Teaching as Qualifying Experience in CA

[FrequentFlyer]

Hi all, I've been aware of this board for some time and I decided to become a member finally. I'm planning to take the CA PE Exam in April 2017. I tried searching the forum for answers to my questions, but wasn't able to find anything similar.

In between traditional engineering jobs, I taught as an engineering lecturer at UCLA. This is on my PE app as an engagement. I didn't work under a licensed PE at that time. I've read through the FAQs on the CA website, and I still haven't been able to answer these questions:

Is the teaching industry considered "exempt?" The UC system isn't a part of the federal government and it's not a utility like SCE or PG&E. The FAQs don't seem to offer up specific details about what's required from a reference to verify engineering teaching experience.

Should I ask another instructor at UCLA to provide me with a reference letter, even though they're not a licensed PE? Or, should I just include this employment experience on my list of Engagements, but not provide a reference for it? The instructions seem unclear in this regard.

 

[ptatohed]

Do you need this teaching time to count as your experience time credit?  How many months of experience do you have working under a PE(s) without the teaching job?  How many do you need?  If you have a BS, then you'll need 24, if you have an MS, you'll need 12.  If you were to leave out the teaching assignment from your experience record will you 1.) Still have enough experience? and 2.) Not have any gaps?  Also, do you have enough references (4) to sign for you without this teaching job?  If so, you could still include your teaching assignment as an engagement but list it as a 5th engagement (I did something similar).  Is it possible to find someone at the University with a PE that could sign for your teaching engagement?  Perhaps the Dean of Engineering?  

If I were you, I'd aim to include the teaching job on your application but try to have a PE from the school sign as a reference for you and/or make this teaching assignment a 5th engagement. 

Good luck. 

 

[smahurin]

You'll probably need to direct your question directly to your state board.  

 

[CAPLS]

6753. Equivalents for experience; education; teaching

With respect to applicants for licensure as professional engineers, the board:

(a) Shall give credit as qualifying experience of four years, for graduation with an engineering degree from a college or university the curriculum of which has been approved by the board.

(b) May at its discretion give credit as qualifying experience up to a maximum of two years, for graduation with an engineering degree from a nonapproved engineering curriculum or 22 2016 Professional Engineers Act

graduation with an engineering technology degree in an approved engineering technology curriculum.

(c) May at its discretion give credit as qualifying experience of up to one-half year, for each year of successfully completed postsecondary study in an engineering curriculum up to a maximum of four years credit. A year of study shall be at least 32 semester units or 48 quarter units.

(d) May at its discretion give credit as qualifying experience not in excess of five years, for a postgraduate degree in a school of engineering with a board-approved undergraduate or postgraduate curriculum.

(e) May at its discretion give credit as qualifying experience for engineering teaching, not in excess of one year, if of a character satisfactory to the board.

The sum of qualifying experience credit for subdivision (a) to (e), inclusive, shall not exceed five years.

Easily found on the Board's website at: http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/laws/pe_act.pdf