Approved by Committee on Licensure on February 24, 2026 
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on March 20, 2026
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 21, 2026 

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) maintains that formal education alone does not adequately prepare candidates for professional engineering licensure. In addition to academic preparation, candidates must obtain progressive engineering experience that develops both technical competence and professional judgment. This experience should align with the competencies defined in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (CEBOK) and be acquired under the supervision of an appropriate mentor. Together, education and mentored experience are essential to ensuring readiness for professional licensure.

Issue

Professional Engineer licensure is based on three components: education, experience, and examination. While the education and examination components are well defined and rigorously evaluated, the experience component has received comparatively less structure and scrutiny. Most licensing jurisdictions emphasize the duration and classification of experience, but rarely assess its quality, breadth, or relevance to professional practice. 

Progressive engineering experience, gained under the supervision and mentorship of licensed Professional Engineers, is the primary means by which civil engineers learn professional practice and apply technical knowledge to real-world challenges. Through mentored workplace involvement, engineers gain exposure to professional standards, ethical responsibilities, and increasing levels of responsibility. Many core competencies identified in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge—such as design, critical thinking, sustainability, risk, project management, communication, leadership, and ethics—are most effectively developed through structured, on-the-job experience.

Employers, supervisors, and mentors therefore have a professional responsibility to ensure that engineering graduates acquire these competencies through progressive and mentored experience appropriate to their practice areas.

Rationale

Professional licensure helps ensure that engineers possess the minimum competencies necessary to protect and advance the health, safety, and welfare of the public. While education and examinations primarily assess technical knowledge, experiential requirements are intended to document the development of essential technical and professional skills. To be effective, these experiential requirements must be structured and supported by employers, supervisors, and mentors to align with the outcomes defined in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge prior to an engineer being placed in responsible charge.

ASCE Policy Statement 547
First Approved 2015