The Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors ("the Board") voted at its meeting on Thursday, December 16, 2010 to adopt the following policy guideline. This policy guideline is intended as a recommended protocol for the profession to follow. The guideline set forth below does not have the full force and effect of law, as would a Massachusetts General Law or a Board rule or regulation. However, the Board uses policy guidelines as an internal management tool in formulating decisions that relate to issues in the practice of engineering and land surveying.
Policy No. 11-01
Purpose : The purpose of this policy guideline is to inform applicants of the Board's expectations regarding engineering experience obtained outside of the United States.
Policy : At its regularly scheduled Board meeting on Thursday, December 16, 2010, the Board voted to adopt the following policy:
When evaluating whether an applicant's work experience constitutes acceptable qualifying engineering experience for licensure, the Board requires that at least fifty percent (50%) of the experience required for a given application classification be completed in the United States (or its territories) or involve the application of technical codes and professional standards commonly used in the United States. In determining whether an applicant's work involved the application of United States codes and professional standards, one of the factors the Board will look at is whether the work was performed under the direct supervision of a professional engineer licensed within the United States or one of its territories.
Discussion:
Pursuant to G.L. c. 112 ยง 81J, an applicant must submit minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board, that he or she is qualified for licensure as a professional engineer in the Commonwealth. Subsections of this law outline the specific variations of education and "progressive experience in engineering work" that constitute minimum evidence of qualifications for licensure.
As set forth in 250 CMR 3.03(2), when determining whether an applicant's experience constitutes "acceptable qualifying" experience required for licensure, the Board considers the following criteria: (a) Statutory Length; (b) Professional Level; (c) Degree of Responsibility; (d) Application of Technical Knowledge; and (e) Exercise of Judgment.
In evaluating the above-mentioned criteria, the Board looks for evidence that the applicant's work involved the application of the technical codes and professional standards commonly used in the United States. Engineering work that was not performed in compliance with United States codes and standards is insufficient to demonstrate that the applicant has obtained the technical knowledge and professional judgment necessary for licensure. Consequently, the Board has determined that at least half (50%) of an applicant's required qualifying experience must be completed within the United States or its territories or in the application of U.S. technical codes and practice standards.
The Board retains discretion to determine whether work performed outside of the United States involved the application of U.S. technical codes and standards and thus will be credited as qualifying experience. One of the factors the Board will consider in making that determination is whether the work was performed under the direct supervision of a professional engineer licensed in the United States or one of its territories.