriculum in the United States and has maintained current enrollment may, with Board approval, sit for the fundamentals of engineering examination, but will not be eligible for certification as an engineer-in-training until the student provides proof of graduation. The effective date of certification will be the later of the date of graduation or the date of notification from NCEES of achieving a passing score on the fundamentals of engineering examination.
(ii) Graduation from an ABET-accredited graduate-level engineering curriculum in the United States or from a foreign ABET-accredited undergraduate or graduate engineering curriculum. Enrollment in a graduate-level or foreign engineering curriculum does not authorize the student to sit for the fundamentals of engineering examination prior to graduation.
(iii) Graduation from both a graduate-level engineering curriculum at a college or university in the United States and from an undergraduate engineering curriculum at a college or university in the United States that was substantially equivalent to an ABET-accredited curriculum, as shown by an evaluation of the candidate’s credentials by NCEES’s credentials evaluation division.
(iv) Graduation from a foreign undergraduate or graduate, or both, engineering curriculum that was substantially equivalent to an ABET-accredited curriculum, as shown by an evaluation of the candidate’s credentials by NCEES’s credentials evaluation division.
(v) Eight years of progressive experience in engineering work and knowledge, skill and education approximating that attained through graduation from an approved engineering curriculum. The experience must be of a grade and character sufficient to enable the candidate to independently learn through practice the principles of mathematics and science attained through formal education. Academic training in engineering subjects may be counted towards the experience requirement.
(2) Professional engineer. A candidate for licensure as a professional engineer shall be of good moral character, be certified as an engineer-in-training in this Commonwealth or another jurisdiction having satisfied the requirements under paragraph (1) to sit for the fundamentals of engineering examination, and achieve a passing score on the NCEES principles and practice of engineering examination in one of the branches of engineering as listed in § 37.34 (relating to branches of engineering). Unless otherwise stated by the appropriate licensing authority of that jurisdiction, the effective date of the engineer-in-training certificate of a candidate who was certified in a jurisdiction other than this Commonwealth will be the date the certificate was first issued. To qualify for the principles and practice examination, the engineer-in-training shall have obtained one of the following experience qualifications after the effective date of the engineer-in-training certificate and before the submission of the examination application:
(i) Four years of progressive experience in a major branch of engineering, acquired under the supervision of a professional engineer licensed in the United States or an engineer who, through education and experience, possesses the equivalent level of expertise as that of a professional engineer licensed in the United States. The experience must be of a grade and character to qualify the candidate to assume responsible charge of the work involved in the practice of the major branch of engineering in which the candidate indicates proficiency. For sales, construction and similar nondesign experience to be acceptable, the candidate shall demonstrate that engineering principles and engineering knowledge were actually employed. Unacceptable experience includes the selection of data or equipment from a company catalog or similar publication, the execution as a contractor of work designed by a professional engineer, the supervision of construction work as a superintendent and the operation or maintenance of machinery or equipment. The candidate shall support all work experience, regardless of duration, with adequate references.
(ii) Four years of progressive full-time teaching experience in an ABET-accredited engineering curriculum under the supervision of a professional engineer or an engineer who, through education and experience, possesses the equivalent level of expertise as a professional engineer. The experience must include the teaching of engineering courses at the third-year, fourth-year or graduate level, covering the breadth and depth of the curriculum, and be of a grade and character to qualify the candidate to assume responsible charge of the work involved in the practice of engineering.
(3) A post-baccalaureate engineering degree may be substituted for each year of experience required under paragraph (2), up to a maximum of 2 years, if the following conditions are met:
(i) The degree is from an academic institution that has an ABET-accredited undergraduate curriculum.
(ii) The degree is in the same discipline as an earned undergraduate degree.
(iii) The academic time is not concurrent with earned experience.
(b) A candidate who received a qualifying academic degree before June 30, 1994, or who began acquiring qualifying experience before February 19, 1991, may apply under § 37.33 or § 37.33a (relating to grandfather requirements for certification as an engineer-in-training and for licensure as a professional engineer; and grandfather requirements for licensure as a professional engineer without certification as an engineer-in-training), as appropriate.
Authority The provisions of this § 37.31 amended under sections 4(b) and (l), 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 of the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law (63 P. S. § § 151(b) and (l), 151.2, 151.3 and 151.4).
Source The provisions of this § 37.31 adopted January 21, 1994, effective January 22, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 518; amended February 14, 2014, effective February 15, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 888. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (221133) to (221134).
Cross References This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 37.20 (relating to licensure by endorsement); 49 Pa. Code § 37.33 (relating to Grandfather requirements for certification as an engineer-in-training and for licensure as a professional engineer); and 49 Pa. Code § 37.33a (relating to Grandfather requirements for licensure as a professional engineer without certification as an engineer-in-training).
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