ME Engineering Licensure
A century ago, anyone could work as an engineer without proof of competency. Now every state regulates the practice of engineering to ensure public safety by granting only (professional engineers) the authority to sign and seal engineering plans and offer their services to the public.
Why obtain your engineering license?
Licensure is the mark of a professional. It's a standard recognized by employers and their clients, by governments and by the public as an assurance of dedication, skill and quality. There are many powerful reasons both professional and personal for earning and maintaining a PE license. Only a licensed engineer, for instance, may prepare, sign, seal and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or to seal engineering work for public and private clients. For consulting engineers and private practitioners, licensure is a virtual necessity. In fact, it is a legal requirement for those who are in responsible charge of work, be they principals or employees. More and more with each passing day, government agencies, educational institutions and private industries are requiring that they hire and contract only with licensed professional engineers. This is a trend that is almost certain to continue in the future. Today, no matter what career path a professional engineer chooses, a successful, ongoing career virtually requires PE licensure. http://dlr.sd.gov/btp/engineers.aspx
Professional Licensing Boards
In the United States, engineers are licensed at the state level by professional licensing boards.
Engineering boards confer the P.E. license when licensure candidates meet a combination
of requirements in education, experience, and exams” (www.NCEES.org).
Before registering for an upcoming NCEES exam, review your unique approval and registration
process by visiting the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation website. For additional information please visit the South Dakota FAQ as well as the NCEES FE Exam page.
Finally, specifics about the FE Exam for Mechanical Engineers can be found here.
NCEES develops and scores the FE and PE exams for engineering licensure.
The FE exam is generally your first step in the process to becoming a professional
licensed engineer (P.E.). It is designed for recent graduates and students who are
close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET- accredited
program. The PE exam is designed to test for a minimum level of competency in a particular
engineering discipline. It is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of
four years of work experience in their chosen engineering discipline (www.ncees.org).
Passing the FE Exam is your first step to becoming a licensed professional engineer!
Below we list the Mechanical Engineering Faculty Members that have their engineering license. Feel free to stop by and visit with any of them to chat and ask questions regarding the FE Exam and the subsequent steps needed to obtain an engineering license in South Dakota or in another state.
| Mr. Ardell Knudson, P.E. (Wyoming) | Instructor |
| Dr. Aaron Lalley, P.E. (South Dakota) | Lecturer |
| Dr. Pierre Larochelle, P.E. (Florida) | Head and Professor |
