SECTION 133.43. Experience Evaluation

(a) The board shall evaluate the nature and quality of the experience found in the supplementary experience record or the NCEES record experience information and shall determine if the work is satisfactory to the board for the purpose of issuing a license to the applicant. The board shall evaluate the supplementary experience record for evidence of the applicant's competency to be placed in responsible charge of engineering work of a similar character.

(1) Engineering work shall be satisfactory to the board and, therefore, considered by the board to be creditable engineering experience for the purpose of licensure if it is of such a nature that its adequate performance requires engineering education, training, or experience. The application of engineering education, training and experience must be demonstrated through the application of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences. Such work must be fully described in the supplementary experience record. Satisfactory engineering experience shall include an acceptable combination of design, analysis, implementation, and/or communication experience, including the following types of engineering activities:

(A) design, conceptual design, or conceptual design coordination for engineering works, products or systems;

(B) development or optimization of plans and specifications for engineering works, products, or systems;

(C) analysis, consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning or other related services for engineering works, products, or systems;

(D) planning the use or alteration of land, water, or other resources;

(E) engineering for program management and for development of operating and maintenance manuals;

(F) engineering for construction, or review of construction;

(G) performance of engineering surveys, studies, or mapping;

(H) engineering for materials testing and evaluation;

(I) expert engineering testimony;

(J) any other work of a mechanical, electrical, electronic, chemical, hydraulic, pneumatic, geotechnical, or thermal nature that requires engineering education, training or experience for its adequate performance; and

(K) the teaching of engineering subjects by a person who began teaching prior to September 1, 2001.

(2) In the review of engineering experience, the board may consider additional elements including:

(A) whether the experience was sufficiently complex and diverse, and of an increasing standard of quality and responsibility;

(B) whether the quality of the engineering work shows minimum technical competency;

(C) whether the experience was gained in accordance with the provisions of the Act;

(D) whether the experience was gained in one dominant branch;

(E) whether non-traditional engineering experience such as sales or military service provides sufficient depth of practice;

(F) whether short engagements have had an impact upon professional growth;

(G) whether the applicant intends to practice or offer engineering services in Texas; and

(H) whether the experience was supplemented by training courses or participation in engineering organizations or societies that contribute to the applicant's competence and readiness for licensure (consistent with the requirements listed in §137.17 of this title (relating to Continuing Education Program)).

(3) Engineering experience may be considered satisfactory for the purpose of licensing provided that:

(A) the experience is gained during an engagement longer than three months in duration;

(B) the experience, when taken as a whole, meets the minimum time;

(C) the experience is not anticipated and has actually been gained at the time of application;

(D) the experience includes at least two years of experience in the United States, not including time claimed for educational credit, or otherwise includes experience that would show a familiarity with US codes and engineering practice; and

(E) the time granted for the experience claimed does not exceed the calendar time available for the periods of employment claimed.

(b) Experience credit may be granted for experience gained prior to an applicant's receiving a conferred degree per §133.31 of this chapter (relating to Educational Requirement for Applicants). Effective January 1, 2009, experience gained in this manner is limited to a total of two years, and must:

(1) be substantiated in the supplementary experience record and a reference statement provided for the experience;

(2) be accounted for proportionally to a standard 40-hour work week, if it was part-time employment; and

(3) reflect that, at the time the experience was gained, the applicant had passed junior and/or senior level engineering or related engineering science courses and applied relevant engineering knowledge in the claimed experience.

(c) One year of experience credit may be granted for each post-baccalaureate engineering degree earned by an applicant, provided:

(1) the applicant has a baccalaureate or other post-baccalaureate degree in engineering; and

(2) the post-baccalaureate degree is from an engineering program where either the graduate or undergraduate degree in the same discipline is accredited or approved by one of the organizations listed in §133.31(a)(1) of this chapter (concerning Educational Requirements for Applicants). Experience credit for all post-baccalaureate degrees is limited to a total of two years.

(d) Engineering Educators applying for a waiver of examinations under §133.69 of this chapter (relating to Waiver of Examinations) will not receive additional experience credit pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

(e) Experience gained in conjunction with or in relation to earning a post-baccalaureate degree, such as research or teaching assistant work, will not be credited in addition to experience credited pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

(f) For Engineering Educator applicants applying under §133.25 of this chapter (relating to Applications from Engineering Educators), other acceptable creditable engineering experience may include, but is not limited to, scholarly activity such as publishing papers in technical and professional journals; making technical and professional presentations; publishing books and monographs; performing sponsored research; reporting on research conducted for sponsors; supervising research of undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or other employees; providing counseling, guidance, and advisement for engineering students; and performing certain other types of formal or informal functions in higher education.

Source Note: The provisions of this §133.43 adopted to be effective May 20, 2004, 29 TexReg 4873; amended to be effective June 20, 2006, 31 TexReg 4861; amended to be effective April 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 2694; amended to be effective December 11, 2008, 33 TexReg 10024; amended to be effective July 16, 2009, 34 TexReg 4638; amended to be effective September 11, 2016, 41 TexReg 6694; amended to be effective March 15, 2018, 43 TexReg 1439