SECTION 133.25. Applications from Engineering Educators

(a) Persons whose current, primary employment is as an engineering educator instructing engineering courses in a recognized institution of higher education in Texas, as defined in §131.2 of this title (relating to Definitions) are permitted to seek licensure utilizing an alternate application.

(b) The minimum educational qualifications are as follows:

(1) Earned doctoral degree in engineering from a college or university that offers an undergraduate or master's degree program in a related branch of engineering that is approved by the EAC/ABET as published in the current version of the ABET Accreditation Yearbook and or the current version of the ABET International Yearbook or as published in the yearbook applicable to a previous year in which the applicant graduated; or

(2) Earned doctoral degree in engineering or another related field of science or mathematics assessed and approved by the board.

(c) An engineering educator, applying under the alternate process, shall submit:

(1) an application in a format prescribed by the board;

(2) a supplementary experience record:

(A) For tenured faculty (or those approved for promotion), submit a dossier including a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae containing educational experience, engineering courses taught, and description of research and scholarly activities in lieu of the supplementary experience record;

(B) For non-tenured faculty, a standard supplementary experience record with courses taught and/or other engineering experience shall be submitted;

(3) reference statements or letters from currently licensed professional engineers who have personal knowledge of the applicant's teaching and/or other creditable engineering experience. A reference provider may, in lieu of the reference statement, submit a letter of recommendation that, at a minimum, testifies to the credentials and abilities of the educator. The reference statements or letters of recommendation can be from colleagues within the department, college, or university; from colleagues from another university; or professional engineers from outside academia;

(4) proof of educational credentials pursuant to §133.33 or §133.35 of this chapter (relating to Proof of Educational Qualifications);

(5) a completed Texas Professional Conduct and Ethics Examination;

(6) current application fee as established by the board. Application fees shall be waived for qualifying military service members, military veterans, and military spouses in accordance with Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55;

(7) Information regarding any criminal history including any judgments, deferred judgments or pre-trial diversions for a misdemeanor or felony provided in a form prescribed by the board, together with copies of any court orders or other legal documentation concerning the criminal charges and the resolution of those charges;

(8) documentation of submittal of fingerprints for criminal history record check as required by §1001.272 of the Act;

(9) documentation of passing scores on examination(s), which may include official verifications from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or other jurisdictions as required under §133.61(g) of this chapter (relating to Engineering Examinations), if applicable; and

(10) written requests for waivers of the examinations on the fundamentals and/or principles and practices of engineering, if applicable.

(d) Once an alternative application from an engineering educator is received, the board will follow the procedures in §133.85 of this chapter (relating to Additional Review of and Action on Applications) to review and approve or deny the application.

(e) This section does not prohibit any engineering educator from applying for licensure under the standard application process.

(f) Once an application under this section is accepted for review, the board will follow the procedures in §133.83 of this chapter (relating to Processing, Review, and Evaluation of Applications) to review and approve or deny the application. The board may request additional information or require additional documentation to ensure eligibility pursuant to §1001.302 of the Act, as needed. Pursuant to §1001.453 of the Act, the board may review the license holder's status and take action if the license was obtained by fraud or error or the license holder may pose a threat to the public's health, safety, or welfare.

Source Note: The provisions of this §133.25 adopted to be effective May 20, 2004, 29 TexReg 4873; amended to be effective January 1, 2006, 30 TexReg 8684; amended to be effective June 20, 2006, 31 TexReg 4861; amended to be effective December 21, 2008, 33 TexReg 10167; amended to be effective December 19, 2010, 35 TexReg 11258; amended to be effective December 17, 2013, 38 TexReg 9042; amended to be effective December 14, 2015, 40 TexReg 8889; amended to be effective March 15, 2018, 43 TexReg 1439; amended to be effective September 30, 2020, 45 TexReg 6768; amended to be effective March 23,2023, 48 TexReg 1559