Certification or Licensing
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, SME, and other professional associations offer certification. To become certified, applicants need to meet education and experience requirements and pass an examination.
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 by 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. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying provides information about licensure on its Web site, https://ncees.org.
Other Requirements
Applicants must pass background checks and drug tests (which are given to detect the presence of illegal drugs). At some employers, applicant must be U.S. citizens or nationals; U.S. lawful, permanent residents; or hold refugee or asylee status.
- Aeronautical and Aerospace Technicians
- Aerospace Engineers
- Aerospace Medicine Physicians
- Astrobiologists
- Astrogeologists
- Astronauts
- Astronomers
- Astrophysicists
- Biologists
- Build Reliability Engineers
- Chemical Engineers
- Chemists
- Computer Programmers
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineers
- Engineers
- Geographic Information Systems Specialists
- Hypersonics Engineers
- Hypersonics Technicians
- Laboratory Testing Technicians
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Robotics Engineers
- Robotics Technicians
- Space Habitat Designers
- Space Lawyers
- Space Meteorologist
- Space Pilots
- Space Port Managers
- Space Systems Operators
- Space Tourism Managers
- Spacecraft Test Technicians