Professional Licensing

Having appropriate professional licenses is an essential part of being a practicing civil engineer. Therefore, one of the Cal Poly Pomona civil engineering educational objectives is to prepare students to sit for the professional licensing exams.

Civil Engineering License

A professional civil engineering license (or PE license) is required to be in responsible charge of nearly all civil engineering projects.

The first step to becoming a licensed civil engineer is to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering or FE examination (formerly known as the Engineer in Training or EIT exam). This examination includes topics covered in an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum, and is typically taken about one year before graduation. We recommend all students sit for the FE exam before graduation.

The next step is to obtain two years of qualified work experience under the tutelage of a licensed civil engineer. When combined with the four years of experience credit obtained from graduating from an accredited BSCE program, such as Cal Poly Pomona, this satisfies the California experience requirements.

The last step is to take and pass the professional engineer's or PE examination.

Land Surveyor License

Some civil engineers also choose to obtain a land surveyors or LS license. The process for obtaining this license is similar to that for the PE license, and involves passing the Land Surveyor in Training (LSIT) and LS examinations as well as having the required work experience.

Students in the geospatial option are especially well-qualified to pursue both the PE and LS licenses.

Other Licenses

Some licensed civil engineers also obtain a structural engineering (SE) or geotechnical engineering (GE) license. California also has a traffic engineering (TE) license.

State Board

Professional licensing of engineers and land surveyors in California is administered by the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The relevant statutes and regulations, as well as the process for taking the examinations, are described on their web site.

Review Courses

Cal Poly Pomona offers various Review courses to prepare for the various licensing examinations. These courses are open to Cal Poly students and to the general public.