To become a professional engineer, you usually need a bachelor’s degree in an accredited engineering program. This degree must be from a college or university recognised by the higher education authority.
As professional engineers, we work very harmoniously. First, we are confident that we work professionally, society trusts us, and we also contribute to the nation by paying annual fees every year.
We have created this post to help you, a graduate engineer, understand how to register and achieve your goals. Also, for students who want to become engineers, read carefully to learn in detail how to become a professional engineer.
Below are the complete steps you need to go through to become a professional engineer.
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Table of Contents
How To Get Started
Before considering Engineering, consider studying science subjects, which form the foundation of any engineering discipline.
These subjects are mathematics, science, biology, and physics. You must excel in these subjects in secondary school.
After studying and excelling in these subjects, you will now be required to attend college/ university to pursue an engineering field of your choice.
Some of the engineering disciplines are Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Industrial Engineering.
Others include Biomedical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Marine Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Structural Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Software Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Transport Engineering, and more.
Having a Degree in Engineering
The journey towards becoming a professional engineer continues. The institution must be recognised by the relevant authority that oversees higher education.
In Tanzania, the TCU is the authority responsible for managing and registering all higher education institutions. Please tell us, in countries such as China, India, Singapore, the USA, Iraq, Brazil, Argentina, etc., which institution is responsible for registering higher education institutions.
Therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that you find a good higher institution that is registered with the relevant authority.
Some of these Colleges and Universities are Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), Dar Es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), University of Dar Es Salaam (UDSM), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science, College of Engineering and Technology (CoET), St. Joseph University in Tanzania, and many more.
At this stage, the Tanzanian government, through HESLB, provides loans to qualified students pursuing higher education.
These loans offer substantial support to students, particularly those from low-income families, enabling them to afford their education and achieve their goals, ultimately becoming professional engineers.
Many countries worldwide have special programs or procedures in place to provide loans to students pursuing higher education, with the intention of supporting them.
The procedures for these loans vary depending on the country concerned. Therefore, as an engineering student from China, India, Singapore, the USA, and other countries, you should seek information on how governments provide higher education loans so that you, too, can benefit.
Some of the world’s best Engineering universities include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, the California Institute of Technology, and the National University of Singapore.
Others include Harvard University, Tsinghua University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Delft University of Technology, Peking University, Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, the University of California, Los Angeles, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Toronto, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Michigan, and Cornell University.
Working Experience In Engineering
Once the engineer has completed their engineering training, which typically lasts 3 to 4 years, they are required to undergo further training under a registered engineer for a period of 3 years before being registered.
Here, one of the two must be done:
1. SEAP
To help graduate engineers acquire sufficient professional competence within the three years stipulated in the Act, the ERB has conceived and designed a structured professional training programme, known as the Structured Engineers Apprenticeship Programme (SEAP).
The programme is designed to enable young graduates to gain hands-on professional experience under the close supervision of senior, registered professional members of the profession.
As part of the journey to become a Professional Engineer, trainee engineers will undergo professional training, following guidelines specific to their field of engineering practice.
Under this special program, Graduate Engineers are required to write a report every year for all three years. This report outlines the various tasks they perform, the challenges they encounter, and how they address them. Their supervisor reviews the report and then submits it to the ERB.
SEAP is therefore intended to ensure that trainee engineers are equipped to pursue their professional careers with precision and confidence, thereby becoming competitive and able to play their roles in national development effectively.
Once the graduate engineer has completed training under the supervision of an experienced registered engineer, they meet the criteria for registration and are officially registered as a professional engineer.
2. Writing of One Professional Training Report
Apart from SEAP, another method that graduate engineers use is to write a professional report after a period of 3 years.
This method is used by Graduate engineers who can find institutions to do their own training. The training is conducted under the supervision of experienced and registered engineers.
After a period of three years, graduate engineers are required to write a report on all the work they have completed under their supervision.
Their supervisor properly reviews the report and then sends it to the ERB for final decisions. After being satisfied, the Board decides to register the Graduate engineer and become a Professional engineer.
Therefore, you will see that the goal of all programs is to provide the graduate engineer with more practical training before registration.
The primary difference between the first and second methods is that, in the first method, the graduate engineer collaborates with the ERB to identify suitable locations for practical training.
In the second method, the graduate himself finds a place to do training and then submits the professional training report to the ERB.
The professional training report submitted to the ERB must demonstrate that the graduate engineer has passed all critical areas, including the Design office, construction site, maintenance works, and general management.
Apply For a License
After completing the requirements of the Act, a Graduate Engineer is required to make a formal application for a professional engineer.
The application is submitted through the MIS system. This post [HERE] provides a detailed explanation of how to register and apply.
After registration, a professional engineer should be given a Certificate of Registration, a License, a rubber stamp, and an oath before a lawyer assigned to administer oaths.
The engineer is now required to act professionally and avoid all matters that bring disrepute and damage the reputation of the engineering profession.
In addition, the Board of Engineers (ERB in Tanzania) may take disciplinary action, including revoking the license of any engineer found to be in breach of the oath.
AED and CPD
All engineering licenses expire on December 31st of each year. Engineers are required by law to renew their licenses annually to maintain their validity.
The Board of Engineers uses special points called PDUs to evaluate engineers and determine whether they are eligible to continue their licenses.
PDUs are earned by attending Annual Engineers’ Day (AED) meetings, as well as special programs, such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities organised by the Board of Engineers and the Institution of Engineers, Tanzania. Accumulation of at least 90 PDUs is required.
FAQs On a Professional Engineer
What is an AED?
It is the acronym for Annual Engineers Day, which is held every year, where engineers gather and discuss various engineering-related topics.
What is CPD
CPD is Continuing Professional Development; these are activities organised by the Board of Engineers.
What is SEAP?
Is the Structured Engineers Apprenticeship Programme.
What is the importance of engineers being registered?
Importance of registration: Recognition by relevant authorities, carrying out engineering work freely and peacefully, Trust in the community that you are an engineer recognised by authorities, international recognition, and much more.
Who is a Professional Engineer?
A Professional Engineer is an engineer registered with an engineering board in accordance with the law.
Conclusion
So far, we have seen how to become a professional engineer. Each country may have its own procedures for registering engineers, but this post will provide a starting point.
To ensure that engineering students are monitored and encouraged in these challenging subjects, engineering institutions identify and register these students while they are in college.
While in engineering colleges, they register as student engineers, and upon graduation, they are re-registered as Graduate Engineers.
After completing this process, they are re-registered as professional engineers. The key stakeholders in this process are the ERB and the Institution of Engineers, Tanzania.
Are you a Student Engineer, a Graduate Engineer, or a Professional Engineer? Please write your opinion in the comments section below.
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