I think this is the main point: the dot bureaucrat got his back up that someone challenged his decision. As for "practicing engineering without a license," I think the analogous cases are "practicing law without a license" and "practicing medicine without a license." As a layman you can advice your buddy on your understanding of the law, but you can't do that in the courtroom, and you can't present yourself as a lawyer. Same with medicine. Everyone gives out basic medical advice, but it isn't considering "practicing medicine" unless you present yourself as a doctor.
I don't think think case rises to the level of "practicing engineering without a license," but I'm no lawyer
. I do consider myself an engineer (got a degree and a job with "engineer" in the title), but like most of my classmates never bothered with the P.E. license.
The majority of PEs are Civil Engineers. Few Chemical Engineers are PEs. The majority of IE, EE, EnvE, and MEs are not PEs. There is a difference between claiming to be an engineer and claiming to be PE! There are also nuclear, naval, aeronautical.... engineers......You won't find many electronics engineers running around with a PE license.
Has a lot to do with state regulations requiring PE stamps on drawings for Civil engineering work. Last time I checked, I could design a 2 story building, or house and build it in Texas (if I could get the permits issued by the city or country PEs!!!), without a PE license or a PE stamp. That may have changed in the last 20 years. Most of the PE requirements relate back to the Great Depression, fire codes, bridge and building collapses, disasters, that were used to press civil authorities to license most major civil engineering work beyond a certain size or scope.
Then you add in the Architects and the REAL fun begins!!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Engineer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_over_the_term_Engineer
http://www.cspe.com/FunctionalAreas/GovtAffairs/Title_Act_Study_Revised.PDF
Looks like dealing with the "Public" is a key issue!!!! Working for an employer as a staff engineer, design engineer for a company that manufactures something by itself does not seem to a problem!!!!! I forgot Auto Engineers in my earlier post, LOL! And corrosion engineers! And the new one, bio-chemical engineers!
From a link above:
Licensing of engineers and surveyors in the United States began in 1907 when Wyoming enacted the first
licensing law, motivated by a desire to protect the public from incompetents doing surveys that affected
property and water rights. Louisiana followed in 1908, and all the states had licensing laws by 1947 when
the Montana legislature acted.
California's Professional Engineers Act was adopted in 1929 after the St. Francis dam collapse in the
previous year. The Texas law was enacted in 1937 following a gas explosion in a school. Fortunately,
other states adopted their laws without the stimulus of a major disaster.
Other events in the history of engineering licensing, with emphasis on the recognition of engineering
branches in California, are shown on the following page. The following points of interest should also be
noted:
· Corrosion, quality and safety engineering had licensing exams only in California; these
exams were stopped effective 1/1/99;
· Fire protection engineering was recognized with a national exam starting in 1981; Control
systems in 1992;
· Aerospace and ceramic engineering were recognized with national exams; the exams were
stopped for low usage (ceramic in 1991, aerospace in 1997).
PE Licensing in CA and Other States November 5, 2001
California Society of Professional Engineers
To make licensing palatable to large employers, licensing laws were enacted with an exemption for
manufacturing and other major industrial firms. These companies believed that:
· They could evaluate prospective employees without reference to engineering licenses;
· They had the right to assign titles to employees as they pleased.
These attitudes, possibly plus concerns that licensed engineers might demand higher pay, resulted in the
"industrial exemption" found in most state laws. Some states, like California, have an explicit exemption
(Section 6747, recently amended to include not only employees of defined categories of employers but
also consultants, temporary and contract employees of the same group of employers). In other states, an
exemption may be implied by the definition of "practice of engineering" written into the law.
To be honest an engineering degree isn't too far off my degree plan. I already have all the Calc and advanced math as well as several upper level physics classes, all I need are specific engineering classes and a few more physics classes. Would take about an additional year on top of my CS degree. Guy seems pretty chill about it.
