BPVC (nuclear) - Licensed Professional Engineer Vs. Registered Professional Engineer 2

[meatpuppet]

Hi,

Sorry if this question is silly, I am trying to understand if there is any difference between a PE licensed by any USA state and the ASME Registered Professional Engineer (RPE) whose involvement is required in some design activities as far as the ASME nuclear requirements are concerned.

Are they anyhow 2 separate licences or is it just a different name for the same thing?

Thanks a lot,

Best regards,

 

[metengr]

The ASME RPE was developed to provide a broader acceptability for chartered and registered engineers outside the US dealing with pressure vessels. A licensed PE in the US is an RPE.

 

[meatpuppet]

Thanks for your answer.

So if you're a licensed PE, then you're automatically a RPE. Ok.

Regarding licensing outside the US, I've been told there are nearly no RPE that are non-US citizens. I think being an RPE makes it necessary to graduate in the US as an engineer, for instance, which makes it difficult for most engineers on the planet. Is that true?

 

[metengr]

What about Canada and the UK???? Chartered professional engineers.

 

[TomBarsh]

It's not "necessary" to graduate in the US in order to be a US-RPE. But on the other hand, as metengr describes, it's not required under ASME Code that the responsible engineer be a US RPE, but can be the equivalent in other jurisdictions (Canadian PEng, UK Chartered Engineer, etc.).

Here's a general outline of registration in the US:

Each of the 50 states (and some various territories) licenses engineers within that jurisdiction. There is a national council (NCEES) that provides standard examinations that are used by most states, and provides a sort of clearinghouse to ease reciprocity between jurisdictions.

A summary of what most jurisdictions will require is given here:

http://ncees.org/licensure/

This page indicates:

Steps to become a P.E.

While each state licensing board has its own laws regarding engineering licensure, there is a general four-step process for licensure candidates:
1.Earn a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
2.Pass the FE exam.
3.Gain acceptable work experience (typically a minimum of four years). In most cases, this must be completed under the supervision of a P.E.
4.Pass the PE exam in the appropriate discipline.
​

The ABET (

http://www.abet.org)

is an accrediting agency that stipulates minimum standards for engineering education...requirements placed on the engineering school to meet the minimum standards.

It is the requirement to have a degree from the ABET-accredited school that is often the sticking point for PE registration. But the state PE licensing boards can review education from foreign schools for equivalence and compliance. (Even in the US, not all engineering schools are ABET-accredited.)

The ABET website provides a list of ABET-accredited schools in a number of countries around the world. Certainly having a degree from one of the listed schools would then make US registration much easier. (From randomly checking, I saw one school in Singapore, 3 in Philippines, none in Russia, two in Kazakhstan, and numerous other countries are listed.)

Glancing at my own state's list of licensees, I see Australia, Canada, Jordan, Korea, and a few other countries represented.

On the other hand, the reason each state registers (licenses) engineers within the state is to assure a minimum standard for engineering work performed within that state, they have no reason to care about what happens in other states, or other countries. (And for that matter, not all engineers are registered, likely not even 1/4 of all engineering graduates obtain licensing.) A state receiving an application from outside the US might wonder why the applicant is applying in the state (but they might not care in the end).

Also, out of 50 states and 5 other US jurisdictions, how would someone outside the US decide which one to register in? Best to keep to your local jurisdiction unless there is some pressing need to do otherwise.

 

[TomBarsh]

BTW, I don't see any ABET schools in places like Canada, the UK, France, Germany.

Why not? I suspect because these countries have their own well-qualified schools, engineering societies, systems of accreditation, etc, set up in place and do not need to gain credibility by depending on the systems of another country.

 

[meatpuppet]

Thanks to all of you for your detailed explanations.

@TomBarsh: Thanks for the PE explanations. Actually my target now is to understand the difference between LPE and RPE. If to be RPE it is necessary to be first of all a LPE, then it may be a problem when outside the US.

Actually I am working in Germany. As far as I understand there is no opportunity for a German based company to get a RPE working in house, except by hiring a LPE coming from the plan you outline above (i.e. ABET certified, etc.). But Germany still has very strong engineering education, with school recognized all over Europe... I am trying to understand if ABET does not certify them because there is no demand, or due to other reasons. I am also curious to know whether RPE requires ABET certification of the studies or not, and who in the end would give the "holy stamp" to a German engineer working as an ASME RPE...

Tricky subject!

 

[TomBarsh]

You may find this site informative as well, the (in USA) National Society of Professional Engineers

http://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe

I do not think the "registered" means anything different that "licensed". What is really obtained is a "license" from the jurisdiction to "practice engineering" (analogous to "practicing medicine" or "practicing law").

 

[metengr]

In ASME Section VIII, Div 2 there were revisions made for certification of the user's design specification in 2010 to any of the below;
1. It could a RPE in the US or Canada.
2. An Engineer experienced in pressure vessel design that meets all required qualifications to perform engineering work and any supplemental requirements stipulated by the user. The Engineer shall identify the location and the licensing or registering authorities under which he has received the authority to perform engineering work.
3. An Engineer experienced in pressure vessel design who meets all required qualifications to perform engineering work and any supplemental requirements stipulated by the user. The Engineer shall be registered in the International Register of Professional Engineers of the Engineers Mobility Forum.

 

[JStephen]

In many US jurisdictions, they have been replacing the term "registered" with "licensed" because there is some important reason to do so. although it's not coming to mind. But in general, in the US, I would assume a registered engineer and a licensed engineer mean the same thing.

You can get registered in the US using a bachelor's degree from a foreign country, it just gets more involved. In some cases, it may require the applicant to pay for an independent evaluation of the school's programs.

 

[mbt22]

You're confusing the way the USa complies and (American) standard with the only way to do it. Looking for an ABET accredited degree in Germany is like asking why you can't take a California driving test in Berlin.

ABET is a US body, not a worldwide one. There's a treaty called the Washington Accord that matches internataional engineering degree standards.

http://www.ieagreements.org/Washington-Accord/Accredited.cfm

Registered professional engineer = PE in the USA, with a degree accredited by ABET

Registered professional engineer = Chartered in the UK, with a degree accredited by the Engineering Council (via the discipline body)

Registered professional engineer = Whatever the local qualification is