PE Liscence 2

[Ramezsayed EIT]

HI all

I used to be Structural Engineer for 5 years in another country outside the United states , and now I moved to Florida, US. I am studying now for the FE Exam but, I am not sure what do I have to do next :


will my 5 years experience be considered? noting that I did not work under licensed Engineer
Can I have the PE Exam after the FE even if I did not work under licensed engineer or it will be too early ? I just think I have the time now so I can study and pass any exams instead of waiting 4 years and lose my enthusiasm.

Please give me some advises

 

[msquared48]

Ron can chime in on this, but from my perspective in Washington:

1. If you did not work under a licensed engineer, probably not on the 5 years.

2. You will have to contact the state board regarding the required timeline between tests.

In Washington, sometimes the board does consider special circumstances, but I would not hold your breath. Florida is pretty tough...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA, HI)

 

[dauwerda]

Each state has its own requirements, contacting the Florida Board will be your best bet to get the correct answers.

It looks like they have a fairly informative website, so you can always start there:

To claim foreign work experience, you must provide to the Board verifiable evidence of the engineering experience under the supervision of the equivalent to a U.S. licensed Professional Engineer. It will then review the evidence to determine if it meets requirements.

(See Chapter 61G15-20.002, Florida Administrative Code.)

https://fbpe.org/licensure/licensure-process/professional-engineers/#experience-section

It doesn't look like Florida requires any experience (other than an accepted degree and having passed the FE) to sit for the PE exam:

Like the FE exam, the PE exam is developed and administered by NCEES. In Florida, you must have earned an ABET-accredited degree and passed the FE exam before you can take the PE exam. You apply directly with NCEES to take the PE exam.

https://fbpe.org/licensure/licensure-process/engineering-exams/

 

[AK4S]

I agree with dauwerda.Contacting the Florida Board will be your best bet.

Also look into Credential Evaluations on NCEES which may be needed at some stage.
If your degree is from a foreign country also check that it is ABET-accredited. Not all are. I had to go through the evaluation process to get it certified that my non-ABET-accredited foreign degree met the requirements. Its been a while but it was a painful and bit expensive process ($350 I believe).

 

[Ron]

I practice in Florida and mentor an engineer who came from outside the US. Contact the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, located in Tallahassee, Florida. Here is a link to their website is FBPE.

In general, you will have to have your engineering degree verified first, since you didn't graduate from an ABET accredited engineering program. There is a service in Miami that does this for a fee and they tell you what coursework will have to be completed to comply with the requirements. Usually at least some coursework is required, though it varies depending on what your university transcripts show.

Next you will have to verify your experience. As you noted, your experience was not under the supervision of a licensed engineer, so that will be a bit of a problem. I would suggest you find a job with a company willing to hire you as a junior engineer and work a little while at least before you go through this process of verification. That way you can have references that can attest to your capability under their supervision.

Good luck.

 

[msquared48]

Thanks Ron...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA, HI)

 

[Ramezsayed EIT]

Thanks all for your replies.

Ron , I already did the evaluation and my education met the NCEES and US standard and right now I am getting prepared for the FE Exam (April 2020). Thought, I am trying to find Structural Engineering Jobs in Tampa, Fl but no luck. May be I have to be more patient .

Thanks for the tips, I Will call FBPE to ask them all of the questions I Need to ask.