Idaho Admin. Code r. 24.32.01.017

Current through September 2, 2024
Section 24.32.01.017 - EXAMINATIONS AND EDUCATION
01.Use of NCEES Examinations. National examinations prepared and graded by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) may be used by the Board. Applicants registering for a national professional examination must have first passed the fundamentals examination unless exempted per Subsection 017.10 of this chapter.
02.Eligibility for Licensure, Educational Requirements. The application for licensure as a professional engineer or professional land surveyor together with a passing score on the written ethics questionnaire or Idaho specific land surveying examination, is considered in the determination of the applicant's eligibility. Each applicant must meet the minimum requirements as set forth in Section 54-1212, Idaho Code, before being licensed. Prescriptive education requirements are as follows:
a. In regard to educational requirements, the Board will consider as unconditionally approved only those engineering programs that are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, Inc., or the bachelor of science programs accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accrediting Board, or those bachelor of science engineering programs that are accredited by official organizations recognized by the U.K. Engineering Council. Non-EAC/ABET accredited engineering programs, related science programs, and engineering technology programs will be considered by the Board on their specific merits, but are not considered equal to engineering programs accredited by EAC/ABET. The Board may continue consideration of an application for valid reasons for a period of one (1) year, without forfeiture of the application fee.
b. An applicant who has completed a four (4) year bachelor degree program in engineering not accredited by EAC/ABET or a four (4) year bachelor degree program in engineering technology, or in a related science degree program other than engineering must have completed the following before the Board will consider them to possess knowledge and skill approximating that attained through graduation from an approved four (4) year engineering curriculum as required by Section 54-1212(3)(b), Idaho Code, for certification as an Engineer Intern or as required by Section 54-1212(1)(b), Idaho Code, for licensure as a professional engineer:
i. Thirty-two (32) college semester credit hours of higher mathematics and basic sciences. The credits in mathematics must be beyond algebra and trigonometry and emphasize mathematical concepts and principles rather than computation. Courses in differential and integral calculus are required. Additional courses may include differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, probability and statistics and advanced calculus. The credits in basic sciences must include at least two (2) courses. These courses must be in general chemistry, general calculus-based physics, or general biological sciences; the two (2) courses may not be in the same area. Additional basic sciences courses may include earth sciences (geology, ecology), advanced biology, advanced chemistry, and advanced physics. Computer skills and/or programming courses may not be used to satisfy mathematics or basic science requirements. Basic engineering science courses or sequence of courses in this area are acceptable for credit but may not be counted twice.
ii. Twelve (12) college credit hours in a general education component that complements the technical content of the curriculum. Examples of traditional courses in this area are philosophy, religion, history, literature, fine arts, sociology, psychology, political science, anthropology, economics (micro and macro), professional ethics, social responsibility. Examples of other general education courses deemed acceptable include management (such as organizational behavior), accounting, written and oral communications, business, and law. No more than six (6) credit hours may come from courses in management, accounting, business, or law. Courses in engineering economics, engineering management, systems engineering/analysis, production, and industrial engineering/management will not be counted. Language courses in the applicant's native language are not acceptable for credit; no more than six (6) credit hours of foreign language courses are acceptable for credit. Native language courses in literature and civilization may be considered in this area. Courses which instill cultural values are acceptable, while routine exercises of personal craft are not.
iii. Forty-eight (48) college credit hours of engineering science and/or engineering design courses. Courses in engineering science must be taught within the college / faculty of engineering having their roots in mathematics and basic sciences but carry knowledge further toward creative application of engineering principles. Examples of approved engineering science courses are mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, electrical and electronic circuits, materials science, transport phenomena, and computer science (other than computer programming skills). Courses in engineering design stress the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing, and evaluation. Graduate level engineering courses may be included to fulfill curricular requirements in this area. Engineering technology courses cannot be considered to meet engineering topic requirements.
iv. The Board may require detailed course descriptions for seminar, directed study, special problem and similar courses to ensure that the above requirements are met.
c. In regard to educational requirements, the Board will consider as unconditionally approved only those surveying programs that are accredited either by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) or the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET, Inc. An applicant who has completed a four (4) year bachelor degree program in a related program must have completed a minimum of the following college level academic courses, or their equivalents as determined by the Board, before the Board will consider them to possess knowledge and skill approximating that attained through graduation from an approved four (4) year surveying curriculum as required by Section 54-1212(4)(b), Idaho Code, for certification as a Land Surveyor Intern or as required by Section 54-1212(2)(b), Idaho Code, for licensure as a professional land surveyor:
i. Eighteen (18) college semester credit hours of mathematics and basic sciences. A minimum of twelve (12) credits in mathematics must be beyond basic mathematics, but the credits include college algebra or higher mathematics. These courses must emphasize mathematical concepts and principles rather than computation. Mathematics courses may include college algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, numerical analysis, probability and statistics, and advanced calculus. A minimum of six (6) credits must be in basic sciences. These courses must cover one or more of the following topics: general chemistry, advanced chemistry, life sciences (biology), earth sciences (geology, ecology), general physics, and advanced physics. Computer skills and/or programming courses may not be used to satisfy mathematics or basic science requirements;
ii. Twelve (12) college semester credit hours in a general education component that complements the technical content of the curriculum. Examples of traditional courses in this area are religion, history, literature, fine arts, sociology, psychology, political science, anthropology, economics, professional ethics, and social responsibility. No more than six (6) credit hours of languages other than English or other than the applicant's native language are acceptable for credit. English and foreign language courses in literature and civilization may be considered in this area. Courses that instill cultural values are acceptable, while routine exercises of personal craft are not;
iii. Thirty (30) college semester credit hours of surveying science and surveying practice. Courses must be taught by qualified surveying faculty. Examples of surveying courses are basic surveying, route surveying, geodesy, geographic information systems, land development design and planning, global positioning systems, photogrammetry, mapping, survey adjustment and coordinates systems, cartography, legal descriptions, and remote sensing. Required courses will include a minimum of basic surveying, route surveying, geodesy, surveying law, public land survey system and global positioning systems. Graduate-level surveying courses can be included to fulfill curricular requirements in this area.
d. The Board may require an independent evaluation of the engineering education of an applicant who has a non-EAC/ABET accredited engineering degree or a non-engineering degree. Such evaluation must be done through an organization approved by the Board and be done at the expense of the applicant to ensure that the applicant has completed the coursework requirements of Subsection 017.03.b. The Board may table action on the application pending receipt of the evaluation, and, in the event the applicant does not provide the evaluation within one (1) year, the Board may terminate the application, in which case the application fee is forfeited.
03.Two Examinations for Engineering Licensure. The complete examining procedure for licensure as a professional engineer normally consists of two (2) separate written examinations. The first is the Fundamentals of Engineering examination for engineer intern certification, and the second is the Principles and Practice of Engineering for professional engineer licensure. The examination will be a duration as determined by the Board. Normally, applicants are eligible to take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination during the last or second-to-last semester of or after graduation from an accredited bachelor of science engineering program. A certificate as an Engineer Intern will be issued only to those student applicants who earn a passing grade on the examination and who receive a degree. Having passed the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, applicants will be required to take the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination at a later date when qualified by the Board.
04.Fundamentals of Engineering. The Fundamentals of Engineering examination will cover such subjects as are ordinarily given in engineering college curricula and which are common to all fields of practice. The examination may also cover subject matters that are specific to the engineering discipline of the applicants' education.
05.Principles and Practice of Engineering -- Disciplines. The Principles and Practice of Engineering examination will cover the practice of engineering to test the applicant's fitness to assume responsibility for engineering works affecting the public health, safety and welfare. Separate examinations will be given to test the applicant's fitness in any discipline for which there is an examination which, in the opinion of the Board, meets the requirements of duration and difficulty necessary to adequately test the applicant's fitness to practice in that particular discipline. The Board may use examinations prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or it may prepare or commission the preparation of, or utilize other state examinations in disciplines other than those for which examinations may be available from NCEES.
06.Three Examinations for Land Surveying Licensure. The complete examining procedure for licensure as a professional land surveyor consists of three (3) separate written examinations. The first is the Fundamentals of Surveying examination for land surveyor intern certification, and the second is the Principles and Practice of Surveying, and the third is the Idaho specific professional land surveying examination. All examinations are required for professional land surveyor licensure. The examination will be a duration as determined by the Board. Having passed the Fundamentals of Surveying examination, applicants will be required to take the Principles and Practice of Surveying examination at a later date when qualified by the Board. The examination covers the theory and principles of surveying, the practice of land surveying and the requirements of legal enactments. The Principles and Practice of Surveying examination may consist of separate modules, each of which must be passed. Having passed the Principles and Practice of Surveying examination, applicants will be required to pass the Idaho specific professional land surveying examination, which tests for knowledge of the laws and rules of Idaho, and the legal and technical aspects of land surveying in Idaho.
07.Oral or Unassembled Examinations. An oral examination or unassembled written examination, in addition to the prescribed written examination, may be required for professional engineer and professional land surveyor applicants.
08.Grading. Unless otherwise provided in 54-1219, or 54-1223 Idaho Code, each land surveyor intern, engineer intern, professional land surveyor and professional engineer applicant must attain a passing score on the entire examination or modules as determined by the Board, before being awarded certification or licensure. Passing scores on national examinations are established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. A passing score on the Idaho specific ethics questionnaire is eighty (80), a passing score on the law and rules module of the Idaho specific land surveying examination is ninety (90), and a passing score on the public land surveying module of the Idaho specific land surveying examination is seventy-five (75).
09.Exemption - Examination on the Fundamentals of Engineering. The Board may exempt an exceptional individual who has twelve (12) or more years of appropriate engineering experience from the requirement for satisfactory completion of an examination on the fundamentals of engineering as specified in 54-1223(2), Idaho Code. The Board will exempt an individual who has an earned bachelor's degree and an earned doctoral degree from an approved engineering program from the requirement for satisfactory completion of an examination on the fundamentals of engineering as specified in 54-1223(3), Idaho Code.
10.Review of Examination by Examinee. Due to security concerns about the examinations, examinees are not allowed to review their examinations. Examinees who fail an examination will be provided a diagnostic analysis of their performance on the examination if such an analysis is available to the Board.

Idaho Admin. Code r. 24.32.01.017

Effective March 28, 2023