Assessing Preparation for Professional Engineering Licensure in U.S. Construction Engineering Programs

10 pages•Published: June 2, 2026

Christopher Zoz, Roy Sturgill and Jennifer Shane

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of Construction Engineering programs in preparing students to obtain Professional Engineering (PE) Licensure. While ABET-accredited programs are required to demonstrate compliance with established student outcomes, they are not always aligned with the technical content emphasized in the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exams. Using public curriculum data from the 24 U.S. ABET-accredited Construction Engineering Bachelor's Degrees, this study examines the required coursework and the topic areas specified for the relevant FE and PE examinations. The analysis highlights discrepancies between required coursework and exam coverage. National data on FE and PE participation and licensure are also reviewed to highlight the importance of these findings. The results suggest that while Construction Engineering programs provide students with adequate engineering problem-solving and managerial skills, additional emphasis on FE/PE-aligned fundamentals could strengthen professional licensure readiness and career success among Construction Engineering graduates.

Keyphrases: abet (accreditation board for engineering and technology), construction engineering, fundamentals of engineering (fe) exam, ncees (national council of examiners for engineering and surveying), principles of practice of engineering (pe) exam

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference, vol 7, pages 405-414.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/RqnM
	https://doi.org/10.29007/5tq6

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2026:Assessing_Preparation_Professional_Engineering,
  author    = {Christopher Zoz and Roy Sturgill and Jennifer Shane},
  title     = {Assessing Preparation for Professional Engineering Licensure in U.S. Construction Engineering Programs},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {7},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/RqnM},
  doi       = {10.29007/5tq6},
  pages     = {405-414},
  year      = {2026}}

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