PE Application - Texas

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

I may just end up emailing the board for this, but wanted to start here and see if anyone has experienced something similar.

I can finally submit my PE application on March 10th since that will be the completion of 4 years experience. I am finalizing a few things before then and my last major thing to complete are the 3 PE references or reviews of my SER. My question or confusion is that I saw it mention your direct supervisor cannot be one of your references which is unfortunate and rather odd since they would have the most first hand knowledge of your work. The confusion lies in that I have had 2 supervisors during my 4 years with this same employer. The first one left to go somewhere else and the other engineer on staff took over his position and become my supervisor instead of a co-worker. So is my now current supervisor the only one that is exempt from being a reference and I can have my previous supervisor be one of my 3 references, or are both excluded since they were a supervisor at one time? The SER template has that line for supervisor(s) and I feel like I need to list both names on every page to be accurate.

Either way, it looks like I need to come up with at least 2 other PEs to review my SER and I will have to ask either an acquaintance or stranger to do this because I haven't really working closely with any outside engineers or at best I reviewed or sat in on some conversations of their engineering work and not the other way around where they peer reviewed my work.

Hopefully someone has some insight on this to help aid me in how to fill things out and who to track down for references. If you think it would be best to send a similar email to the TBPE directly and they are helpful in times like this, I will try that as well.

 

[knight1fox3]

@TWJ PE, @envirotex, or @SNAPE/SMOTT PE might be able to assist with your inquiry.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

Hmm, not sure if it’s changed since I did my SER/references, but I did use my supervisor and previous supervisor. I was never told if my current supervisor was invalid. I did submit four references, even though only three were required.

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

I forget if it is listed elsewhere because it is slightly hidden in the large page of requirements, but this is the sentence I came across:

"A professional engineer who is familiar with your work and not your supervisor will be acceptable as a reference."

 

[envirotex]

If you have a favorite college professor who is also a PE, you can solicit them...I had a professor, a colleague, and the president of the company I was working for at the time review my experience.

 

[blewis216]

I believe all that they are getting at is that if you want to use someone who isn't your supervisor, they will accept that as well. I'd still recommend contacting the board just to make sure. I will say however it seems as though the board is quite busy because I haven't received a response to my question I emailed them 3 weeks ago and my application still sits in admin review nearly 2 months after I submitted it.

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

I believe all that they are getting at is that if you want to use someone who isn't your supervisor, they will accept that as well. I'd still recommend contacting the board just to make sure. I will say however it seems as though the board is quite busy because I haven't received a response to my question I emailed them 3 weeks ago and my application still sits in admin review nearly 2 months after I submitted it.

I would have never taken it that way until you reworded it like that and now I can see it potentially meaning just that and it makes a lot more sense. I will send them an email to be sure and report back.

 

[Jbone27 PE]

I went through the process last year and used my current and previous direct supervisors and a colleague. Had no issues whatsoever. 

 

[TXPE2k17]

I just got licensed last night after submitting on 1/3.

They definitely mean it the way blewis216 put it. They say it this way, because as you say, of course your direct supervisor is the most obvious choice for a reference. But in case you don't have 3 supervisors under your belt yet, they are saying you can indeed use a co-worker PE that was at least familiar with your work.

Hope this helps.

 

[blewis216]

I just got licensed last night after submitting on 1/3.

They definitely mean it the way blewis216 put it. They say it this way, because as you say, of course your direct supervisor is the most obvious choice for a reference. But in case you don't have 3 supervisors under your belt yet, they are saying you can indeed use a co-worker PE that was at least familiar with your work.

Hope this helps.

When did you make it through admin review? I submitted on 1/6 and still haven't heard anything... hopefully this means I'll be licensed Monday!

 

[TXPE2k17]

Looks like i was notified that it finally went through admin review on 2/24. It is easily the longest portion - once I got to the PE review it was less than a week to when I got the email with the PE number.

 

[TWJ PE]

I may just end up emailing the board for this, but wanted to start here and see if anyone has experienced something similar.

I can finally submit my PE application on March 10th since that will be the completion of 4 years experience. I am finalizing a few things before then and my last major thing to complete are the 3 PE references or reviews of my SER. My question or confusion is that I saw it mention your direct supervisor cannot be one of your references which is unfortunate and rather odd since they would have the most first hand knowledge of your work. The confusion lies in that I have had 2 supervisors during my 4 years with this same employer. The first one left to go somewhere else and the other engineer on staff took over his position and become my supervisor instead of a co-worker. So is my now current supervisor the only one that is exempt from being a reference and I can have my previous supervisor be one of my 3 references, or are both excluded since they were a supervisor at one time? The SER template has that line for supervisor(s) and I feel like I need to list both names on every page to be accurate.

Either way, it looks like I need to come up with at least 2 other PEs to review my SER and I will have to ask either an acquaintance or stranger to do this because I haven't really working closely with any outside engineers or at best I reviewed or sat in on some conversations of their engineering work and not the other way around where they peer reviewed my work.

Hopefully someone has some insight on this to help aid me in how to fill things out and who to track down for references. If you think it would be best to send a similar email to the TBPE directly and they are helpful in times like this, I will try that as well.

Your supervisor can sign. In fact, my old supervisor signed off on my previous work experience for my previous job when I applied.

Yes, you'll need two additional PE reviewers (none of them have to be licensed in Texas; if they aren't, then they have to provide a copy of their license).

As far as finding references, you're kind of know your own.

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

Awesome, thanks all, that is enough clarification for me to see that I miss-interpreted their sentence and it is acceptable to do it the way I felt should be right. I happen to have an old supervisor and a new one that I will use for sure and then I think one outside Engineer that we contract with will be willing to read my SER and go from there. He at least knows of me, but not necessarily has reviewed or used my engineering work.  More of a character reference I guess and then the SER to help decide on experience. 

Now I just need to write up the SER in a format that seems decent (I have seen their example) and get them sent out because it's the only thing holding me back from submitting!

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

Well mine might be going through pretty quickly!

I submitted my initial application on 3/12; then I waited to send in my forms, 3 references, and ethics exam until I had them all at one time so that was last Friday 3/23; and now I see it passed administrative review yesterday 3/28. It likely could have been a few days or a week sooner since they were waiting on me to mail in that packet of documents. 

The last email I received mentioned that the technical review would only take 1 to 2 weeks so I might be complete by Friday the 13th, pretty exciting.

 

[Jbone27 PE]

Not to get your hopes up but I think mine took like 1 or 2 days after administrative review. Maybe early next week. 

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

@Jbone27 PE It looks like you were correct, I just got my approval email this morning.

Process took me only 3 weeks!

 

[Jbone27 PE]

@Jbone27 PE It looks like you were correct, I just got my approval email this morning.

Process took me only 3 weeks!

Nice. Congrats!!!

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

Figured I’d add one last piece to this thread. 

How long did it take to get your paper certificate?

I figured they’d mail the same week you get your number, do they wait until you send in your stamp for approval?

Im coming up on 10 days now from approval and want to hang it on my wall! My stamp was sent in on Tuesday so if that’s the wait, it’s hopefully there today or tomorrow for approval. 

 

[youngmotivatedengineer]

Good thing you're not in Jersey. License was issued December 27th, finally got my wall certificate last weekend. 

 

[blewis216]

I got my paper certificate around two or so weeks after my email from the board. It came with paper printouts of all of the forms that I received in the email about making your seal so it doesn't look like it's dependent on sending in a seal imprint. I did get my pocket card about a week after I was notified though. So once your pocket card comes it shouldn't be long before that certificate comes too!

Went ahead and got me a nice Texas state seal frame and now I'm waiting for that to come in.