Becoming a Professional Engineer (PE)
The Professional Engineer (PE) license is the engineering profession's highest standard of competence, a symbol of achievement and assurance of quality. A professional engineer is an engineer certified by a state board of registration to practice engineering.
The College of Engineering believes that professional registration is an important goal for engineering graduates, with passing the FE Exam as the first step toward that goal.
You must complete four steps to become a licensed Professional Engineer:
- Graduate from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
- Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
- Work as an engineer for four years.
- Pass the Professional Engineering (PE) exam (you cannot take the PE exam without first passing the FE exam).
NC State engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The college offers the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam twice annually on the NC State campus. It also offers the E 490 formal review course to help prepare graduating seniors for the FE exam.
Engineering experience must be certified by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS). The NCBELS also administers the PE Exam.
Why Become a Professional Engineer?
Being licensed as a Professional Engineer is an important distinction and can enhance your career options. Many engineering jobs require a PE license to work as an engineering consultant or senior engineer, testify as an expert witness, conduct patent work, work in public safety, or advertise to provide engineering services. Although you may never need to be registered for “legal” reasons, you may find that you need to be a PE to be eligible for engineering management positions.
On the average, PE's make significantly more money than unlicensed engineers. Even if your first job does not require a PE license, you may need it later in your career. In today's economic environment, it pays to be in a position to move to new jobs and compete with others who have a PE license or are on a professional engineering track. It is also highly unlikely that a job requiring a PE license will be outsourced overseas.