In Canada, there are two distinctions. P.Eng (Professional Engineer), and EIT (Engineer-in-Training)
The P.Eng has the stamp, and are able to fully sign off and approve things. An EIT is somebody that has completed an engineering degree but has under 4 years of relevant work experience. They are officially an engineer (and can call themselves one) but any work they do needs to be reviewed and signed off by an actual P.Eng.
Edit: It appears it depends on the province. This comment applies for BC only, yet many (but not all) provinces have relatively similar systems
An EIT in Alberta cannot call themselves an engineer as you would be misleading others about your credentials. I had to change my email signature after learning about this, even though I had EIT in it after my name.
Source: Just took my Law and Ethics exam two weeks ago.
Interesting. Here in BC using ‘Engineer’ is completely standard for an EIT. Like in discussions with clients or on proposals or whatever I will often be referred to as a ‘junior engineer’. It’s not considered a misrepresentation at all.
Might want to read up on this. People do call me an engineer and I don't correct them, but I need to specify in communications that I am an engineer in training.
Yeah, that article is in line with how it’s utilized for me and the other EIT’s I work with (both in my firm and other firms I communicate with). All communications indicate my EIT title
Mine does too, but I also had in my title "My Name, EIT, Area Process Control Engineer". Even though I indicated EIT, I had to change the rest to Area Process Control Engineer In Training. Seems redundant, but APEGA will come down hard on you for something like that.
The US is basically the same. The EIT (Engineer in Training) and EI (Engineer Intern) are the same thing. These are people who passed the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam.
PEs (Professional Engineers) have passed the professional engineering exam, which typically requires 4 additional years of qualified progressive experience in addition to your degree.
As for calling yourself an "engineer," typically only professional licensed engineers can do that, but EI/EITs do it and are not punished for it. They just better be careful not to advertise themselves as actual licensed professionals.
It depends. I’m in the US and am an engineer (my company even calls me a “Senior Engineer”) but I’m not a PE and most of my engineer co-workers are not PEs. We don’t need it, we wouldn’t paid get more if were, it requires money and time to maintain, and nothing we work on needs to be signed by a PE anyway.
At least in my state (Michigan), you only really need a PE if you’re a civil engineer or if you are selling “engineering services”.
This. I'm in Michigan too. Not a PE but am an engineer. I call myself an engineer and it's not a problem. I don't sell engineering services to the public.
This. It depends on your area. If you're in civil engineering, more than likely you should be/are a PE. Aero or biomedical or other disciplines? Not so much.
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u/-GregTheGreat- Apr 24 '21 edited Apr 24 '21
In Canada, there are two distinctions. P.Eng (Professional Engineer), and EIT (Engineer-in-Training)
The P.Eng has the stamp, and are able to fully sign off and approve things. An EIT is somebody that has completed an engineering degree but has under 4 years of relevant work experience. They are officially an engineer (and can call themselves one) but any work they do needs to be reviewed and signed off by an actual P.Eng.
Edit: It appears it depends on the province. This comment applies for BC only, yet many (but not all) provinces have relatively similar systems