STEP TO BECOME PE
With four key steps, you can give your career an important head start, and earn the right to call yourself a professional:
Step One: Obtain a Degree From an Accredited Engineering Program
More than 200 engineering programs offered at 35 Canadian universities have met the demanding standards set by the profession and been accredited by professional engineers. Graduation from one of these nationally accredited programs means you have earned the academic qualifications to register as an engineer-in-training with any of the 12 provincial and territorial engineering licensing bodies that regulate engineering practice and license engineers in Canada, and to become a P.Eng.
With graduation, comes a unique and memorable event: the Calling of an Engineer, and the presentation of the Iron Ring. A tradition since 1925, the ring is worn on the little finger of the working hand to symbolize the pride engineers have in their profession, and to remind them of their obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct.
While the ring represents an enormous achievement, it does not make you an engineer. Graduation is just your first step to obtaining your licence and becoming a Professional Engineer.
Step Two: Registration
The next step on the way to becoming a P.Eng. is to register as an engineer-in-training with your provincial or territorial engineering licensing body. It's easy if you:
Graduated from an accredited engineering program in Canada, or an engineering program in another country which is recognized by the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers to be equivalent to an accredited Canadian engineering program;
Are a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status; and
Are of good character.
Upon registration, you'll be known as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Member-in-Training (MIT), depending on the province or territory in which you register. This means you're on your way to getting the experience you'll need to become a professional engineer. For more information on how to register in your province or territory, check out our EIT Programs Section or click on the list below:
British Columbia
Yukon
Northwest Territories/Nunavut
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland
Step Three: Internship
Like your fellow graduates aspiring to become true professionals, whether their degree is in law, medicine or accounting, next comes real, challenging, on-the-job experience in the form of an internship. The amount of experience you need to meet the profession's entrance requirements and become a P.Eng. varies from one province and territory to another, but in most cases, the minimum requirement is two to four years. You'll spend that time:
Applying the engineering theory you learned in school;
Gaining practical experience;
Improving your communications skills;
Building on your understanding of professional ethics and how the work of professional engineers impacts society; and
Working under the close supervision of a P.Eng., so you can profit from their experience, and they can attest to the work you're doing.
Step Four: The Exam
Now you're ready to demonstrate that you understand the laws and code of ethics to which professional engineers must adhere, and that you're ready for the challenge of an engineering career. You're ready to write the professional practice exam or professional examination.
Each provincial and territorial association or ordre has its own examination schedule. Some use their own exam while others use the National Professional Practice Exam. So make sure to find out the details from your licensing body when you're ready to complete what you began when you first thought about becoming a professional engineer. By passing the exam you now understand what it means to be a professional engineer, and the commitment of an engineer to hold paramount public safety and the protection of the environment.
The Final Step
Congratulate yourself, you've passed. On the strength of your education, experience, knowledge of the law and professional ethics, language skills and continued good character, you receive your licence to practise and a seal to stamp the designs and drawings you create.
You add to your name a brand that is recognized across Canada and, increasingly, around the world as a promise of the quality and performance you have to offer. And you've been admitted into the community of more than 160,000 Professional Engineers in Canada—committed to enhancing the quality of life, safety, and well-being of Canadians.
You are a P.Eng. You have the licence to engineer. And you've earned the four small letters that can make all the difference in your career.