Individual Occupational Requirements for
GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions
The text below is extracted verbatim from
Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards
for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-130), but contains minor edits
to conform to web-page requirements.
Use these individual occupational requirements for
all professional engineering series in conjunction with the
"Group Coverage Qualification Standard for
Professional and Scientific Positions."
Click here for included occupations:
- Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a
school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum;
or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than
first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering
science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain
relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical
fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and
aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental
engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or
electronics.
OR
- Combination of education and experience--college-level education, training, and/or
technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and
mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good
understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and
techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The
adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
- Professional registration--Current registration as a professional
engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who
achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State
grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are
within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For
example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's
eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated
eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
Written Test- Evidence of having succesfully passed the
Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test
required for professional registration, which is administered
by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States,
the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Applicants who have passed the EIT examination and have
completed all the requirements for either (a) a bachelor's
degree in engineering technology (BET) from an accredited
college of university that included 60 semester hours of
courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering
sciences, or (b) a BET from a program accredited by the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
may be rated eligible for certain engineering positions
at GS-5. Eligibility is limited to positions that are
within or closely related to the specialty field of the
engineering technology program. Applicants for positions
that involve highly technical research, development, or
similar functions requiring an advanced level of competence
in basic science must meet the basic requirements in paragraph A.
Because of the diversity in kind and quality of BET programs, graduates
of other BET programs are required to complete at least 1 year of additional
education or highly technical work experience of such nature as to provide
reasonable assurance of the possession of the knowledge, skills, and
abilities required for professional engineering competence. The adequacy of
this background must be demonstrated by passing the EIT examination.
- Specified academic courses--Successful completion of at least 60
semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering
sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic
requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the
requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in
paragraph A.
- Related curriculum--Successful completion of a curriculum leading to
a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate
professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science,
mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in
engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional
engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision
and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of
intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or
several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in
interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are
not all-inclusive.)
: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in
A or B above may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors
indicate otherwise, or unless he/she qualifies under the provisions of B.2 related to the
EIT examination or BET degree.
- Superior academic achievement at the baccalaureate level in a professional
engineering curriculum is qualifying for GS-7.
- Individuals can be converted noncompetitively to a GS-7 position if they complete all
the requirements of a Federal baccalaureate level student-trainee program, including
1040 hours of work experience, 320 hours of which was at the GS-5 level.
- A combination of superior academic achievement and 1 year of appropriate
professional experience is qualifying at GS-9.
- Applicants with an engineering degree who have appropriate experience as a technician
equivalent to grade GS-5 or higher may have such experience credited for grade GS-7
only on a month-for-month basis up to a maximum of 12 months.
- Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours
leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering is qualifying at GS-7. Completion of
such a program and 1 year of appropriate professional experience is qualifying at
grade GS-9.
The professional
engineering experience required for grades GS-7 and above is defined as nonroutine
engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of
engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and
(3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.
Professional knowledge of engineering is defined as the comprehensive, indepth knowledge
of mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences applicable to a specialty field of
engineering that characterizes a full 4-year professional engineering curriculum leading to
a bachelor's degree, or the equivalent.
Professional ability to apply engineering knowledge is defined as the ability to (a) apply
fundamental and diversified professional engineering concepts, theories, and practices to
achieve engineering objectives with versatility, judgment, and perception; (b) adapt and
apply methods and techniques of related scientific disciplines; and (c) organize, analyze,
interpret, and evaluate scientific data in the solution of engineering problems.
Professional work in engineering, like that in other professions, is marked by continuing
personal effort to keep abreast of the advancing and changing discipline. Continuing
education in engineering and related fields is an important element of full professional
competence as an engineer that should be considered in evaluating the qualifications of
applicants for professional engineering positions.
In some situations, experience may be creditable even if it is not clearly professional
engineering work. In such cases, the experience must have been preceded by prior responsible
professional engineering experience and must contribute directly and significantly to the
applicant's engineering competence. For example, an engineer might be assigned to a
management-type position in preparation for assumption of higher-level responsibilities in
engineering project or program management.
- Individuals can be converted noncompetitively to a GS-9 position if they complete
all the requirements of a Federal graduate-level student-trainee program, including
completion of a master's degree in engineering and completion of 640 hours of work
experience, 320 hours of which was at GS-7.
- Regardless of the field of undergraduate study, completion of the requirements for a
master's or higher degree in engineering is fully qualifying for the grade indicated,
provided the applicant's total background, i.e., education and any experience,
demonstrates evidence of knowledge, skills, and abilities that are substantially
equivalent to those acquired through the successful completion of the courses
specified in paragraph A.
- With a bachelor's degree in engineering, graduate education in a related field is
acceptable in lieu of graduate study in engineering for appropriate types of
positions. For example, a B.S. in engineering plus a master's degree in business
administration would be qualifying for Industrial Engineer, GS-9, but not for GS-9
laboratory positions in research and development. The key consideration in
determining if such graduate education should be credited is whether or not the
education provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the
work of the position being filled.
