Advise needed on taking exam

[syntrope]

Hello,

I am last stages of finishing my PhD degree and have Masters and Bachelors degree in Chemical Engg from India. My PhD adviser has a PE. I am searching for jobs and interested in working in environmental consulting industry to get the experience necessary to take the PE exam

I was under the impression that if I had a Masters degree I could take the PE exam with the work experience and waiver the need for FE license. But my friend disagrees. He says that getting a FE is necessary before I can appear for PE exam even if I had work experience. Is this true? Does the eligibility depend on the state where I write my PE exam? At this point of time, what would you advise me to do, to take EIT or start working in a company?

Thank you very much in advance,

Arvind

 

[cableguy]

I'd bet it depends on your state, but in Texas, you can request a waiver of the FE if you have a minimum of 8 years of creditable Engineering Experience with a degree from an accredited school, or 12 years experience from a non-accredited institution (I believe a Masters' degree counts as 1 year in Texas).

So yes, it's possible to get an FE waiver, but doesn't look like it in your case - at least in Texas.

 

[Dleg]

Take the FE exam. If you want the flexibility to work wherever you want, you need to have the FE exam in your background, because many states (most?) require it for a PE license. It won't matter if "your" state granted you a PE license - other states usually won't honor it unless you meet their requirements.

 

[IL-SE]

Take the FE now. It's really not an either/or between taking the FE or working. The amount of preperation needed for the FE is pretty reasonable. You could easily study on the weekends for a couple of months. The content is pretty straightforward. The biggest challenge is learning the reference manual and being able to solve problems quickly.

Most states do require you to take the FE in order to be a PE, but will let you take them concurrently. For the states that do let you waive the FE requirement, you need several years more experience, and if not having your PE will hinder your career advancement, then it's definitely not worth waiting an extra 4 years to take the exam.

 

[syntrope]

Thank you all folks, I appreciate your suggestions and encouragements. I think I will take FE before finishing my PhD.