| Professional Licensing - North Carolina |
North Carolina Board Of Examiners For Engineers And Surveyors
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Professional Land Surveyors |
In order to be licensed to practice land surveying in North Carolina, an individual, in addition to paying the required fees, must be of good character and reputation, must satisfactorily pass the examinations administered by the Board, and must submit evidence of education, and a specific record of progressive land surveying work of a nature and level acceptable to the Board.
A. Education and Experience
The experience required is dependent upon the educational attainment of the applicant. The greater the surveying educational level, the less land surveying experience required for approval for seating for examinations and eventual licensure. The following levels of surveying education and the experience requirements for each are those required by North Carolina Statutes and the Board:
(1) College Graduate, with Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Surveying.
[This degree must contain a minimum of 45 semester hours (or quarter hour equivalent) of surveying subjects.]
An applicant with the above degree, from a curriculum of four or more years, may take the Land Surveying Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon graduation and award of the degree.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum total of two (2) year of progressive practical land surveying experience, one year of which shall have been under a practicing Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), applicants are eligible to apply for the Land Surveying Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
(2) Technical Institute or Community College Graduate, with an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Surveying Technology.
[This degree must contain thirty (30) quarter hours (or semester hour equivalent) of surveying subjects, and must be approved by the Board. Appropriate coverage must be given to the legal aspects of surveying practice, subdivision design and planning, surface drainage and photogrammetry.]
An applicant with the above degree, from a curriculum of two or more years, may take the Land Surveying Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon graduation and award of the degree.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of four (4) years of progressive practical land surveying experience, three (3) of which shall have been under a practicing Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), applicants are eligible to apply to take the Land Surveying Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
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(3) High School Graduate, or Equivalent.
An applicant with a high school diploma, or its equivalent, may take the Land Surveying Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon completion of a minimum of five (5) years of progressive practical land surveying experience, four (4) years of which are under a practicing Professional Land Surveyor (PLS).
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum total of seven (7) years of progressive practical land surveying experience, six (6) years of which are under a practicing Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), applicants are eligible to apply for the Land Surveying Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
B. Progressive Land Surveying Experience
In evaluating the work experience required, the Board will consider the total experience record, and the progressive nature of the record.
The term "progressive practical land surveying experience" means that during the period of time in which an applicant has made a practical utilization of knowledge acquired, the applicant has shown continuous improvement, growth and development in the utilization of that knowledge as revealed in the complexity and technical detail of the work product or work record. The applicant must also show that over that same period of time, greater individual responsibility for the work product has continually been assumed.
It is the experience and opinion of the Board that there is no substitute for full-time land surveying experience. While the Board may give some credit for part-time experience, it generally lacks continuity, real responsibility, and generally does not encompass all facets of land surveying. Weekend, part-time and related experience will be given credit as judged appropriate by the Board.
In order to be licensed to practice engineering in North Carolina, an individual, in addition to paying the required fees, must be of good character and reputation, must satisfactorily pass the examinations administered by the Board, and must submit evidence of education, and a specific record of progressive engineering work of a nature and level acceptable to the Board.
A. Education and Experience
The experience required is dependent upon the educational attainment of the applicant. The greater the engineering educational level, the less engineering experience required for approval for seating for examinations and eventual licensure. The following levels of engineering education and the experience requirements for each are those required by North Carolina Statutes and the Board:
(1) College Graduate, ABET Accredited Engineering Curriculum.
Those applicants with a degree from an engineering curriculum of four or more years, and which has been approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, may take the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) at the time of graduation from their college or university.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum of four (4) years of progressive engineering experience, applicants are eligible to apply for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
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(2) College Graduate, Non-ABET Accredited Engineering or Related Science Curriculum.
Those applicants with a degree from a Non-ABET approved engineering or related science curriculum of four (4) or more years may take the Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon completion of four (4) years of progressive engineering experience following graduation from the college or university awarding the degree.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum of eight (8) years of progressive engineering experience, applicants are eligible to apply for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
A curriculum not accredited by ABET, but which contains adequate course work in engineering and scientific principles, would be a curriculum of this nature. The Board will determine the acceptability of such curricula on a case-by-case basis.
