PE in Computer Engineering? 1

[MTPipeliner]

Hello,

My brother recently graduated with a computer engineering degree. He is thinking that there is little to no value in getting a PE for computer engineers. What do you guys think?

Thanks.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Does he plan on creating computer architectures that require safety certifications? Probably not...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

There is no such category in California

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[RWF7437]

Give this link to your brother. One wonders why you post this question for him ?

http://www.todaysengineer.org/2006/Jul/PE.asp

good luck

 

[MTPipeliner]

I don't imagine he'll design anything requiring a safety certification.

I posted the question more for my own curiosity to see if he is correct in assuming it won't be of any value. I'm much more familiar with the civil and mech. fields where it is valuable to have a PE. I didn't even realize there was a computer PE until a couple months ago.

 

[IRstuff]

I don't think that there is a separate PE for computers:

http://www.ncees.org/exams/professional/pe_electrical_exams.php

It's actually an EE PE, and the licensure exam includes areas that a typical CS major would have zero experience in, e.g., control systems, electrical power, and electrical codes.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[zeitghost]

Dunno about CS major, but most electronics majors woundn't know much, if anything, about some of that...

 

[richs]

Hiya-

Boy, that's a tough call. If the grad is ambivalent about where his career wants to go, I would say evaluate how much effort it will take him for the EIT, and where he could apprentice.

I had a real hard look at where I wanted to go when I graduated in the mid 70s. Then, microprocessors were hot and there were jobs a dime a dozen for anybody with any experience at all. That was the area that I targeted. In looking at that segment of the industry, I found that there were no PE in the field that I wanted to work. So, I couldn't get the hands on experience that was required. Plus the majority of the PE test at that time (and I think still is) is pretty much electrically oriented, not so much in electronic control, electronic design.

In fact, I only met one PE that I worked with. I didn't even realize that he WAS a PE until after he retired and we bumped into each other and shared a meal!

BUT! That's my story. If you brother is not as closely focused as I was, and he can land a job that will prepare him for a PE, I suggest, by all means, that he go for it!

And I think zeithost is right! If it was heavy power engineering, it would scare me to death to have one of my designs out there without having someone else's stamp on it! 110V and 220V stuff, no problem. U.L. is pretty darn good. OTOH, I've seen computer code that electrical engineers have written, and I shudder.

Cheers,

Rich S.