Plastics Engineers

Certification or Licensing

The SME offers certification programs in various areas of manufacturing engineering. Some employers may prefer to hire engineers who are certified. Find information at https://www.sme.org/certification.

Engineers whose work directly affects the public must be licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Those who are licensed are called professional engineers (PE). Licensing requirements include a bachelor's degree from a school accredited by ABET, the accrediting board for engineering and technology, four years of relevant work experience, and passing the state examination. States often recognize licenses from other states. Licensing is a two-stage process. New engineers may take the Fundamentals in Engineering examination after graduating from college, after which they are considered engineers in training (EIT) or engineer interns (EI). Once they achieve the work experience requirement, an EIT or EI then takes the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. In most states engineers must meet continuing education requirements to maintain their license. The exams are offered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (https://ncees.org).