WAC 196-12-021   Education experience records.  Official transcripts must be sent to the board's office for full education experience credit.

     (1) A baccalaureate degree in engineering in a program approved by the engineering accreditation commission (EAC) of the accreditation board for engineering and technology (ABET, Inc.) is equivalent to four years of required experience. Satisfactory completion of each year of such an approved program is equivalent to one year of experience.

     (2) A baccalaureate degree in an engineering technology program approved by the technology accreditation commission (TAC) of the ABET, Inc., is equivalent to three years of required experience. Satisfactory completion of each year of such an approved program is equivalent to three-fourths of one year of experience.

     (3) An approved four years in an ABET, Inc., accredited engineering program will be given a maximum of three years of experience.

     (4) No more than one year may be granted for postgraduate engineering courses for those applicants having earned degrees in accordance with subsections (1), (2), or (3) of this section.

     (5) A baccalaureate degree in a nonengineering program will be given a maximum of two years of experience.

     If the degree is followed by a graduate degree in engineering from a school that has an ABET, Inc., accredited undergraduate program in the same discipline as the graduate degree, a maximum of four years of experience may be granted for this combination of education.

     (6) An associate degree in engineering from an approved program may be equivalent for up to two years of experience.

     (7) Education gained over time where no degree is conferred will be granted no more than two years of experience. For the purpose of this subsection, education over time means: One or two classes taken at a time, often at different schools; seminars; workshops; and classes taken through industry and the military. In order to determine the appropriate amount of experience, this type of education will be compared to college coursework in a baccalaureate of engineering technology degree program.

     (8) The board may approve engineering degree programs from other countries.

     (a) A number of foreign degree programs are included in mutual recognition agreements entered into by ABET, Inc., with other accrediting authorities. Applicants with a degree from one of these programs will be evaluated in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of this section. A list of those approved mutual recognition degree programs is maintained in the board office.

     (b) Applicants having engineering degrees from programs in countries that are not on the mutual recognition list will be required to have their transcripts evaluated by a transcript evaluation service approved by the board. This evaluation will be performed at the applicant's expense, and the applicant will be responsible for submitting all necessary information to the evaluation service. The board will use the evaluation to determine if the foreign degree is equivalent to an ABET, Inc., accredited degree. If the board determines that the degree is equivalent, experience will be granted in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) of this section. If the board determines that the foreign degree is not equivalent to an ABET, Inc., accredited degree, then a maximum of three years of experience will be granted in accordance with subsection (3) of this section.

     (c) An applicant with an undergraduate degree from a foreign program that is not on the mutual recognition list, can waive the requirement for a degree evaluation if they have a graduate degree in engineering from a school that has an ABET, Inc., accredited undergraduate engineering degree program in the same discipline as the graduate degree. No more than four years of experience will be granted for this combination of education.

     (9) Any other education will be taken into account and evaluated on its merits.

     (10) Work experience gained between semesters or quarters or during summers while enrolled in an approved curriculum will be considered part of the educational process. No more than one year of experience will be granted for one calendar year.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.43.035. 08-11-100, § 196-12-021, filed 5/20/08, effective 7/1/08.]