Licensure Process

To become a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, you must meet criteria in three areas.

Education

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited program;
• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology from an ETAC/ABET-accredited program; or
• Foreign degree or degree from non-EAC/ABET- or non-ETAC/ABET-accredited program that has been evaluated for equivalency

Examinations

• Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam; and
• Pass the Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) exam

Experience

• Verified, progressive engineering experience working under a licensed PE:
• • Four years if you have a B.S. in engineering; or
  • Six years if you have a B.S. in engineering technology

EDUCATION

To seek licensure as a Professional Engineer in Florida, Florida Statutes and Rules require you to have either a:

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate program; or
• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology from an ETAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate program.

If you hold a foreign degree or a non-ABET engineering degree, you must have your education reviewed by a Florida-approved evaluation company to demonstrate that your education is substantially equivalent to an EAC/ABET- or ETAC/ABET-accredited degree.

For Non-ABET-accredited or Foreign Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (non-ABET-accredited or foreign): If you hold a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from a non-ABET-accredited program or a foreign educational institution, you must have your education reviewed by a Florida-approved evaluation company to demonstrate that your education is substantially equivalent to the EAC/ABET degree requirements.

NCEES accepts only its education credentials evaluation to complete an NCEES Record.

Florida has approved two companies to perform these evaluations:

Josef Silny & Associates Inc. International Education Consultants 7101 SW 102 Ave., Miami, FL 33173 T: (305) 273-1616 F: (305) 273-1338 W: jsilny.org/pdf/abet.pdf	NCEES Credentials Evaluations 200 Verdae Blvd., Greenville, SC 29607 Toll Free: (800) 250-3196 T: (800) 250-3196 F: (864) 654-6033 W: ncees.org/credentials-evaluations/

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (non-ETAC/ABET-accredited or foreign): If you hold a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology from a non-ETAC/ABET-accredited program or a foreign educational institution, you must have your education reviewed to demonstrate that your education is substantially equivalent to the ETAC/ABET degree requirements.

Florida has approved Josef Silny & Associates Inc. to perform these evaluations:

Josef Silny & Associates Inc. International Education Consultants 7101 SW 102 Ave., Miami, FL 33173 T: (305) 273-1616 F: (305) 273-1338 W: jsilny.org/pdf/abet.pdf

For Master’s or Doctor’s Degrees in Engineering

If you do not hold a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or engineering technology, you must show proof of an advanced degree in engineering and are required to obtain an evaluation of both degrees to demonstrate substantial equivalency to the EAC/ABET degree requirements.

Florida has approved two companies to perform these evaluations:

Josef Silny & Associates Inc. International Education Consultants 7101 SW 102 Ave., Miami, FL 33173 T: (305) 273-1616 F: (305) 273-1338 W: jsilny.org/pdf/abet.pdf	NCEES Credentials Evaluations 200 Verdae Blvd., Greenville, SC 29607 Toll Free: (800) 250-3196 T: (800) 250-3196 F: (864) 654-6033 W: ncees.org/credentials-evaluations/

EXAMINATIONS

You must pass two examinations on the path to Professional Engineer licensure in Florida.

NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

The FE exam, which is developed and administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), is generally taken during your final year of a four-year EAC/ABET engineering program or a four-year ETAC/ABET engineering technology program, or immediately after graduation. Apply directly with NCEES to take the FE exam.

No engineering experience is required. However, in order to qualify for an Engineer Intern (EI) certificate, you must provide evidence of appropriate education, such as an official transcript.

For complete information on the FE exam, please see the Engineering Exams page under the Licensure section of our website.

NCEES Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam

Like the FE exam, the Principles & Practice of Engineering (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. As with the FE exam, you apply directly with NCEES to take the PE exam.

While no engineering experience is required to sit for the PE exam, NCEES statistics show that first-time examinees are more likely to pass the exam with at least four years of engineering experience.

For complete information on the PE exam, please see the Engineering Exams page under the Licensure section of our website.

EXPERIENCE

Once you have passed both the FE and PE exams, you must have accumulated the required, verified engineering experience and met other Florida requirements before you can apply for licensure as a Professional Engineer in Florida.

Rule 61G15-20.002, Florida Administrative Code, spells out in detail what qualifies as acceptable work experience. Following is a brief summary of the experience requirements.

Experience is credited based on full-time work. No additional credit is allowable for overtime work, or for part‐time work experience obtained while pursuing engineering education on a full‐time basis.

Experience must be under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer and must be progressive in nature, demonstrating increasing quality and requiring greater responsibility.

Full-time engineering work experience accrued during the last two years of completing an undergraduate engineering or engineering technology program may be awarded at 50 percent of actual time, not to exceed a maximum 12 months of experience prior to graduation.

Master’s and doctorate degrees may count for a maximum of 12 months equivalent experience. If you are enrolled part-time (fewer than 12 hours per semester) while working full-time, you may count both the engineering work experience and the degree’s equivalent experience. You may not count both if you are enrolled full-time (12 or more hours per semester).

In addition, some teaching experience at the advanced level at a college or university or experience gained in the armed services may also be counted.

At the time you apply for Licensure as a Professional Engineer, you must have:

• 48 months of experience if you have a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering; or
• 72 months of experience if you have a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology.