Engineers and Geoscientists BC

Professional Licensee

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About This Category

This category of registration is for individuals who have academic qualifications other than a university engineering or geoscience degree, have gained several years of experience in a defined area of reserved engineering or geoscience practice and wish to take professional responsibility for that work. The Professional Licensee designation is designed for those who are qualified to practise in a limited authorized area of engineering or geoscience at a professional level.

Application Requirements

Academic and Experience Requirements

Applicants for Professional Licensee registration must demonstrate the following academic and experience requirements:

  • A science degree or a diploma in engineering or geoscience technology (or equivalent academic background that may include the completion of assigned examinations).
  • At least eight years of engineering or geoscience work experience, which must include:
    • A minimum of one year in a Canadian Environment (or demonstration of Canadian Environment Competencies for engineering applicants only)
    • At least the most recent 2 years under the supervision of a professional engineer or professional geoscientist registrant within the area of reserved practice to which the professional licensee is applying.
  • Applicants may apply up to 4 years of the required post-secondary training towards the 8-year experience requirement.

Applicants for the Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.) designation will have their experience evaluated via a competency-based assessment and should refer to the indicators for Engineering Licensees for guidance on providing competency examples within their proposed area of reserved engineering practice.

Applicants for the Professional Licensee Geoscience (P.L.Geo.) designation will have their experience evaluated via the traditional format (see below) and should refer to the Satisfactory Geoscience Experience Guidelines.

Standard Authorized Areas of Reserved Practice

The following standardized authorized area of reserved practice for professional licensee applicants has been approved by Engineers and Geoscientists BC's Board:

Law and Ethics Requirement

All applicants must successfully complete the following:

English Language Competence

English Language Competence for Practice is evaluated through:

  • An essay written as part of the Professional Practice Examination (this is phasing out after November 2022),
  • Communication competencies through the Competency Assessment System,
  • Comments of referees/validators, and
  • Comments of interviewers (if an interview is required), and
  • If required, an approved English Language Test (IELTS, CAEL or Duolingo English Test*) beginning in January 2023.
    *Note that an experience assessment will be conducted first before determining whether an appropriate English language test is required. Do not register or submit results unless specifically assigned or requested.
Starting in January 2023, English language competence will be assessed primarily through Communication competencies. The essay section of the Professional Practice Examination will no longer be used to evaluate English language competence for practice after the November 2022 exam session.

Please see the following for more information:

Good Character Requirement

All applicants must prove that they are of good character and good repute. We will review the information provided in your application to ensure that you meet these standards. To learn more about these requirements, see the page for Good Character Requirement and Registration Hearings.

How to Apply

Documents Required

Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.) applicants are required to use the Competency Assessment System to present their experience and competency examples. All applicants should view the webinar titled The Competency System for Engineering Licensees which is available for viewing at no charge in the Online Store.

Applicants for the Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.) designation require the following:

  • A completed online application for Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.).
  • Certified* copies of 2 pieces of government-issued identification (ID) for registration. Both pieces of ID must contain the applicant’s full legal name, must be valid (i.e., not expired) at the time of registration, and at least 1 piece of ID must contain your photo. For more guidance on acceptable forms of IDs, please review the Guideline on Certified Identification Documents. Applicants are required to upload as 1 document through their application dashboard
  • Official transcripts sent directly to Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia from your educational institutions.
  • A description of your proposed area of reserved practice. Please refer to the Guide to Developing an Area of Reserved Practice (pg.9).
  • A list of projects related to your proposed area of reserved practice (This is not required for those who are applying for a standard authorized area of reserved practice approved for University Faculty).
  • Experience must be reported using the Competency Assessment System. Please review the Technical Competency Indicators for Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.). When using the system, you will need to complete the Employment History section and should include detailed project descriptions in the field for "Major Responsibility and Projects" plus competency examples within your proposed area of reserved engineering practice.

Applicants for the geoscience licensee designation require the following:

  • A completed online application for Professional Licensee Geoscience (P.L.Geo.).
  • Certified* copies of two pieces of government-issued identification (ID) for registration. Both pieces of ID must contain the applicant’s full legal name, must be valid (i.e., not expired) at the time of registration, and at least one piece of ID must contain your photo. For more guidance on acceptable forms of IDs, please review the Guideline on Certified Identification Documents. Applicants are required to upload as one document through their application dashboard
  • Official transcripts sent directly to Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia from your educational institutions.
  • A description of your proposed area of reserved practice. Please refer to the Guide to Developing an Area of Reserved Practice (pg.9).
  • A list of projects related to your proposed area of reserved practice.
  • One copy of a project report you wrote that demonstrates your proposed area of reserved of practice.
  • Completed Geoscience Experience Report.
  • Short essay (about 500 words) discussing your understanding of the role of a professional licensee in geoscience It is recommended to include your understanding of the significant repercussions of independently practising in an authorized area of reserved practice of professional geoscience. Consider what it means to protect the public interest, what additional liability comes with the full responsibility of being a professional licensee, the consequences of breaching the Code of Ethics to yourself and the profession, the implications of practicing outside your authorized area of reserved practice as well as the care and judgment that you must take to work only within your authorized area of reserved practice, and any other topic(s) that you consider to be pertinent to the discussion.
  • Reference Forms sent directly to Engineers and Geoscientists BC by P.Eng./P.Geo. supervisors/colleagues. (Minimum of four required).

*To have your document certified, the copies of both your original IDs must be signed, dated and stamped by an acceptable certifying official. Please refer to the Guideline on Certified Identification Documents for a list of acceptable certifying officials and the steps for ID certification.

How Much Does It Cost?

Find more information about application and registration fees on the Fee Schedule.

Throughout your application process, you can expect fees for:

If applicable to your application, additional fees may be required (e.g., academic exams, interviews).

After registration is granted, all registrants are subject to annual fees (prorated in the first year of registration).

After Applying

If you have further questions, you may find the answer on our Frequently Asked Questions.

Once all of your documents have been received, we will conduct an academic and experience review to determine whether you qualify for a professional licensee designation. If you do not meet the minimum academic requirements for your proposed area of reserved practice, your application will be declined and your application fee will be refunded.

If you meet the minimum requirements, you will be invited to a panel interview. This may be invited to a one hour interview with two professional engineers or professional geoscientists who specialize in your proposed area of reserved practice. The purpose of the interview is to review whether you have gained satisfactory experience to obtain a Professional Licensee designation in your proposed area of reserved practice. Additional experience or competencies may also be assigned.

All applicants for professional licensee designations are required to pass a Professional Practice Examination, complete the Professional Engineering and Geoscience Practice in BC Online Seminar, fulfill the English Language Competency for Practice and Good Character Requirements, and sign an Undertaking that we will send to you.

Upon registration with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, you will be sent a notification email, a seal, a certificate detailing your authorized area of reserved practice and your certificate of registration. You will be eligible to use the title of Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.) or Professional Licensee Geoscience (P.L.Geo.).

Supporting Information

Official Marks

Engineers and Geoscientists BC has adopted and uses Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.) and Professional Licensee Geoscience (P.L.Geo.) as official marks in conjunction with governing the practice of engineering and geoscience in British Columbia in accordance with its mandate to protect public health, safety, and welfare.

To view existing professional licensees and their authorized areas of reserved practice, you can search the Registrant Directory by selecting 'Professional Licensee Engineering (P.L.Eng.)' or 'Professional Licensee Geoscience (P.L.Geo.)' under the Category of Registrant search criteria.