When most people look for engineering organizations in New Jersey, they usually find the first one that applies to them, and they become a member. Maybe that’s how you became a member of NJSPE or landed on this blog post. However, we aren’t the only state society that promotes, serves, and represents New Jersey’s engineering professionals. There are dozens of engineering organizations – some bigger and some smaller – that aim to advocate for engineers and provide an outlet for networking and education.
While there are many more, here are just a few of the engineering organizations in New Jersey. If you’d like to learn more about each of these organizations, click the heading associated with each one!
NJSME strives to improve the practice of municipal engineering in New Jersey via continuing education opportunities, legislative advocacy, and promoting the highest professional standards. They aim to advance the social status and welfare of members by providing them with the tools to succeed. We are very familiar with NJSME, because if you want to be a municipal engineer, you must also be licensed as a professional engineer. There is some overlap with NJSME because some of our municipal engineering members also belong to this organization.
Another organization we work closely with, NJPEC is a nonprofit organization that supports our objectives, advances public welfare, and promotes the interests of its members. They operate under our bylaws and constitution as a practice division/interest group, but they have a more central focus on helping those who work as professional engineers in the state’s construction industry. NJPEC aims to improve the New Jersey’s built environment, benefiting the economy, creating jobs, and ensuring a high quality of life for all citizens.
The ACECNJ advocates for consulting engineers, currently representing 115 firms employing more than 5,500 New Jersey residents. They strive to enhance the business practices of New Jersey’s engineering companies in the areas of planning, design, and construction. Benefits of membership include advocacy, networking, public outreach, media relations, resources, education, awards and scholarships, and political action committees.
ASCENJ represents 4,100 civil engineers in New Jersey. They are dedicated to advancing the status of civil engineers as well as the science and profession of civil engineering. ASCENJ aims to help members and the public by advancing technology, developing leadership, advocating for education, and promoting the profession. They maintain chapters in South Jersey, Central Jersey, and North Jersey, but the North serves as the umbrella for all three.
A state chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers, NJAEE promotes educational interests and opportunities for engineers in the energy industry and provides an unbiased forum for energy-related resources. They focus on utilizing energy efficient technologies, encouraging energy efficient designs, and discovering new energy-related concepts throughout the State of New Jersey. NJAEE benefits engineers, businesses, government officials, and all other end users.
Taking the next step in your engineering career can be both exciting and stressful. Preparing for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, like many of your engineering feats, is no walk in the park. Preparing for the exam includes hundreds of hours of studying and, most importantly, making sure you’ve met the right requirements to take the test. The requirements for the PE exam include:
If you meet those requirements, congrats! The only thing standing between you and a professional engineering license is the PE exam. The exam may seem daunting, but NJSPE is here to provide you with a checklist to make preparing for exam as simple as possible.
Studying for and passing the PE exam is no easy task. If you follow these tips, stay on schedule, and focus on studying, you’ll be walking away from the exam with confidence. Good luck on obtaining your professional engineering license! For more on passing the PE exam, take a look at our FAQ.
Engineering continuing education courses are required among many societies for professional engineers. In the State of New Jersey, professional engineers are required to complete 24 professional development hours (PDH) and two of those must be in professional practice ethics. NJSPE is committed to providing courses that are pre-approved in and around the tri-state area, so engineers with multiple licenses will be afforded the opportunity to complete and meet the requirements in those states.
Continuing education courses are the best way to meet your requirements and learn something new. The next opportunity for a full-day of continuing education is coming up on April 23, 2018. The day of courses and speakers offers 6.5 PDH credits for professional engineers in New Jersey, and 4.5 PDH for New York, Pennsylvania, and other states that accept New Jersey credits.
Continuing education goes beyond just meeting PDH requirements. It involves business development, career development, ethics education, and technical skills. Many of these courses come in the form of online seminars, live seminars, conferences, and online courses. As engineering disciplines become more specialized, continuing education becomes more crucial to managing a rising career. Throughout much of our educational lives, it was enough to simply get good grades and get a degree, but in a field like engineering, it’s essential to get ahead. Continuing education courses are available, free and paid, to all New Jersey Society for Professional Engineer members. A list of courses and events can be found on the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) website.
You already have a bachelor degree and maybe even a masters, so why is continuing education important?
You would never go to a doctor who isn’t up-to-date on the latest medical practices. The same should go for engineers. Engineering professionals must adapt to new technologies and skills in their fields. As a member of a society for professional engineers, you have available to you the knowledge and skills needed to advance in your career.
Your skills and knowledge are what will set you apart from another engineer applying to the same job or trying to score a promotion. Additionally, the more you know in the industry, the more you’re worth.
To maintain your professional engineering license, you must earn 24 PDH credits. Two PDH credits must be on professional practice ethics. Continuing education is the only way to help you meet those requirements, but you can choose to receive them from conferences, webinars, or in-person courses.
Continuing education courses can bring fresh insight and new creative ideas to your engineering projects. Of course, it’s nice to learn a new skill, but you may realize that when combined with other skills, you can achieve greater things. Linking a variety of skills can create unique ideas and solutions.
If you’re still short on PDH credits or you want expand your knowledge and skills, join us for a full day of continuing education on April 23, 2018. Register now before the event fills up: https://goo.gl/ydQFJT
UPDATED: JUNE 3, 2020
The deadline to renew your New Jersey Professional Engineer (PE) license is approaching! Due to COVID-19, the deadline has been extended to June 30, 2020. The procedure this year is a little different from years past, so renew your license by following the steps below. Maintaining your PE status means you have opportunities to advance professionally and personally. Through free web seminars, continuing education courses, and a large community of engineers, you can continually improve upon your skills and build your personal network. Don’t let these opportunities slip by!
To renew your license, carefully follow these steps:
Renewal applications are NOT available online. Make sure you’ve received your application in the mail! If not, please contact the New Jersey state board here.
Your renewal fee must be paid when you send in your application.
If you submit your application in the grace period, you will be required to pay a late fee of $50, bringing the total cost to renew to $130.
To be eligible to renew your PE license, you must complete a minimum of 24 professional development hours. Of those hours, you must have a minimum of two hours or a maximum of eight hours completed in ethics. You can complete as many credits as you want online and some excess professional development hours may carry over to the following renewal period. For complete details on meeting the minimum requirements, click here.
If you’ve completed more than 24 PDHs in the last two years, you’re eligible to roll over up to 12 PDHs to the next renewal period! You can be proactive and continue to go to continuing education events and purchase courses to get ahead in the next renewal period. See upcoming CE events and PDH opportunities here.
Additionally, if you’re not sure if your license needs to be renewed, you can check the renewal status by logging into the NSPE website. Click on the “My Account” link located at the top right of the webpage.
The deadline to renew NJ PE licenses is June 30, 2020. Once you have renewed your New Jersey engineering society license, it’s important to maintain it by meeting your requirements. In the State of New Jersey, professional engineers are required to complete 24 professional development hours (PDH). At least two must be in professional practice ethics. For continuing education, there are many options for meeting your requirements. Options include, but are not limited to: web seminars, independent studies, and conferences and events. For more information on PDH opportunities, check out our blog.
