Professional Engineers 1

[xray]

I am looking to get my professional engineer's license in the state of MT. It is required that an engineer in training work under a PE for four years or there are other equivalences. I believe MT law states that my master's degree affords me two years toward the four required. I am inquiring the PE's of this forum about how you got your PE.

Bozeman, MT is a great little valley with an excellent engineering curriculum, thanks in part to former Sen. Conrad Burns. A problem in the valley is most jobs available do not work under PE's and getting that experience is required. I am looking to start a business and would like to provide engineering services along with ramping up products, which have customer base, with sufficient interest to me.

My question: would it be possible to submit my designs to a PE, paying some kind of fee, and would that be working under a PE if the PE is signing off on my designs? Any other discussion about starting an engineering business and becoming a bonafied engineer would be appreciated

 

[Noway2]

You should first look in the "How to improve myself to get ahead in my work" forum. The "what do I need to do get my PE" has been all but beaten to death there and most likely your question has already been answered.

If your question hasn't been answered, that would be a more appropriate forum than the circuit engineering forum to ask this question.

One other thing to consider: a PE is required for only a very limited number of engineering jobs / disciplines, etc and is certainly not required to start a business. Hence, it may not be required, nor the best path towards your end goals.

 

[buzzp]

xray,
I too am in MT. There are some exceptions to be made in MT for working under a PE. I never got all the details as I don't need my PE for my line of work. I have friends who have there PE in EE. I guess I could ask them. All of them had the related work experience but not directly under a PE. This is where good friends help. No matter what they say it is kind of a network thing. The PE's were familiar with there work so they gave them references.
As mentioned, there are lots of areas you can work in without your PE. PE is only required if your offering your services to the public. You can design products all day long and sell them as well, without a PE. If you have engineer or other terms in your company name, these too require a PE license.
I design products, independantly, for lots of clients (companies) who need specific electronic devices. Now when your designing SYSTEMS to be used in public areas, this is when you need a PE or PE signature authorizing your design. You can design, PLC's say, all you want without a PE license. The authorities who typically make sure things are safe from a product standpoint, rather than the PE license assuring some type of safety, is UL and CSA. Both are voluntary in the US but you will find it is almost mandatory for any company in the US or Canada in order for them to buy from you. Shows due diligence as well.
Sounds like you want to design products and offer engineering services to the public as a consultant. The public part makes the PE license mandatory. However, if you only want to offer services to companies, you could legally do this. Depending on what kind of services, your customer may or may not want a PE anyway. If they want a specific product to so a specific thing, they probably don't want a PE and a PE signature would not be required. 'Ramping Up' products does NOT require a PE license, if you mean, designing them, proto-typing and even selling them to the public.
Hope this helps and it would be interesting to hear what your up to up in Bozeman. I am kind of a flat lander. What is your focus in EE or what is your specialty? ie, HW, SW, do it all? etc?