When it comes to earning your license as a Professional Engineer (PE) or a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), it is more than just a symbol of achievement and skill. It assures clients that you have the credentials to get the job done and ensures your employer that you can take on a higher level of responsibility, ethics, and quality assurance. Having the credentials “PE” or “PLS” after your name is certainly something to be proud of.

In order to become licensed in the state of Pennsylvania, engineers and surveyors are required to go to an ABET-accredited program for four years, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) or Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, earn four years of experience under the supervision of a PE or PLS, and then pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) or Professional Surveyor exam (PS).

On June 28th, 2024, Governor Shapiro signed a bill into law as Act 32 of 2024 that “resolves long-standing issues and updates critical provisions to align the law with current professional standards and practices.” This bill, which modernizes the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law, is a significant step forward for the profession. It allows the qualified four years of experience to apply regardless of whether it was earned before or after receiving an engineer-in-training or surveyor-in-training certificate. This change, compared to the previous requirement, ensures that Pennsylvania remains at the forefront of engineering, surveying and geological sciences.

Becoming a PE or PLS will be well worth it, demonstrating your commitment to the highest standards of engineering or surveying. As someone currently preparing for the FE exam while gaining work experience, I find this new bill extremely helpful. Regardless of when the experience was obtained, this change allows people like me to get one step closer to becoming a PE.

Since I started working here, I have more knowledge about what I'll see on the exam. Under the guidance and supervision of Justin Brewer, PE, I have gained experience in stormwater management, preparation of engineering drawings and ethics/professional practice. Thanks to working at Howell, (and getting up at 5am to study) I feel more prepared going into the FE Exam testing room.