Embedded Systems Engineers

Certification or Licensing

The IEEE Computer Society offers the Associate Software Developer credential (for graduating software engineers and entry-level software professionals) and the Professional Software Developer and Professional Software Engineering Master credentials (for experienced software designers and engineers) to individuals who meet education and experience requirements and pass an examination. The Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals and CompTIA also offer certification to computer professionals. Information technology companies such as Cisco provide software- or product-specific certification.

Embedded systems engineers who do work that may affect the lives, health, or safety of the public must be registered according to regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Licensing requirements vary by state. In general, however, they involve graduating from an accredited college, having four years of work experience, and passing the six-hour Fundamentals of Engineering exam and the eight-hour Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. 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 of professional engineer. Visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s Web site, https://ncees.org, for more information on licensure.