Professional Licenses and Certifications

New York State prides itself in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals.  For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. 

Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure

SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public.  Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires.

Per U.S. Federal Regulations, §668.43 (2019 Rule), and in compliance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) Manual version 19.2, University at Buffalo provides the following disclosure related to the educational requirements for professional licensure and certification. This disclosure does not provide any guarantee that any particular state licensure or certification entity will approve or deny your application. Furthermore, this disclosure does not account for changes in state law or regulation that may affect your application for licensure and occur after this disclosure has been made.

In the United States, licensure for the engineering profession is regulated by state. Professional licensure protects the public by enforcing standards that restrict practice to qualified individuals who have met specific qualifications in education, work experience, and exams. Generally, engineering licensing boards require Professional Engineering (P.E.) candidates to have:

  • Bachelor’s degree accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET
  • Four years of acceptable, progressive, and verifiable work experience
  • Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam

The University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Science’s programs BS in Aerospace Engineering, BS in Biomedical Engineering, BS in Chemical Engineering, BS in Civil Engineering, BS in Computer Engineering, BS in Electrical Engineering, BS in Environmental Engineering, BS in Industrial Engineering, and BS in Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the EAC of ABET. If successfully completed, these programs meet the educational requirements to become a licensed professional engineer in New York State.

Details regarding professional engineering licensure in New York State are available here.  

Since licensure is regulated by state, if you plan to work outside of New York State we strongly recommend that you visit the website of the state licensing board where you wish to become licensed.  Additional requirements often include, but are not limited to, application and licensing fees; minimum age; criminal background checks; and reference checks. It is important that you be aware of all such requirements and that you plan accordingly.

Links to all state licensing boards can be found on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering (NCEES) website. Additional general information about licensure is also provided by NCEES.