Does my company or firm need to be licensed or have a Certificate of Authorization (COA)? No. Maine does not license firms. Maine does not require a Certificate of Authorization or have any ownership requirements. Maine licenses only individual professional engineers.
Does work experience during my undergraduate degree count? No. By law, engineering experience counts from the point of graduation from an undergraduate program.
Does work experience during my graduate degree count? It depends. No work experience counts if it also counts toward degree credit. Work experience between semesters or during the graduate program that is not counted for educational credits can be counted. A graduate degree in engineering (M.S. or PhD) can count as 1 year of experience.
Can I get licensed with a criminal record? A criminal record is not an automatic bar to licensure. (See 5 MRS § 5301 et seq.) An applicant is required to disclose any criminal record. Failure to disclose may result in denial of licensure. Under Maine statute, the Board has a primary responsibility to protect the public. Certain crimes have a limitation on the time they may be considered by the Board, while others must be considered in light of whether the individual is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust. A criminal record can only be considered as part of the review of a complete application for licensure. The Board will not make a separate preliminary decision regarding criminal convictions.
Do I have to get my foreign degree evaluated by an NCEES Credentials Evaluations? Any degree that is ABET accredited, CEAB accredited, or part of the Washington Accord, meets the education requirement under Maine law. Maine Board policy requires that any degree not accredited under one of those accreditation programs MUST be reviewed through an NCEES Credentials Evaluation. The NCEES Credentials Evaluation evaluates your degree program against the NCEES Engineering Education Standard, which is the national standard accepted by all states. It is to your benefit to have this evaluation done, because once it is completed, you will be able to determine whether your degree meets a particular state's requirements.