>First you say that you're an engineer, which means you're an "applied scientist". I am. I think that's just a ridiculous way of referring to engineering. If

>First you say that you're an engineer, which means you're an "applied scientist". I am. I think that's just a ridiculous way of referring to engineering. If we're going to be strict about the term engineer, we might as well be strict about the term scientist and pounce on anyone calling themselves a scientist, applied or otherwise, if they haven't submitted articles for peer review. How many members of your graduating class of applied scientists have been peer reviewed? They're not. At least, not in Canada. It's against the law to call yourself an engineer if you don't actually hold an engineering degree from an accredited institution. Protection of the term engineer in Canada, for any old BSE, is ridiculous and is inconsistent with conventions in most of the rest of the developed world. It's largely ignored by industry, frequently 'violated', and protects no one - certainly not the public at large, at least. What really needs protection is the title P.Eng, which actually is important to the safety of the public. The term Engineer is protected in my country due to very real issues of public safety P.Eng. yes - but a BSE? Should the full force of law really be brought to bear on someone who might be confused with having earned a BSE by calling themselves an engineer? Who does this protect? You don't want someone certifying a skyscraper as safe, only to find out they are an architect, not an engineer Yes - and that would be a licensed, legally entitled, and legally cupable P.Eng., not some random BSE. Edit - for the uninitiated, P.Eng. or Professional Engineer is a legally protected (in Canada and the United States at least) title given to a graduate of an engineering program who has been through an industry mentoring process, has taken competency exams, and has taken a professional oath of ethics. These are the men and women who keep our bridges from falling down by saying 'no' when someone wants to cut corners or reduce expenses. Many projects, especially in civil engineering, require the sign-off of a P.Eng. A P.Eng. is also legally culpable if they knowingly approve of something that they shouldn't. A BSE is someone who graduates from an undergraduate engineering program.