Should we RAISE the EDUCATIONAL requirements for the PE exams?

Over the past decade or so, a number of professional engineering societies have become increasingly concerned about the amount of education received at the Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree level for engineers entering the workplace and beginning the path to professional licensure.  It must be emphasized that the intent of these concerns is not to define the amount of engineering education required for an individual to be an engineer, but rather the intent is to ensure that future licensure candidates have enough engineering education to fulfill a “Body of Knowledge” (BOK) that will satisfy the threshold of being able to practice without posing a threat to public safety, health, and welfare and to obtain licensure.

In 1998, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) was the first professional society to formally address this issue.  They have developed, and subsequently modified, Policy Statement 465, which incorporates the concept of using the Master’s or equivalent (MOE) as a prerequisite for the practice of civil engineering, and as the proposed requirements to sit for the professional engineering (PE) examination.  This was motivated by the fact that the required number of credits to obtain a BS degree has declined significantly in the past 50 years, as well as other reasons.  ASCE later issued a report defining their discipline’s BOK to be used as requirements for entering the practice.  They have been successful in incorporating small portions of their BOK in the ABET Program Criteria for Civil Engineering.  Other professional societies have started work on their respective BOK, but IEEE has not as of this time.

Having stated these facts, today, the Board of Professional Engineers is having an open body meeting to discuss the reality of making it a requirement to get a masters degree to be eligible for taking the PE.  I believe, as a firm that specializes in the placement of Engineers, this would just make it more difficult for folks to ever sit for the PE.  It would give a competitive advantage to those who already have a license, but continue to raise the issue of qualified folks in this area and make it more painful to find folks for the private sector.  I think this should raise a huge concern for all of you hiring managers knowing that there are going to be less and less PE every year and having to help shell out the cost for your junior engineers for higher education.

Thoughts on this matter?