Engineering is already known as a difficult school subject, but what about once you graduate and want to start looking for a job? The world of engineering is a little more complicated than initially meets the eye, especially when it comes to regulations and licensure across the globe. These days, the beginning of a career in engineering starts with obtaining a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. However, to be a professional engineer can be complicated. After all, it probably seems that earning a college degree (and possibly a graduate degree) in engineering is more than enough. Much of the time, a degree is all that is needed to secure employment in the field, such as in the case of a design engineer who creates cars. However, in some occupations, both a college degree and an engineering license is necessary in order to provide services to the public.These services might include work on roads, bridges, and mass transportation systems.

A professional engineer’s knowledge and abilities are vetted carefully by licensing organisations in the effort to ensure the safety of the general public. One great example is that civil engineers tasked with building infrastructure must hold professional engineer licenses. After all, if they are constructing bridges, it puts regular citizens at risk every day. Licensing a professional engineer is defined very carefully by law, as the lines between engineering, architecture, and scientists can be blurry. This ensures that certain occupations and industries have clear definitions for qualifications and employment. For example, going beyond the corporate world, faculty in higher education must generally be licensed professional engineers in order to qualify to teach.

The regulations on the designation of professional engineer vary by country, and within a particular country, it may be managed by different states or smaller organisations. In most countries, a professional engineer must have an accredited bachelor’s degree in engineering, gain a specific number of years of qualifying work experience, and pass a professional engineering exam. In some countries, like India, a bachelor’s degree is enough to practise as a consulting engineer, but work on public plans or designs requires licensing through the local municipality. Of course, it is possible to work as an engineer for a living without being a certified professional engineer. For example, you can be a software engineer without being a professional engineer, as the work does not affect public safety or well being.

Upon earning a professional engineering title in your home country, it is also possible to seek accreditation as an international professional engineer through the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This certification is recognised in 11 countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia. Although there is no global standard or issuing body, this license can be issued by the IET to anyone who has become a chartered engineer, holds an accredited bachelor’s degree in engineering, and can prove that they have been actively working for at least seven years as a professional engineer.

Although different countries employ varying standards and requirements to become a professional engineer, it is essential to seek such a license in order to provide services to the public. It can be confusing to determine what the requirements are by country, but you should generally expect the criteria to include a combination of education, work experience, and formal examinations. Your employer may be able to assist in working with the local and federal government to determine the necessary regulations as well.