2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Study of EAC-ABET Civil Engineering Accreditation Curriculum Requirements and Exemption Provisions of State Licensure Laws and Rules

Presented at ASCE Liasion Committee Presents: All Things ASCE

Engineering licensure is important to the civil engineering profession, and graduates of EAC-ABET accredited programs are expected to identify and explain professional responsibility issues including professional licensure. Accredited civil engineering programs typically introduce students to professional licensure their senior year, a time when students become eligible to take the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam. However, many civil engineers never become licensed. One reason may be licensure exemptions. There is no accreditation obligation or legal duty for civil engineering programs to address licensure exemptions in their curriculum.

A study was conducted on the breadth and depth of licensure exemptions. Licensure laws and rules were examined in fifty states, the District of Columbia, and four United States (U.S.) territories. All jurisdictions have exemptions that allow engineers without a license to legally perform specific types of engineering work. Licensure exemptions are vast; forty-nine distinct licensure exemptions were found. Six exemptions are common in more than 50% of the states. The most common exemptions apply to persons who teach engineering courses; work for a licensed engineer; work for a manufacturing company; are employed by state and federal government; work for a public utility; and design and build private dwellings.

The perception that all private and public infrastructure and engineered products are designed by a licensed engineer is not true due to the number of exemptions in the laws and rules in all jurisdictions. Civil engineering programs should include content on engineering licensure laws in their curriculum to enable graduates to understand professional responsibilities and how limitations in licensure laws can affect public safety and an engineer’s career path.

Authors

Dr. Matthew K. Swenty http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1166-3817 Virginia Military Institute [biography]

Dr. Swenty obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Civil Engineering from Missouri S&T and then worked as a bridge designer at the Missouri Department of Transportation. He returned to school to obtain his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech followed by research work at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center on concrete bridges. He is currently a professor of civil engineering and the Jackson-Hope Chair in Engineering at VMI. He teaches engineering mechanics, structural engineering, and introduction to engineering courses and enjoys working with his students on bridge related research projects and with the ASCE student chapter. His research interests include engineering licensure policies, civil engineering curriculum development, and the use of innovative materials on concrete bridges.
Dr. Brian J. Swenty. P.E. University of Evansville [biography]

Brian J. Swenty, Ph.D., P.E. is a professor in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department at the University of Evansville. He earned his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-Rolla (Missouri S & T) and his M.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida. He is a licensed professional engineer in California, Florida, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. He has held positions as an active duty Army officer, a senior civil engineer with a consulting firm, and the director of Missouri’s Dam and Reservoir Safety Program. Since 1993, he has been at the University of Evansville, serving as department chair for 21 years and interim dean for 1.5 years. He continues to work as a consultant on projects involving the design and construction of new dams, modifications to existing dams, and the investigation of dam failures.

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