Licensing Structural Engineers: Oklahoma Proposes Novel Approach
The Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors has proposed a novel approach to recognize the advanced qualifications of structural engineers who have passed the 16-hour structural engineering examination. The proposal and its rationale are presented in detail on pages 2 and 3 of the December 2010 issue of the board’s bulletin.
This proposal would allow an engineer to use the “P.E., S.E.” designation in Oklahoma if he or she has passed: the PE exam and the previous structural II exam; or the previous structural I and II examinations; or the new 16-hour structural examination, and is otherwise qualified to be licensed in Oklahoma.
The board stresses that this does not have any practice limitations—engineers still must practice within their area of competence. And it has no title implications. This is a variation on the theme advocated in earlier blog items here regarding PE board roster designations. This does the same thing, only better, and it allows more visibility for the structural engineers’ advanced qualifications. Perhaps PE boards in generic-licensure states should do both—indicate structural qualifications on their online roster, and allow engineers who have passed the 16-hour examination to use “P.E., S.E.”
What Oklahoma is doing is fully consistent with NSPE’s policy regarding generic licensure of professional engineers as PEs. This is a fine solution for a state that has historically had generic licensure; this isn’t discipline-specific licensure.
Now, if only NSPE, the National Council of Structural Engineering Associations, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute could start advocating this together in states with generic licensure. It’s time that these professional societies begin working together instead of butting heads on a state-by-state basis. This is a solution that can work.
To learn more about this topic, sign up for NSPE’s March 31 Web seminar.
Editorial input was provided by Bernard F. Berson, P.E., F. NSPE.
