What are advantages/disadvantages to Professional Engineering degrees compared to a Masters or Doctorate?

Question

I was looking at graduate programs at various schools, and I noticed that there is something of a more specialized engineering degree. Some call it a Professional Engineering degree. Nonetheless, I think it scopes to be between a Masters or a Doctorate, but why do they exist and when should one pursue it rather than a Masters or Doctorate?

Answer 1

Professional Engineer is the term for registered or licensed engineers in some countries, including the United States, and Canada who are permitted to offer their professional services directly to the public.

The term Professional Engineer and the phrase practice of professional engineering is legally defined and protected both in Canada — by the provinces — and the United States — by the states. In most jurisdictions only registered or licensed Professional Engineers are permitted to use the title, or to practice Professional Engineering.

The earmark that distinguishes a licensed/registered Professional Engineer is the authority to sign and seal or "stamp" engineering documents (reports, drawings, and calculations) for a study, estimate, design or analysis, thus taking legal responsibility for it.

A PE license has no relationship to advanced degrees that “Pile it Higher and Deeper”. In some cases an employer will only hire a PE, or require you to obtain a PE license within a defined time interval. An advanced degree may shorten the "work experience" PE requirements described below, but all applicants must pass the same test(s).

My recommendation is to get your PE as soon as possible. It costs next to nothing (typically less than $100 in application fees) and you will never regret having the credentials.


In the United States, registration or licensure of Professional Engineers is performed by the individual states. Each registration or license is valid only in the state in which it is granted. Many Professional Engineers maintain licenses in several states for this reason, and comity between states can make it easy to obtain a license in one state based on licensure in another state without going through the full application process. The licensing procedure varies but the general process is:

- Graduate with a degree from an accredited four-year university program in engineering.

- Complete a standard Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) written examination, which tests applicants on breadth of understanding of basic engineering principles, and optionally some elements of an engineering specialty. Completion of the first two steps typically qualifies for certification in the U.S. as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT), sometimes also called an Engineer Intern (EI).

- Accumulate a certain amount of engineering experience under the supervision of a P.E. In most states the requirement is four years, but in others the requirement is lower. In some states having a Masters or Doctorate degree may shorten this interval, but you still need to pass the same tests.

- Complete a written Principles and Practice in Engineering ('PE') examination, testing the applicant's knowledge and skills in a chosen engineering discipline (mechanical, electrical, civil, for example), as well as engineering ethics.


The link below contains more details and includes information on PE practices in other countries.

Answer 2

A PE is a form of licensure that requires completion of a couple 8 hour exams & 4 years of experience. It tests your overall knowledge in an engineering discipline (mechanical, civil, etc.), and is required to submit drawings to public entities for obtaining permits. Many people with MS & PHD's also obtain their PE's. See link below.