2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Case Study on Professional Engineering Licensure Preparation in an Interdisciplinary Engineering Design Capstone Course

Presented at Career readiness inside and outside the classroom

This case study shares the approach one interdisciplinary engineering program used to increase the engagement with professional engineering licensure. Data comes from library usage of Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) preparation materials, information on timing within the academic year for students to register and sit the exam, as well as course assignments related to FE exam preparation. This model from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College demonstrates a replicable approach to supporting students in bridging the gap between engineering education and professional licensure to guide the future of engineering’s workforce. Exam registration is funded through departmental budget and applied directly via NCEES voucher, requiring no out-of-pocket payment from students. The data suggests this style of intervention can increase the percentage of students participating in engineering licensure through registration to sit the FE exam (157.1% increase) with no statistically significant change to the percent of students passing the FE (pass rate of 96.0% pre-intervention, 94.1% post-intervention, p=0.615). While most Dartmouth students sit the Other Disciplines FE exam, elements of this intervention are applicable across disciplines for engineering educators interested in increasing participation in licensure among engineering graduates, including civil.

Authors

Emily Houston Monroe , PE http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5033-5828 Dartmouth College [biography]

Emily H. Monroe, PE is a lecturer at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. She serves as the director of the Cook Engineering Design Center at Dartmouth, which connects industry, government and nonprofit sponsors with Dartmouth Engineering students to collaborate on engineering design projects. Prior to joining Dartmouth, Emily served in manufacturing and product design engineering roles. Emily is a licensed professional engineer (PE) and holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and Master of Engineering Management from Duke University.
Jentry Elizabeth Campbell http://orcid.org/https:// 0000-0001-8615-5094 Dartmouth College [biography]

Jentry Campbell is a librarian for Research & Learning for STEM at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. She works primarily as a liaison to Thayer School of Engineering. She obtained her MLIS from the University of British Columbia.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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