The issue of higher education requirements for engineering licensure has played a large role in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s (NCEES) activities in recent years.  This new requirement is generally referred to as “bachelor’s plus 30” or “B+30.” If adopted by your state, it would mean that engineering licensure candidates would have to complete 30 additional hours of approved coursework credits beyond the bachelor’s degree before sitting for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam

The following are three motions that NCEES members will vote on during this year’s Annual Meeting business sessions (August 13-16, 2008; Minneapolis, MN).

1. Move that a committee be charged with exploring the idea of creating a national clearinghouse to carry out activities needed to implement the B+30
2. Move that a committee be charged with incorporating Model Rules language to define B+30 terms (the full text of the proposed language is included below)
3. Move that the Uniform Procedures and Legislative Guidelines (UPLG) Committee be charged with incorporating the M-ABET concept into the Model Law and Model Rules

B+30 motion to define acceptable coursework and approved course provider

At the 2008 Annual Meeting, the Bachelor’s Plus 30 Task Force will present the following motion.
Move that the appropriate committee be charged with incor¬porating the following language into the Model Rules.

A. The term “acceptable upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate-level coursework” used in Section 130.10 C.1.c of the Model Law is interpreted to mean the following:

1. In technical topic areas, acceptable coursework shall be upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate-level courses in engineering. Some coursework may be in sciences and mathematics related to engineering.

2. In professional practice topic areas, acceptable course¬work shall be relevant to engineering and may include but not be limited to business, communications, contract law, management, ethics, public policy, and quality.

3. All coursework shall be equivalent in intellectual rigor and learning assessment to upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate courses offered at institutions that have a program accredited by EAC/ABET.

4. At least half of the credits shall consist of coursework as defined in paragraph A.1 above.

5. The term “credit” is defined as 1 semester hour or its equivalent.

B. The term “approved course provider” used in Section 130.10 C.1.c of the Model Law is interpreted to mean the following:

1. An institution that has an EAC/ABET-accredited program. (Any of these institution’s courses that meet paragraph A above would be acceptable.)

2. An institution or organization whose development, delivery, and outcomes assessment of coursework are accredited by an NCEES-approved accrediting body. (This institution/organization would be approved to develop and offer courses that meet paragraph A above. NCEES-approved accrediting bodies may include regional accreditation bodies and other appro¬priate discipline accreditations.)

3. An institution or organization that offers specific courses individually accredited by an NCEES-approved accrediting body. (This institution/organization would be approved to offer one or more specifically approved courses that meet paragraph A above.)

From the NCEES publication LICENSURE EXCHANGE, August 2008, ISSN NO. 1093-541X, VOLUME 12, ISSUE 4

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UPDATE:  Select this link: http://theprofessionalengineer.com/2008/09/09/masters-or-equivalent/

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