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I just assumed it was required. Most of my friends in engineering had to take a PE exam (or equivalent) when they graduated. Either way, it seems like there is

by dexwiz 6y ago

I just assumed it was required. Most of my friends in engineering had to take a PE exam (or equivalent) when they graduated. Either way, it seems like there is a level of certification needed for higher levels of work. I have not encountered anything similar in Software Engineering.

Avicebron 6y ago
It depends heavily on the field and whether or not they will work in a regulated field. All of my civil engineer friends go through the EiT and then PE track, but most of the mechanical engineers I know don't. I'm not sure how it breaks down for electrical engineers, both of the ones I know didn't do a PE.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I don't know the numbers but I imagine it skews heavily towards Civil. I was a mechanical engineer and the only reason I would have needed one was because I basically designed ships (from a regulatory perspective). I'm sure there are people at places like Boeing, GM, and so forth who have PEs but I imagine it's a fairly small minority. It definitely isn't like passing the bar if you're a lawyer. I know someone who runs a fairly large systems engineering group in aerospace and they don't have one. (And my understanding is that the software engineering PE exam has been phased out because basically no one was taking it.)
distortedsignal 6y ago
Nit-pick - that probably wasn't the PE exam. It was probably the FE exam. The FE exam is what you need to pass in order to start the apprenticeship to get your PE. The PE exam is what you take after an apprenticeship in order to get your PE License. This page has some pretty good info on the whole process: https://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe https://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe As someone who took the FE and then went into software, I understand why this is so complicated. The acronyms are hard to understand and the process is very divorced from what software engineers have to deal with in their day-to-day life.
analog31 6y ago
I'm a bit hazy on the specific wording, but if you work at a company that makes products, and don't offer engineering services directly to the public, then you're exempt from licensure. Now, when a product is ready to go out the door, then it gets reviewed, and the review is signed off by a PE. We typically hire an outside company to do that work.

by dexwiz 6y ago

Avicebron 6y ago

It depends heavily on the field and whether or not they will work in a regulated field. All of my civil engineer friends go through the EiT and then PE track, but most of the mechanical engineers I know don't. I'm not sure how it breaks down for electrical engineers, both of the ones I know didn't do a PE.

ghaff 6y ago
I don't know the numbers but I imagine it skews heavily towards Civil. I was a mechanical engineer and the only reason I would have needed one was because I basically designed ships (from a regulatory perspective). I'm sure there are people at places like Boeing, GM, and so forth who have PEs but I imagine it's a fairly small minority. It definitely isn't like passing the bar if you're a lawyer. I know someone who runs a fairly large systems engineering group in aerospace and they don't have one. (And my understanding is that the software engineering PE exam has been phased out because basically no one was taking it.)

distortedsignal 6y ago

Nit-pick - that probably wasn't the PE exam. It was probably the FE exam. The FE exam is what you need to pass in order to start the apprenticeship to get your PE. The PE exam is what you take after an apprenticeship in order to get your PE License. This page has some pretty good info on the whole process: https://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe https://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe As someone who took the FE and then went into software, I understand why this is so complicated. The acronyms are hard to understand and the process is very divorced from what software engineers have to deal with in their day-to-day life.

analog31 6y ago

I'm a bit hazy on the specific wording, but if you work at a company that makes products, and don't offer engineering services directly to the public, then you're exempt from licensure. Now, when a product is ready to go out the door, then it gets reviewed, and the review is signed off by a PE. We typically hire an outside company to do that work.