Is an Environmental PE a Qualifying Reference for CA Civil PE Application?

[WillH]

I'm now applying for Civil PE registration in CA (I have all my qualifying experience). One year of my qualifying experience was in MA under a licensed Environmental PE. Obviously Environmental is a subset of Civil, but since there's a specific Environmental PE title in MA, I'm concerned about whether his reference will be valid for my civil app here in CA. From the CA PE application FAQ, for an applicant seeking registration as a civil PE, "all references must be licensed engineers authorized to practice civil engineering." From the Code of Massachusetts Regulations 250 CMR 5.01(3) "Engineering Registrants must restrict engineering practice to areas of competence based upon their education and experience qualifications."  

The way I read this, if my former boss is competent to practice civil engineering in MA, he's a valid reference for my CA civil PE app. Do I need to have him write a letter in addition to stamping my engagement form stating the above to the CA Board?

I'm applying my Master's Degree in Civil Engineering as part of my qualifying experience. CA states that a reference is required for all qualifying experience. Does that mean that my grad school professors registered as PE's can serve as qualifying references for me?

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help you choose to give me!

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

Moved to appropriate forum.

 

[youngmotivatedengineer]

After looking at the CA PE application,  the discipline specific PE is only required for CA work. Out of state work just needs to be certified by a licensed PE in the state you did the work in.

For Masters degree, that is usually approved by transcripts since professors are not always PE's. The usefulness of that reference would depend on how much they've seen your work. For example if you've only had 1 class with that PE, it wouldn't hold the same weight as someone who taught multiple classes for your degree or even one of the head people for the degree program. 

 

[CAPLS]

I'm now applying for Civil PE registration in CA (I have all my qualifying experience). One year of my qualifying experience was in MA under a licensed Environmental PE. Obviously Environmental is a subset of Civil, but since there's a specific Environmental PE title in MA, I'm concerned about whether his reference will be valid for my civil app here in CA. From the CA PE application FAQ, for an applicant seeking registration as a civil PE, "all references must be licensed engineers authorized to practice civil engineering." From the Code of Massachusetts Regulations 250 CMR 5.01(3) "Engineering Registrants must restrict engineering practice to areas of competence based upon their education and experience qualifications."  

The way I read this, if my former boss is competent to practice civil engineering in MA, he's a valid reference for my CA civil PE app. Do I need to have him write a letter in addition to stamping my engagement form stating the above to the CA Board?

I'm applying my Master's Degree in Civil Engineering as part of my qualifying experience. CA states that a reference is required for all qualifying experience. Does that mean that my grad school professors registered as PE's can serve as qualifying references for me?

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help you choose to give me!

I can't tell you one way or the other if your experience under the Environmental PE in MA will be accepted or not for the civil engineer license.  It really depends on the nature of that specific work experience and whether it falls under the definition of civil engineering in CA.

Your reference (the Environmental PE) would need to provide documentation that supports he/she is authorized to practice civil engineering where the project in the experience occurred and whether he/she is competent by expertise to practice that branch of engineering.

You would need to provide official transcripts from the university for the MS degree to be considered. 

Professors who are licensed can serve as references IF they are familiar with your work experience claimed in the application.  They cannot verify the actual experience unless they were also the licensed individual in responsible charge of those projects for which you gained the claimed experience.

 

[RBHeadge PE]

I'm applying my Master's Degree in Civil Engineering as part of my qualifying experience. CA states that a reference is required for all qualifying experience. Does that mean that my grad school professors registered as PE's can serve as qualifying references for me?

Experience reference or character reference?

You would need to provide official transcripts from the university for the MS degree to be considered. 

Professors who are licensed can serve as references IF they are familiar with your work experience claimed in the application.  They cannot verify the actual experience unless they were also the licensed individual in responsible charge of those projects for which you gained the claimed experience.

Most state boards won't let you count the years you spent working on a graduate degree towards your professional experience. You can either claim time for the degree or the work but not both.

Ex: 2 years as an research assistant at [University] under a PE professor while getting MS degree full time. Most boards will only give you 1 year of experience for the MS degree, but not two years or professional experience. Certainly never three years total. One might be able to claim the two years as a research assistant working under a PE professor, if they don't claim the MS degree as counting toward the experience requirement. But, I've asked a bunch of boards about this sort of scenario, and they all told be that being an RA doesn't count towards experience even if it was under a PE professor. One state even laughed at me over the phone for even asking the question.

Ex: Spent 3 years working for a MS part time, while working full time under a PE at [engineering company]. You could claim 1 year of experience for the masters, or three years of professional experience. I'm not aware of any board that would give you 4 years total for both. So you'd only claim the three years and mark the MS degree on your application under education

 

[CAPLS]

Experience reference or character reference?

Most state boards won't let you count the years you spent working on a graduate degree towards your professional experience. You can either claim time for the degree or the work but not both.

Ex: 2 years as an research assistant at [University] under a PE professor while getting MS degree full time. Most boards will only give you 1 year of experience for the MS degree, but not two years or professional experience. Certainly never three years total. One might be able to claim the two years as a research assistant working under a PE professor, if they don't claim the MS degree as counting toward the experience requirement. But, I've asked a bunch of boards about this sort of scenario, and they all told be that being an RA doesn't count towards experience even if it was under a PE professor. One state even laughed at me over the phone for even asking the question.

Ex: Spent 3 years working for a MS part time, while working full time under a PE at [engineering company]. You could claim 1 year of experience for the masters, or three years of professional experience. I'm not aware of any board that would give you 4 years total for both. So you'd only claim the three years and mark the MS degree on your application under education

I answered WillH's questions as they related to CA since that is the state he was asking about.  You bring up a good point however, that states do vary in how work experience is applied related to graduate school.  In my response, I wasn't referring to any of his time in graduate school...and I don't think WillH asked about that...if I read that wrong, pardon me...I was referring to his professors being able to be accepted as references.  They can serve as references in CA, but not for any of the claimed work experience unless they were also in practice and in responsible charge of that claimed experience.

 

[WillH]

Your reference (the Environmental PE) would need to provide documentation that supports he/she is authorized to practice civil engineering where the project in the experience occurred and whether he/she is competent by expertise to practice that branch of engineering.

CAPLS, thanks for your insight. In the state of MA, a licensed PE can practice in an area of competence, gained either through education or experience. Pursuant to the practice of civil engineering as defined in the CA PE Act, (section 6731, including "purification  
of water,...The investigation of the laws, phenomena and forces of nature..." ) the work I performed constitutes civil engineering.

Do you think if I include in my application the language from the Code of MA Regulations (quoted in my original post) that the CA board would still expect my Env. PE reference to state that he is authorized to practice civil engineering in MA?

thanks again

 

[CAPLS]

CAPLS, thanks for your insight. In the state of MA, a licensed PE can practice in an area of competence, gained either through education or experience. Pursuant to the practice of civil engineering as defined in the CA PE Act, (section 6731, including "purification  
of water,...The investigation of the laws, phenomena and forces of nature..." ) the work I performed constitutes civil engineering.

Do you think if I include in my application the language from the Code of MA Regulations (quoted in my original post) that the CA board would still expect my Env. PE reference to state that he is authorized to practice civil engineering in MA?

thanks again

Yes, the California Board will expect to hear from the reference as to what areas of expertise he/she has and whether he/she is authorized to practice civil engineering in the state where the projects were located as stated in your work experience.  Be sure to focus on the civil aspects of water purification (if that's what you actually did).