CEU Requirements for North Dakota Professional Engineers

If you are a registered engineer in North Dakota, you may be wondering – What are the continuing education requirement for North Dakota professional engineers?

Professional engineers in North Dakota have to put the following aspects in mind for license renewal: (1), attainment of 30 PDHs, (2), registration for license renewal is biennial, (3), the maximum number of PDH carryover into the next renewal cycle is 15, (4), the content for continuing education courses can be technical, ethical, or administrative in nature and it has to be related to engineering, and (5), the renewal date is December 31.

Continuing education is essential for professional engineers to stay on top of their field – and licensure. Being informed and aware of state requirements for license renewal prevents the possibility of expiration or rejection. Alabama has its own expectations for renewing professional engineer licenses.

We developed complete continuing education packages for North Dakota engineers.

For a summary of all license renewal requirements check out our North Dakota PE renewal page.

Required PDH Credits for ND Engineers

The renewal period in North Dakota is biennial. This means that license renewal happens after 2 years. Within the 2 years, a licensee should have completed 30 PDHs. The licensing board in North Dakota is the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS). The courses that licensees take can be technical, ethical, or managerial. The courses have to be relevant to engineering for them to qualify for acceptance. In regards to the course content, 20 PDHs have to be in technical spheres that directly protect the safety, health, and welfare of the public. The other 10 PDHs can be in ethical or administrative subjects.

It’s important to point out that the board does not pre-approve course providers or courses. It’s the duty of each engineer to determine whether a course activity meets the board’s requirements or not. Moreover, the board allows electronic renewal. Of great importance to engineers, the board requires the submission of certificates of completion after earning PDH credits. In the same vein, engineers should keep records for a minimum period of 4 years.

North Dakota Engineering License Renewal Dates

The license renewal date for professional engineers in North Dakota is in December 31. After registration, the renewal cycle takes 2 years, upon which a licensee should have completed 30 PDHs. There is a specific objective for every course activity that an engineer undertakes. Essentially, it should be to maintain, improve, and broaden one’s skills and knowledge in engineering practice. Licensees should remember that keeping records after the completion of their courses is vital for future reference.

Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct

Courses in engineering ethics and professional conduct as well as in state laws and rules are required when engineers are seeking for license renewal. Fundamentally, professional engineers should display high levels of ethical and professional conduct because of the nature of their profession. They have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare, security, and health of the public. It’s for this reason that continuing education courses have to incorporate ethics and professional subjects. If licensees equip themselves with the right knowledge regarding ethics, they will be able to improve their conduct on how they handle moral issues in their profession. Again, course content regarding professional conduct carries a great deal of significance in broadening the scope of engineers on how to execute their professional responsibilities. State rules and regulations also play a vital role in equipping engineers with the capacity to practice within the legal parameters of the state.

Records Keeping Requirements for ND Engineers

Record keeping is imperative for all professional engineers. Whenever the records are needed for future reference, engineers have to present them before the board. In North Dakota, engineers have to maintain records for a minimum of 4 years. Upon request by the state’s licensing board, engineers have to present these records as proof of having completed continuing education courses and got credits. Generally, the evidence that the board looks for from these records include: the course activities taken, the sponsoring institution, the location, the time taken, the name of the instructor, and the PDH credits earned. It’s essential for engineers to keep a good record of these pieces of evidence since they are instrumental during the licensure period.

Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the ND Engineering Board

Engineers have to be very particular regarding the type of activities they undertake as part of their continuing education. This is because not all activities pass the test of being viable for PDH credits. Though the board doesn’t pre-approve course providers and courses, it’s the responsibility of a licensee to ensure that the activities taken meet the requirements of the board. The courses have to maintain, increase, and broaden the competencies and knowledge of a licensee in one’s engineering discipline. In the same vein, the courses have to be relevant to one’s engineering field. In North Dakota, technical content takes a substantial amount of the required PDHs. So, licensees have to take a good note on that. The following are examples of the continuing education activities that the board accepts:

• Being part of technical programs relevant to a licensee’s engineering field
• Enrolling for online PDH courses
• Administrative or ethics courses related to engineering
• Tutoring an engineering course for the first time
• Participating in trainings, courses, seminars, conferences, and conventions with engineering content that is relevant to the licensee’s area of discipline

It’s pertinent to point out that North Dakota allows online courses. There is no limit to the number of PDHs that one can earn through online courses. Engineers can undertake continuing education activities through live webinars because of the effectiveness of learning that they offer. It’s also of interest for engineers in North Dakota to know that self-study courses are allowed as long as there is a proof final exam.

Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities

It’s pivotal for licensees to know that the board does not pre-approve course providers and courses for continuing education. Rather, it’s the responsibility of the licensee doing the courses to establish if they are acceptable by the board or not.

Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses

There are free continuing education courses accessible for engineers who would wish to enroll for such. Examples of such sources include: professional engineering institutions, educational institutions like universities, and websites. For more information on these, you can go to their websites to learn more about the free continuing education programs on offer.

North Dakota Professional Engineering Licensing Requirements

Engineering licensing requires the following requirements:

• Earning a degree from an accredited engineering course
• Participating in the Fundamentals of Engineering exam
• Attaining substantial experience in one’s engineering discipline
• Taking the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam

Engineering Discipline Restrictions for Continuing Education Courses

Licensees can only take continuing education courses that are relevant to their engineering disciplines. This implies that if one is a mechanical engineer, the accepted course activities are the ones relevant to the specific discipline.

Continuing education courses play an important role in the career of engineers. They have to continually improve their skills and knowledge so as to expand the scope and relevance of their practice. This information offers licensees in North Dakota what they need to maintain a good track of their continuing education.