April 2014

PE REPORT
New York PEs: License Requires Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree

New York is one of the few states that don’t require a bachelor’s degree as the minimum education requirement for pursuing an engineering license. The New York Society of Professional Engineers wants to change that.

New York law allows an individual to take the PE exam and obtain a license without at least an engineering bachelor’s degree if he or she has 12 years of work experience that is satisfactory to the licensing board. NYSSPE, however, wants to amend the law to require a bachelor’s degree in an engineering program or a substantially equivalent degree as determined by the State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying.

The proposed legislation will provide a two-year window, after enactment of the bill, for individuals who have been on track to obtain licensure through the 12-year provision if the state education department approves their application to use the alternative route to licensure. The bill would also authorize the department to allow licensure for engineers with 15 years of experience who have an established and recognized standing in the profession, but don’t technically meet the new education requirements.

The proposed legislation also changes the title “intern engineers” to “engineers in training” and permits engineering and engineering technology program students to take the FE exam within 32 credit hours from graduation, if approved by the commissioner of education. Currently, the law permits students to take the FE exam within 20 credit hours from graduation.

NYSSPE expects that there will be stronger support for the bill from the education department despite continued opposition from a public employees’ union and some legislators, who argue that increased formal education may hurt economically disadvantaged individuals.

NSPE encourages that all jurisdictions establish the bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET/EAC program as the base educational requirement for licensure.