AE Vermont

Professional licensing (that is, becoming a Professional Engineer, P.E.) varies by state. Many states license by engineering subdiscipline, such as electrical engineering, structural engineering, and others. Vermont includes architectural engineering as a recognized licensing discipline.

People with an architectural engineering education and work background have multiple licensure options, depending on their specific interests and experience. This is because of the broad range of topics encompassed in the field of architectural engineering. A practitioner with an architectural engineering background may choose to become licensed as an Architectural Engineer, or they may choose to be licensed as a Mechanical Engineer (often specializing in HVAC), Electrical Engineer (typically specializing in building power systems), Structural Engineer, or others.

Vermont requires that Professional Engineers pass a specialty examination in their desired field of engineering licensure (that is, to be licensed as an Architectural Engineer, one must pass the national Architectural Engineering Principles & Practice exam (the so-called “PE exam”). The content of that exam can be found at the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) website.

A common path to licensure starts with an undergraduate bachelor’s degree accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), followed by appropriate experience and examinations. Currently in Vermont, the only university bachelor degree specifically for architectural engineering is the Architectural Engineering Technology program at Vermont State University. That program enables graduates to enter the architectural engineering field or the other building engineering specialties noted above. The program curriculum aligns significantly with the PE exam content.