Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

ABSTRACT In 2006, the National Council of Examiners of Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) modified the Model Law for the licensure of Professional Engineers to require an increase in the educational qualifications for licensure in the future. As of 2020, the Model Law requires a baccalaureate degree from a program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET plus a master’s degree from an institution which has EAC ABET accredited programs, or the equivalent of a master’s degree. This paper presents the rationale for this change and describes the current status of on-going deliberations regarding implementation details.

BACKGROUND—RAISING THE BAR IN THE FUTURE The most frequently cited premise that precipitated the adoption of additional engineering education requirements by NCEES is the assertion that the body of knowledge related to the licensed practice of engineering has dramatically expanded in recent decades and will continue to do so. Concurrently, the number of credit hours required for graduation has decreased due primarily to political and economic pressures in virtually all states to provide baccalaureate programs with fewer hours of coursework. Thus, the body of knowledge required to enter the practice of engineering in the future does not fit within the curricula currently provided by undergraduate engineering programs.

This is generally reflected in the following statement, which is provided in the report entitled “Educating the Engineer of 2020,”(1) prepared by the National Academy of Engineering1 (NAE) Report in 2005:

“It is evident that the exploding body of science and engineering knowledge cannot be accommodated within the context of the traditional four year baccalaureate degree.”

The concept of an advanced degree as the first “professional degree” for engineering licensure has been promoted within the engineering profession since licensure first became an initiative in each of the states. Indeed, the first statement recommending consideration of the development of professional schools for engineering was adopted by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in October 1938. With the advancement of technology and the increased depth of basic mathematics and science needed for an engineering career, the rationale was presented that a longer period of preparation was needed. Hence, this issue is not something new to the engineering profession; it has been deliberated for 70 years. Numerous academic studies, dating back to as early as 1918, have suggested the need for engineering education beyond the baccalaureate level.

Based on this current information and the history, many in the engineering profession conclude that additional engineering education beyond the four-year ABET/EAC degree will reasonably be required in order to meet the formal academic preparation necessary for entry into the practice of engineering at the professional level (licensure) in the 21st century. This is one component of the obligation of professional engineers to attain competence in their discipline of practice—and

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Musselman, C. (2009, June), Requiring A Master's Degree Or Its Equivalent As A Model Law Prerequisite For Licensure After 2020 Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5585