Bachelor Degree Licensures in Mechanical, Civil, Computer, and Electrical Engineering

BYU-Idaho engineering degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. ABET is the leading accreditation body for college and university engineering programs as well as programs in applied science, computing, and engineering technology.

In the United States, engineers are licensed at the state level by professional licensing boards. In general, the licensure process requires three steps:

1. The candidate for licensure must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This exam is designed for recent college graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program.
2. In most states, the candidate must gain four years of relevant work experience under a licensed Professional Engineer. Some states allow graduate engineering degrees or other special circumstances to substitute for a portion of the required work experience, but the general principle of requiring relevant and progressive work experience as part of the licensure process exists in some form in all states.
3. The candidate must take the Principals and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, which is designed to test for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline. Sitting for the PE exam also requires letters of recommendation from licensed Professional Engineers with direct knowledge of the candidate’s ability and fitness for licensure. 

There are some exceptions to this general process, many of which vary on a state-by-state basis. However, the first step in the process—the FE exam—is a national exam, and a passing result in any state is generally accepted nationwide. There are now some states that allow the early taking of the PE exam. As of July 2018, those states are: Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

For additional information contact Physical Sciences Engineering Advising.

Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering