CEU Requirements for Maine Professional Engineers
If you are a Maine PE looking to renew your license, you may be asking – What are the continuing education requirement for Maine professional engineers?
The Maine continuing education requirements for professional engineers include: (1) 30 PDHs, (2), the renewal frequency is biennially, (3) the maximum of 15 PDH can be forwarded to the next renewal cycle, (4) the course content can be technical, ethical, or managerial in nature and must be relevant to engineering, and (5), the renewal date is December 31of odd-numbered years.
If you are looking for courses that satisfy the Maine continuing education requirements, we offer complete packages for Maine Engineers.
For a complete list of all license renewal requirements check out our Maine PE renewal page.
Maine PDH Credits
Licensees should be aware that the license renewal period is biennial, meaning that a renewal cycle happens after 2 years. A licensee should complete a total of 30 PDHs within the 2 years. The licensing board in Maine is the Maine Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers (MBLPE). The specific courses that a licensee can take can be technical, ethical, or managerial in nature and they should improve and expand one’s skills and knowledge in their engineering practice. That means that the activities have to be relevant to engineering for them to qualify for PDH credits.
MBLPE does not pre-approve course providers or courses for continuing education. Instead, engineers have a role to ensure that the courses they take comply with the requirements of the board. It’s important to note that electronic renewal is accepted in Maine. Those wishing to do so are allowed. Of great significance still, the board requires engineers to submit certificates of completion after earning PDH credits. Also, engineers should maintain completion records for a minimum period of 3 years.
License Renewal Dates
The license renewal date for professional engineers is December 31 of odd-numbered years. The renewal happens in a biennial pattern. This means that if a cycle begins on the 31st of December 2021, the next cycle will begin in December 31 2023. After the end of 2 years, a licensee should have completed 30 PDHs. The main objective of every continuing education is to maintain, improve, and broaden one’s skills and knowledge in engineering. Just to reiterate, after the completion of a continuing education course, engineers should keep records for presentation to the board upon request.
Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct
All engineers should have a high level of engineering ethics and professional conduct. It’s for this reason that continuing education courses have ethics, technical, and managerial content to boost their engineering practice. With a higher level of engineering ethics, professional engineers are able to know how to conduct themselves in a morally upright way in their practice. Furthermore, a broadened professional conduct plays a crucial role in giving engineers the much-needed professional image in their respective fields of practice. State rules and laws are also pertinent for professional engineers when doing continuing education. They equip them with the capacity to adhere to the specific regulations expected of them as professional engineers. In this respect, the continuing education activities that engineers do seek to improve their technical, managerial, and ethical competence in their practice.
Records Keeping Requirements for Engineers
Records are essential for professional engineers. As practicing professionals, they have to maintain a record of their completed courses for future reference. In Maine, engineers have to keep such records for a minimum of 3 years. The state’s licensing board requires that engineers produce evidence of their completed credits upon request. Whenever engineers are keeping records, the following are the pieces of evidence that the board expects them to have: the continuing education activities undertaken, the sponsoring institution, location, duration, the instructor’s name, and the PDH credits earned. Engineers have to present these records to the board upon request, for example when seeking for licensure.
Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the Board
There are activities accepted by the board as fitting for PDH credits while others are not. That is why engineers need to be certain that the activities they are engaged in meet the requirements of the board. Generally, the continuing education activities acceptable by the board are the ones that help maintain, increase, and expand the skills and knowledge of engineers in their specific disciplines. The following are examples of activities that the board terms as acceptable for PDH credits:
- Courses, conferences, seminars, conventions, and trainings with engineering content that is relevant to the licensee’s area of discipline
- Participating in technical programs related to engineering
- Instructing an engineering course for the first time
- Online PDH programs that meet the required standards
- Management or ethics courses related to one’s engineering discipline
It’s significant to point out that Maine allows online courses. Still on the same, there are no limits on the amount of PDHs that one can earn from continuing education courses. Live webinars are part of the ways through which engineers can meet continuing education requirements. They facilitate effective acquisition of skills and knowledge for professional engineers in Maine. Licensees should take note that self-study courses don’t qualify for PDH credits.
Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities
The board does not pre-approve course providers and courses for continuing education. It’s the responsibility of the engineer doing the courses to determine if they are acceptable by the board or not.
Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses
Free continuing education courses are available for those who would wish to enroll for them. Examples of such sources and options include: professional engineering bodies, educational institutions, and different online spaces. To get more information, you can visit their websites to learn more about the free continuing education courses on offer.
Engineering Licensing Requirements
Engineering licensing requirements are as follows:
- Graduating from an accredited engineering course
- Participating in the Fundamentals of Engineering exam
- Acquiring considerable experience in one’s engineering field
- Passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam
Engineering Discipline Restrictions for Continuing Education Courses
Relevance is imperative when taking continuing education courses. This means that not all activities are acceptable for a particular engineering discipline. For example, if a licensee is a civil engineer, the continuing education courses taken have to be related to that specific field of engineering.
The above-mentioned is a breakdown of the continuing education requirements for professional engineers in Maine. The information is a guideline of the major aspects that engineers need to put into consideration for license renewal. Indeed, continuing education carries a great deal of significance for engineers, and that is why this information is essential for them.