Licensing professional software engineers: Seize the opportunity: Professional organizations should be in the forefront of the ongoing discussion about licensing professional software engineers

Phillip A. Laplante

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

State professional engineer licensing boards, which are generally populated by civil engineers, need help understanding software implementation, understanding the penumbra, developing alternative paths to licensure, creating suitable criteria, and refining the set of industrial exemption. For those who are working on systems that will be within the penumbra, licensing will be mandatory. In addition, evidence of good moral character is needed and most states require continuing education to retain licensure. Many states have 'industrial exemptions' that allow the practice of engineering without licensure in such areas as electrical or telecommunications utilities, and businesses that manufacture a product. In this regard, Principals and Practices of Software Engineering was supported by a consortium of non-profit entities including The National Society of Professional Engineers, The Texas Board of Professional Engineers, and IEEE. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam comprises 180 multiple-choice questions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)38-40
Number of pages3
JournalCommunications of the ACM
Volume57
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Computer Science

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