which states give you "SE" after your name?
which states give you "SE" after your name?
(OP)
I have passed the SE 1 and SE 2 exams. However, my home state, TN, doesn't recognize someone passing both exams as an SE, still only PE. My question is, what states give you the letters SE after your name? I know Illinois does. How about New York? Georgia?
Thanks
Thanks






RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Nevada, I believe.
Not New York.
I know there's debate about this, but personally, if you're a licensed SE in any of those states, I'd feel comfortable putting SE in my email signature. What's so different about practicing engineering in Illinois vs. Tennessee anyway, right?
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Illinois
California (might require more than just the SE-2)
JKStruct - Illinois requires the SE to do ANY structural engineering. A PE cannot do structural there.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
http:
Scroll down to the second page to the article:
"Structural Licensure - Just What Are We Talking About?"
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
But, for the competent, practicing structural engineer in TN, I don't believe there is a great difference in designing a 4-story building in Memphis vs. a 4-story building in Peoria, IL.
Personally, if I had my druthers, an SE licensure would be alienated from the all-discipline-encapsulating PE licensure. The majority of states would bestow the title of SE on any practicing and competent structural engineer who passes the Structures I exam. However, individual states would maintain their prerogative of requiring additional accreditation prior to granting that SE license -- i.e. passing the Structures II, Seismic and Surveying, Engineering Ethics Exams, CA SE exam, etc. That would still empower the states, yet, it would help rectify the disconnect in nomenclature. We're all structural engineers. I'm a proponent of the "one (unique) profession, one (unique) license" doctrine. Although I also believe the states should still have the ability to vary the accreditation requirements.
In the meantime, I'll jump off my soap box and start studying for my exam.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
If you "heard" it on the internet, it's guilty until proven innocent. - DCS
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Now while that is a sort of self-policing policy, there have been many times when an engineer has been nailed by a state board for sealing plans outside their area of knowledge. This happens a lot - I see it in the monthly board newsletters of the 20 states I'm licensed in.
In effect, this is a practice act in that you can only practice in your specialized area. Some states use a title (i.e. whether you can put SE after your name or not) and some states use a practice act (like Illinois) where you HAVE to have the SE to do structural.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
I know what JKStruct is talking about here, and it extends, in Washington, to some jurisdictions allowing Structural Engineers to stamp the Architectural plans for a project, which, is technically out of their expertise, and licensing authority, too.
However, the issue in this circumstance would be code compliance, not life safety as with an Electrical stamping Structural plans. Nevertheless, it is crossing occupational lines.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Other than the fact Memphis is on the new Madrid Fault and is like designing in California, and Peoria is not. :)
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
And that scenario is really insidious in that the inadequacies of the structural engineer are hidden under the guise of a structural stamp that many deem as security.
We all must personally police our abilities and our shortcomings - all the time - for the sake of the clients.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
if only SE's can do structural work in Illinois, how do engineers show the work experience required to enroll for the test, given that they can not do any structural work prior to passing the test?
PS: I am in WA, so I am not affected by this, just for my curiosity.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
I'm sure it's like Washington where the Structural DIRECTLY supervises the work of Civil engineers performing structural work on the project (EIT's too) and stamps the calcs and drawings to conform the the requirements in Illinois. Otherwise, it makes no sense.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Yes, Mike is correct. You simply work as an EIT (EI?) under a licensed SE, get 4 years of experience, then apply to take the SE-1. Then the SE-2.
For comity applicants, simply show you are a licensed PE and apply with ample structural experience.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
In school, they emphasized that it is unethical for you to use the term "engineer" unless you are licensed. However, when I got into the real world, several EIT's were using the term "Project Engineer". I brought up my concern, and they pointed me toward the state licensing board rules. One of these states that as long as you work directly under the supervision of a licensed engineer and your company is registered in the state you may use the term. Does this occur in all states? I am in Texas.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
It's a good job that didn't apply in Victorian England. What would Brunel and Stevenson have called themselves without someone to "license" them.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Your post is a bit anachronistic. There was no such thing as licensure in this period. The same could have been said of medicine. I'm sure all the sake-oil salesmen in the US called themselves "doctors". A more contemporary example would be a PhD in liberal arts :)
In our field, Eiffel, by any standard, was an extremely accomplished engineer; no license required.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Playing devil's advocate: I understand you have to draw the testing line somewhere and I think buildings vs. bridges is a good line since they deal with different building codes. If they are going to test us and base our license on the fact that a person like me (building design only) can pass a test composed of building and bridge questions, why, technically, can I not design bridges. Since we weren't tested on EE questions, I think there is a big difference.
OT: Can anyone confirm that Washington has a SE3 test?
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
You can design any building and bridge with an SE in Washington that you are professionally comfortable with designing . If your specialization is buildings, as mine is, and you are weak in bridge design, as am I, then it is up to you not to design bridges, and me too, which I have not. It's that simple.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Exactly, but it didn't stop them being good engineers!
Just taking issue with the concept that qualifications make you an engineer. THEY DON'T!
I've met good engineers without strings of letters after their name, and bad engineers with. Clearly it suits schools to emphasise the importance of qualifications as that perpetuates their existence.
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
look at section 1001.406 (b) of the TEXAS ENGINEERING PRACTICE ACT AND RULES CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING AND PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE, published by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers:
"a graduate engineer who is employed in a firm registered under under this chapter and who is working under the direct supervision of a licensed professional engineer may use the term "engineer" on the person's stationary or business cards or in personal communications of any character"
RE: which states give you "SE" after your name?
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies