Improving the Professional Engineering Licensure Process for Construction Engineers
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 133, Issue 9
Abstract
Professional engineering licensure is important in the career development of engineers who undertake work critical to protecting public health, safety, and welfare. The knowledge and experience of construction engineers has not previously been well represented in professional engineering licensure evaluation. The ASCE-CI Construction Engineering Education Committee identified recognition of construction engineering in the professional engineering licensure process as one of its missions when it was organized in 1995. With the support of the states and the receptiveness of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), improvements were gradually achieved in recognition of construction engineering experience by changes in NCEES Model Rules. In 2003, the NCEES Board decided to evaluate modification of the Civil Engineering PE exam to include a Construction Engineering module. The evaluation included a Professional Activities and Knowledge Study (PAKS) of the skills appropriate for construction engineers. Following approval of the NCEES Board in 2005, exam development has been underway with implementation planned for April 2008. An additional benefit of the PAKS is the improved understanding of knowledge needed by construction engineers in completing their work activities. These results should be valuable to construction engineering education and industry in identifying critical subject matter for inclusion in courses, curriculums, and continuing education.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers are most grateful to the ASCE-CI Construction Engineering Education Committee, the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, and the many construction engineers involved in exam development, for their supportive efforts toward the goal of improving the professional engineering licensure process for construction engineers.
References
American Educational Research Association/American Psychological Association/National Council on Measurement in Education (AERA/APA/NCME). (1999). The standards for educational and psychological testing, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
ASCE Construction Engineering Education Committee. (2001). Guide to professional engineering licensure for the construction engineer, ASCE Construction Institute, Reston, Va.
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). (2002). Model rules and regulations for licensing boards, Clemson, S.C.
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). (2006). Manual of policy and position statements, Clemson, S.C.
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). (2007). Exam development procedures manual, Clemson, S.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 4, 2007
Accepted: May 2, 2007
Published online: Sep 1, 2007
Published in print: Sep 2007
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.