Becoming a PE in a field different from degree

[mgookin]

Why is it scary? Plenty of engineers graduate in one discipline and later get additional training and experience which gives them competence in another. We PE's put our license and livelihood on the line with every use of our stamp, and speaking strictly for myself, I take that very seriously.

And that's it in a nutshell. Nobody is going to risk having a PE license and insurance cancelled forever for the benefit of someone else, or just so they can pick up a few dollars.

 

[kenman215]

Why is it scary? Plenty of engineers graduate in one discipline and later get additional training and experience which gives them competence in another. We PE's put our license and livelihood on the line with every use of our stamp, and speaking strictly for myself, I take that very seriously.

I truly appreciate your seriousness and dedication, however I just think about all of the ridiculous things I've seen on plans throughout the years that have been spec'd and approved by PE's educated specifically in the electrical discipline, i.e. Single phase gensets on three phase services, 480 Volt elevators and RTU sans transformers in 120/208 buildings, undersized conduits and/or feeders, overloaded continuous load circuits, blatant code violations, the list goes on and on... This is where my concern comes in: when I encounter such obvious design mistakes with such frequency by PE's actually educated in the discipline, it makes me concerned for those who came from a different one and receive supplemental education and/or certification. Perhaps you are an exception to the rule, or maybe it's a matter of these Gus having too much work on their desks at once, but I've never, not once run a job where there wasn't a major design issue.

Simply stated, If I had cancer, I'd rather go to an oncologist who's been in practice for twenty years, then to someone who built a career as an orthopedist for fifteen and decided to go back and get some more education. Just my opinion.

 

[MechEdetour]

When I was saying it was "scary," it was more to the point of having the right to stamp any drawings. Honestly, I think its great you can pursue licensure in any field, regardless of what your background is, however I think it makes more sense to tie your right to stamp designs to a certain discipline.

Whether it be you graduated mechanical, and worked in electrical industry for 10 years, or started electrical right off the bat, I don't think someone that graduated in electrical would have much more of an edge over someone that graduated mechanical if both were devoted to electrical industry. School teaches you some stuff, and maybe as electrical you'd have to spend a little less time looking up some theory, but in the end experience is the end all be all.

Point is as long as the PE is using the stamp sincerely and acknowledging that if something is wrong people's lives could be at risk, then it's all good. If you're stamping everything that you comes across purely because you have the right too. . . well, that's a serious issue.

 

[kenman215]

When I was saying it was "scary," it was more to the point of having the right to stamp any drawings. Honestly, I think its great you can pursue licensure in any field, regardless of what your background is, however I think it makes more sense to tie your right to stamp designs to a certain discipline.

Whether it be you graduated mechanical, and worked in electrical industry for 10 years, or started electrical right off the bat, I don't think someone that graduated in electrical would have much more of an edge over someone that graduated mechanical if both were devoted to electrical industry. School teaches you some stuff, and maybe as electrical you'd have to spend a little less time looking up some theory, but in the end experience is the end all be all.

Point is as long as the PE is using the stamp sincerely and acknowledging that if something is wrong people's lives could be at risk, then it's all good. If you're stamping everything that you comes across purely because you have the right too. . . well, that's a serious issue.

Well stated sir.

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[ggunn]

Point is as long as the PE is using the stamp sincerely and acknowledging that if something is wrong people's lives could be at risk, then it's all good. If you're stamping everything that you comes across purely because you have the right too. . . well, that's a serious issue.

Of course, but incompetence and charlatanism are discipline agnostic. PE's who use their stamps irresponsibly are a problem whether they are stamping in the discipline in which they were formally schooled or not. There are gray areas as well; I am an electrical engineer and I don't have much structural experience or education, and I make that very clear to my clients - I don't stamp structural. However, if I am presented with a design that is very simple and so obviously overengineered that it would stand a direct hit from a tactical nuclear device, I might consider stamping it.

 

[kenman215]

Of course, but incompetence and charlatanism are discipline agnostic. PE's who use their stamps irresponsibly are a problem whether they are stamping in the discipline in which they were formally schooled or not. There are gray areas as well; I am an electrical engineer and I don't have much structural experience or education, and I make that very clear to my clients - I don't stamp structural. However, if I am presented with a design that is very simple and so obviously overengineered that it would stand a direct hit from a tactical nuclear device, I might consider stamping it.

It's funny that you put the over engineering that way and it brings to mind something to me... I think of all the projects I've worked throughout the years, and I don't know that I've seen the happy medium between over and under engineering more than a few times. But, on the plus side, I see the over a lot more often. Case in point, school rehab I did last year, 1200 A, 120/208 service spec'd, school never broke 120A under full load.