(3) College Graduate, Engineering Technology.
Those applicants with a degree in engineering technology from a technology curriculum of four (4) or more years may take the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon completion of four (4) years of progressive engineering experience following graduation from the college or university awarding the degree.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum of eight (8) years of progressive engineering experience, applicants are eligible to apply for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
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(4) Technical Institute or Community College Graduate, Engineering Technology.
Those applicants with an Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree in engineering technology from a technology curriculum of two (2) or more years may take the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon completion of six (6) years of progressive engineering experience following graduation from the Technical Institute or Community College awarding the degree.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum of ten (10) years of progressive engineering experience, applicants are eligible to apply for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
(5) High School Graduate.
Those applicants with a high school diploma may be approved to take the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) upon adequate documentation indicating the completion of eight (8) years of progressive engineering experience following graduation from high school.
After successful completion of the Fundamentals Examination, and upon completion of a minimum of twelve (12) years of progressive engineering experience, applicants are eligible to apply for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).
B. Progressive Engineering Experience
In evaluating the work experience required, the Board will consider the total experience record, and the progressive nature of the record.
The term "progressive engineering experience" means that, during the period of time in which an applicant has made a practical utilization of acquired knowledge, continuous improvement, growth and development in the utilization of that knowledge have been shown, as revealed in the complexity and technical detail of the work product or work record. The applicant must show that greater individual responsibility for the work product has been continuously assumed over that period of time.
Experience prior to graduation is not considered in the calculation of progressive engineering experience. ABET accredited engineering cooperative experience may be considered with a maximum allowable credit of one (1) year.
Experience obtained in a foreign country, unless performed under the direct supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer licensed with a member Board of the NCEES, will not be considered in the calculation of progressive engineering experience.
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In evaluating progressive engineering experience, the Board may give the following maximum credit for experience in the following areas of work:
(1) Graduate schooling or research in an approved engineering curriculum resulting in award of an advanced engineering degree -- one year for each such degree, with a maximum of two (2) years total.
(2) Progressive land surveying -- maximum two (2) years.
(3) Teaching of engineering subjects at the university level in an approved engineering curriculum -- maximum two (2) years.
The Board, however, may not accept combinations, restricted only to the categories noted above as fulfilling all the necessary statutory experience requirements. The North Carolina Board requires that every applicant for licensure as a Professional Engineer, as part of the total experience requirement, show a minimum of one (1) year experience of a progressive engineering nature in industry, or government, or under a licensed Professional Engineer offering service to the public.
Full time engineering faculty members, who teach in an approved engineering curriculum, may request waiver of the minimum one (1) year experience in industry, government, or private practice, if they demonstrate consulting or research work of at least one (1) year's duration, which was pursued to fruition, and which is of an acceptable progressive engineering nature. The faculty applicant will be required to document the work and demonstrate that the work meets the Board's requirement.
C. Long Established Practice
The North Carolina Statutes require that all applicants successfully complete each of the engineering examinations administered by the North Carolina Board. The only exception to this requirement authorized by the Statutes is waiver of the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) for the individual with "long established practice." An individual with a specific record of twenty (20) years or more of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade and character which indicates adequate engineering ability to the Board, may be approved for waiver of Exam I by the Board. However, the requirement for successful completion of the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II) may not be waived. Those qualified applicants desiring waiver of Exam I should make a written request for the waiver by letter, and submit the request with the completed application.
D. Miscellaneous
Applicants with foreign degrees may request an evaluation of their education through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO). The results of such an evaluation will be mailed to the Board and the recommendations contained therein will be considered in assessing an applicant's qualifications. Applicants should contact the Board office to obtain information on requesting such an evaluation.
North Carolina Board of Examineers for Engineers and Land Surveyors
Jerry Carter
Executive Secretary
3620 Six Forks Road, Suite 300
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7197
919-881-2293
ncboard@ncbels.org
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