Message from the Executive Director regarding the education requirements for engineering licensure

Last week at the 2008 NCEES Annual Meeting, Council delegates and representatives of many engineering organizations gathered in Minneapolis to help shape the future direction of engineering licensure. One of the major items of discussion was the ongoing initiative to strengthen the education requirements for licensure.

In 2006, NCEES delegates passed a motion to draft Model Law language requiring candidates to complete 30 academic credits beyond an accredited bachelor’s degree (or earn a master’s degree) as a prerequisite for engineering licensure. Since then, members of the Council have wrestled with the specifics involved in implementing this requirement at the state level. This requirement has gone by several names, most commonly the “bachelor’s plus 30.” NCEES will now begin referring to this requirement more simply as the master’s or equivalent. To promote consistency and simplicity, I encourage all of you to do the same.

While the Council is nearly unanimous in its desire to strengthen the education requirements for engineering licensure, many within the organization and throughout the engineering profession have expressed concern with the specifics of the master’s or equivalent requirement. This prompted a close examination of the work done by the 2007–08 Bachelor’s Plus 30 Task Force, which was charged with investigating potential obstacles to implementing the new requirement. Among the task force motions that passed was a motion to change the date of the requirement’s implementation to 2020.

During this year’s meeting, people on all sides of this debate were able to take a closer look at the higher education issue during various forums and workshops that took place prior to the business sessions. It was an excellent example of engineers working together to solve complex challenges, and it resulted in a decision by the Council to pass a resolution that calls for NCEES leadership to assign a task force to provide the Council with a written analysis of

The potential educational, professional, regulatory, and economic impact of the master’s or equivalent; and
Any alternative solutions besides the master’s or equivalent that could potentially address the challenge of better preparing engineering licensure candidates to enter the profession.

As we are still in the beginning stages of responding to this resolution, you can expect more information to come in the future about the specific charges that President Henn Rebane, P.E., will assign to the 2008–09 Engineering Education Task Force. On behalf of the entire Council, I applaud your ability to address a potentially delicate issue in such a decisive and efficient manner and look forward to your continued and active involvement.

Jerry T. Carter
NCEES Executive Director