Which choice is best (EE/ME/CE) to get qualifying experience?

[corvinus]

Which of EE/CpE, ME, or perhaps CE is most likely to lead to a job working under a PE, so that I can become licensed?

I own apartment buildings in a Northern NJ municipality which requires a PE or architect to stamp building permits, and want to handle this myself.

I hold a BSCS (with statistics minor) and am working on HVAC and Building Automation certificates. I've completed all the ABET-required undergraduate math and science necessary for EE, two electrical engineering courses, and a course in PLCs. Currently I'm looking into less-costly BS programs both in-person (Rowan) and online EE/CpE (SBU, MSU, ODU), but also ME (UAl). I have a decade of engineering-irrelevant experience in business development.

If it weren't for the need to get a job working under a PE, I'd go with CpE out of interest in the subject; but my goal is the PE license. I'm sure I'd be satisfied working in Revit for 3 years, or doing PLC or SCADA programming, or working in building systems integration, while completing a master's.

What I fear is graduating, then not finding a job which offers qualifying experience. I will not leave NJ/NYC for family reasons.

Any advice? Any advice about where to get advice?

 

[RBHeadge PE]

One doesn't simply roll out of bed one morning and decide to get a PE license. It's a years long path that requires full time attention and dedication to the profession. The four year experience requirement is working full time under a PE or similarly qualified engineer, and doing actual engineering.

Given your position, it will just be easier to hire an engineer or architect, as applicable, to stamp your drawings. And whoever does the stamping needs to be competent in whatever it is they are stamping.

With all that typed, from your list - PEs are most common in civil engineering, followed by mechanical and then electrical/power. You won't find many computer engineers with PEs.

 

[Hamilton_PE]

To follow up on the previous response, if you want to stamp structural drawings for a building permit, you will need minimum 4 years (sometimes 3) working full time (or more years working part time) under a licensed PE working on structural drawings. If this is a career that you are wanting to pursue, find a job working for a structural engineering company (maybe learn some drafting to get your foot in the door). If you are just wanting an easy way to get permits but your career is in real estate, it will be 10000000000 times easier and cheaper just to pay someone else to do the job.