Engineering students planning to take the state professional licensing exams can take advantage of review courses offered by the Cullen College of Engineering this fall.
The college will offer review courses for students who plan to take the Fundamentals of Engineering and the Principles and Practice of Engineering examinations this October. Each course will present the students with material that is typical of each exam.
"Being a professional engineer is a legal necessity for many engineering duties. … In essence, licensure indicates professionalism and commitment to ethical standards," said Fritz Claydon, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and associate dean for Undergraduate Programs ‘ Computer Facilities.
Course topics for the FE review course include electrical circuits, fluid dynamics, mechanics of material and thermodynamics, among others. PE/P’P course topics include compressible flow, dynamics and vibrations, heat transfer and fluid statistics.
The Fundamentals of Engineering examination, administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is the first of two exams engineers must pass in order to become certified professional engineers. The eight-hour, 180-question examination is divided in two sessions. The first four-hour morning session will cover 12 topic areas: mathematics, engineering probability and statistics, chemistry, computers, ethics and business practice, engineering economics, engineering mechanics, strength and materials, material properties, fluid mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and thermodynamics.
The afternoon session is based on the test takers’ specific discipline. Examinees can choose one of the following seven sections: chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical, and other/general engineering.
The FE exam is scored on a pass/fail basis. According to the NCEES, 56 percent of first-time tests takers in the U.S. passed the FE exam administered in October 2007. Passing scores on the specific modules varied from 68 percent in electrical engineering to 84 percent in chemical engineering sections.
Those who pass the exam and gain engineering experience will qualify to take the PE/P’P exam. This 6-8 hour exam tests both academic knowledge and knowledge gained in engineering practice. Engineers who pass this exam will become professionals. According to the NCEES, 70 percent of first-time exam takers passed the PE/P’P examination in October 2007.
The FE course will be offered from 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Aug. 28 through Oct. 16. The PE/P’P review course will be held Monday and Wednesday evenings from Aug. 25 through Oct. 15. Both courses will be taught from 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. Students who plan to attend these classes should register no later than Aug.13.