Many
engineering positions demand specific competence in a particular function or area. For such
positions, agencies may use selective factors to identify those applicants whose records
show evidence of the required capabilities. Such selective factors can be used for
positions at all grade levels covered by this standard.
Registration as a professional engineer
is an appropriate selective factor for appointment to certain, typically high-level,
engineering positions. The key consideration is that registration must be essential
for acceptable performance of the work of the position to be filled. Accordingly, it is an
appropriate requirement for positions with duties and responsibilities that satisfy one
of the following criteria:
- Responsibility for final approval of designs of major structures and facilities
involving public safety where such compliance with State laws meets an essential
need of the engineering organization to provide objective evidence to agency
management and the public that the work is performed by engineers of proven
competence.
- Responsibility for engineering determinations concerning contract awards or other
major aspects of design and construction work to be performed by engineers in the
private sector, where registration is essential to have their full confidence and
respect to achieve cooperation on critical engineering issues.
When an engineering position has duties and responsibilities that would support a
requirement for registration and a requirement is established, the position description
should clearly document the basis for the requirement. It would be inappropriate to require
that applicants be registered for positions with less responsibility than that indicated
above, for positions that involve responsibilities and functions such as research and
development, or for the sole purpose of improving the "image" of engineers in the Federal
service. For those positions where registration is an appropriate requirement, such positions
have been characteristically filled by registered professional engineers. If a currently
filled position is newly identified as requiring a professional engineer, the requirement for
registration should be waived for the duration of the employee's incumbency.
The Engineer-in-Training (EIT) test
is the first part of the professional registration examination for engineers in the various
States. The EIT test is a test of engineering fundamentals generally taken by engineering
school seniors or recent graduates. Those who pass are certified as Engineer-in-Training.
The second part of the registration examination, covering practice in a branch of
engineering, is taken after a specified period of experience required for registration as a
professional engineer.
The EIT test is used under this standard to determine whether competitors without a
degree in engineering or other qualifying education have a knowledge and understanding of
mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences required to perform professional engineering
work in a specialty field of engineering. This test is not to be considered as being in lieu
of the requirement of at least 4 years of experience and/or education that might be regarded
as providing such knowledge.
The EIT test is developed and administered by the State Board of Engineering Examiners in
each State or comparable jurisdiction. The test is not administered by the U. S. Office of
Personnel Management. Persons who desire to take the Engineer-in-Training test should direct
their inquiries to the Secretaries of the appropriate State Boards.
College-level teaching of engineering may be
considered as professional experience in engineering. In accepting and evaluating teaching
experience, all specific qualification requirements pertaining to the evaluation of
professional experience such as grade level, responsibility, scope, specialization, and
knowledge required are also applicable to the evaluation of teaching experience. Teaching
experience that is accompanied by a significant amount of research, direction of research,
investigative, or similar work may be credited at full value in meeting a specific
requirement for research, investigative, or similar experience.
The Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology (formerly the Engineers' Council for Professional
Development) accredits specific engineering and engineering technology curricula; it does not
accredit institutions. Thus, an accredited college may have (1) ABET-accredited
professional engineering curricula; (2) professional engineering curricula that are
not ABET-accredited; and (3) 4-year curricula in engineering technology that may or may
not be ABET-accredited.
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology publishes two bulletins:
"Accredited Curricula Leading to First Degrees in Engineering" and
"Accredited Curricula Leading to First Degrees in Engineering Technology."
Those wishing to obtain copies of these bulletins should contact the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology, 345 East 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017. A summary of
ABET-accredited engineering programs also appears periodically in the Journal of
Engineering Education.
Some engineering curricula are acceptable as meeting the basic requirements even though
such curricula are not specifically accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology. As a general rule, any professional engineering curriculum in an engineering
school that has one or more of its curricula accredited by ABET may be accepted. It should be
noted, however, that some universities have curricula identified as engineering curricula
outside the engineering school, e.g., in the school of architecture or forestry. Such
curricula need to be reviewed to see if they comply with the requirements of paragraph
A.(2) of the basic requirements.
Occupations Covered by GS-800 Individual Requirements
General Engineering Series | GS-801 |
Safety Engineering Series | GS-803 |
Fire Protection Engineering Series | GS-804 |
Materials Engineering Series | GS-806 |
Civil Engineering Series | GS-810 |
Environmental Engineering Series | GS-819 |
Mechanical Engineering Series | GS-830 |
Nuclear Engineering Series | GS-840 |
Electrical Engineering Series | GS-850 |
Computer Engineering Series | GS-854 |
Electronics Engineering Series | GS-855 |
Biomedical Engineering Series | GS-858 |
Aerospace Engineering Series | GS-861 |
Naval Architecture Series | GS-871 |
Mining Engineering Series | GS-880 |
Petroleum Engineering Series | GS-881 |
Agricultural Engineering Series | GS-890 |
Ceramic Engineering Series | GS-892 |
Chemical Engineering Series | GS-893 |
Welding Engineering Series | GS-894 |
Industrial Engineering Series | GS-896 |
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