CEU Requirements for South Dakota Professional Engineers
One of the most common questions we receive is – What are the continuing education requirement for South Dakota professional engineers?
The following are the continuing education requirements for professional engineers in South Dakota: (1) a total of 30 PDHs, (2), a biennial renewal frequency, (3) a maximum of 15 PDHs transferable to the next renewal period, (4) the course content can be technical, ethical, or managerial and should be relevant to engineering, and (5), the renewal date is based on the date of initial licensure.
PDH-Pro has developed a set of complete continuing education packages for South Dakota engineers. These packages meet all of the Board’s CEU requirements.
For a complete list of all license renewal requirements check out our South Dakota PE renewal page.
Required PDH Credits
The renewal period is biennial. This implies that engineers have to go through a cycle of 2 years for their continuing education. Basically, a licensee should complete a total of 30 PDHs within the 2 years. The licensing board in South Dakota is the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions (SDBTP). The specific courses that a licensee can take can be technical, ethical, or managerial in nature. They should aim at improving and broadening one’s skills and knowledge in a particular engineering practice. Essentially, this implies that the courses have to be related to one’s engineering discipline for them to be accepted for PDH credits.
SDBTP does not pre-approve course providers or courses for continuing education. As a result, each engineer has to determine whether the course activities chosen meet the standards of the board for the awarding of PDH credits. In addition, it’s pivotal for licensees in South Dakota to know that electronic renewal is allowed by the board. Upon the conclusion of course activities, engineers should submit certificates of completion to the board. Record keeping is a vital obligation for engineers, and they should do it for a minimum of 3 years.
South Dakota Engineering License Renewal Dates
The license renewal date for professional engineers in South Dakota is usually based on the date of initial licensure. The renewal cycle is biennial. Once the 2 years are over, a licensee should have done 30 PDHs. When one commits to a continuing education course, the main agenda is to maintain, increase, and broaden one’s skills and knowledge in engineering practice. It’s worth mentioning that after the end of a continuing education course, engineers should have a record of their credits and activities for presentation to the board.
SD Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct
Indeed, engineering is a profession that requires a high level of professionalism and ethical conduct. Given that engineers have a duty to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public, they have to display high standards of ethics and professional conduct in their practice. In this regard, continuing education such as technical, ethics, and managerial content seeks to equip them with that capacity.
When engineers have ethical principles instilled in them, they are able to know how to conduct themselves in an ethical way when in their professional practice. Again, a course activity that sharpens the professional conduct of an engineer acts as a catalyst for quality execution of services to the public. Of great importance still, state rules and laws form an integral part of the continuing education program for professional engineers. Through this, they are able to practice engineering within the circles of the set regulations by the state. Hence, the continuing education activities that engineers take play a great role in improving their ethics and professional conduct.
Records Keeping Requirements for South Dakota Engineers
Records are a valuable asset for professional engineers. These records come in handy when they have to refer to them for processes like license renewal. In South Dakota, engineers have to keep records for a minimum period of 3 years. Upon request by the state’s engineering board, engineers have to present such records for approval. Normally, the records contain crucial information like: the continuing education activities completed, the sponsoring institution, location, duration, name of the instructor, and the PDHs earned.
Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the SD Board
It’s significant for licensees to know the activities that are accepted by the board. If one happens to participate in activities that don’t meet the requirements of the board, there is no awarding of credit for such. For that reason, engineers should make sure that they only participate in activities that are accepted by the board. Essentially, the course activities that the board accepts are the ones that maintain, improve, and widen the competence and knowledge of engineers. Still, these activities have to be relevant to one’s engineering discipline. Here are examples of activities that the board accepts:
- Attending engineering conferences and conventions
- Participating in engineering seminars and trainings
- Teaching an engineering course for the first time
- Engaging in technical programs relevant to one’s engineering field
- Enrolling for online engineering courses
- Publishing articles, books, and papers related to engineering
It’s of interest for professional engineers in South Dakota to know that taking online courses is possible. In the same vein, licensees need to know that there are no limits on the quantity of PDHs that one can earn from online continuing education courses. Also, live webinars are an effective way for engineers to meet continuing education requirements. They facilitate efficient attainment of skills and knowledge for professional engineers in South Dakota. Licensees should take note that self-study courses qualify for PDH credits in the state as long as there is a final exam to act as proof of completion.
Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities
The state’s board does not pre-approve course providers and courses for continuing education. It’s the obligation of the engineer doing the course activities to establish whether they are acceptable by the board or not.
Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses
For engineers who would wish to enroll for or participate in free continuing education courses, there are sources and options they can explore including:
- Learning institutions like universities
- Professional engineering bodies, and
- Engineering-related websites
South Dakota Engineering Licensing Requirements
The following are the engineering licensing requirements that licensees require:
- Completing an engineering degree course
- Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam
- Gaining working experience in one’s engineering field
- Passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam
Engineering Discipline Restrictions for Continuing Education Courses
The continuing education courses that engineers take have to be relevant to their respective disciplines. For this reason, if one is a civil engineer, the course activities have to be relevant to that specific discipline in order to qualify for PDH credits.
The above-mentioned information is cardinal to professional engineers in South Dakota. It provides them with the fundamentals of continuing education as they seek to improve their skills and knowledge in their respective engineering areas of practice.