Electrical Engineers

Certification or Licensing

Engineers whose work may affect the life, health, or safety of the public must be registered according to regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Licensing requirements vary from state to state. In general, however, they involve graduating from an accredited school, having four years of work experience, and passing the six-hour Fundamentals of Engineering exam (which includes an Electrical and Computer sub exam) and the eight-hour Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. The PE exam is offered in 27 disciplines, including Electrical and Computer. Depending on your state, you can take the Fundamentals exam shortly before your graduation from college or after you have received your bachelor’s degree. At that point you will be an engineer-in-training. Once you have fulfilled all the licensure requirements, you receive the designation professional engineer. Visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Web site, https://ncees.org, for more information about licensure.