| The professional practice of engineering, like the practices of accounting, law, or medicine, is subject to state licensing laws. However, states typically have broad "industrial exemptions" for companies that design or manufacture portable, mass-produced items. A business of this kind can typically hire anyone to do "engineering", and can give anybody the title of "engineer", as long as it's for internal purposes.
Most engineers work in exempt settings. So most engineers, even those with engineering degrees, never bother to get licensed. In this situation, it's perfectly OK for a physics major to be an "electrical engineer". Of course, the absence of regulation also means that an English major in the marketing dept. can be a "product development engineer", or the janitor (who never went to college) can be a "facilities engineer".
Depending on your state, there are probably various legal restrictions on the use of engineering titles outside an exempt business. In California, for example, you are not legally an "electrical engineer" unless you hold a Professional Engineer's license in EE. This holds true even if you have an EE degree.
For "public" purposes, like independent consulting, submittal of plans/reports to agencies, or courtoom testimony, you probably need a PE license to qualify as a "real" engineer (regardless of your degree status). If you were to testify in court as an "electrical engineer" without holding a license, an opposing attorney could tear you into little bits.
Last edited by Corbett : 10-12-2007 at 04:06 PM.
| 
College Confidential is dedicated to providing the best free college admissions information available on the Web, through our many articles and this discussion forum.
