You have to go to college for at least four years to get a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. Depending on what career path interests you, you may want to go to graduate school for two more years for a Master's degree.

Salary surveys indicate that earnings increase throughout the professional careers with higher levels of education. Because engineering is so technical and new technical discoveries are happening every day, most engineers view learning as a lifelong occupation.

Many universities offer degrees in engineering. Accreditation.org includes a searchable database of those schools offering accredited engineering and engineering technology programs.

Professional Engineers

According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, like doctors who have passed the medical boards or lawyers who have passed the bar exam, professional engineers (PEs) have fulfilled the education and experience requirements and passed the rigorous exams that, under state licensure laws, permit them to offer engineering services directly to the public. PEs take legal responsibility for their engineering designs and are bound by a code of ethics to protect the public health and safety.

Engineering licensure laws vary from state to state, but, in general, to become a PE an individual must be a graduate of an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gain four years of experience working under a PE, and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. A state engineering licensure board regulates the licensed practice of engineering within a state.

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