Hypersonics Engineers

Certification or Licensing

Voluntary certification is available from several organizations. For example, SpaceTEC offers certification in advanced electricity and electronics, avionics, aviation structures, and other areas. Certification is also provided by SME (previously known as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers), National Defense Industrial Association, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

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 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 professional engineer. Visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Web site, https://ncees.org, for more information on licensure.

Other Requirements

Hypersonics engineers must undergo a background investigation in order to receive a general security clearance or top secret level clearance. In the United States, many employers require hypersonics engineers to be U.S. citizens.