To become a licensed Forensic Engineer it takes 14-16 years of schooling, exams and professional engineering experience[1]. First to be licensed engineer working in the field, 8 years of post-secondary education, pass a certification exam and then 4 years of professional engineering experience is needed[1]. Then another certification exam and it is strongly recommended to get a Master's or Doctoral Degree[1].
To start the journey to be a forensic engineer it is recommended to take lots of STEM and law courses and to keep grade up as to be accepted into a reputable ABET-accredited engineering college or university program[1].
The Accreditation board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a non-governmental organization that accredits universities and colleges in engineering programs and other related fields[1]. To receive a certification and licensing in engineering the ABET-accredited bachelor's degree is required[1].
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is offered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)[1]. This exam is made for recent graduates who will or have completed their ABET-accredited bachelor's degree[1]. It is one of the two exams needed to become a licensed engineer[1]. There is seven specific types of exams that are for different types of engineering[1]. These include Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Environmental, Industrial and Systems, Mechanical and other fields of engineering[1].
To be eligible to the the second and final engineering licensing exam offered by NCEES one needs to provide proof of four years of field work experience after their ABET-accredited bachelor's degree and FE exam[1].
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PPE) exam is offered by NCEES to people with ABET-accredited bachelor's degree, four years of field work experience and a pass of the FE and PPE exams[1]. The passing score is determined by the individual states licensing boards and if pass is earned the then one can officially and legally practice as a Professional Licensed Engineer and as a Forensic Engineer[1].
This a optional requirement but it will give more options to higher level leadership positions and positions that are more closely related to Forensic Engineering[1]. The university's that one takes their Master's or Doctoral it has to be ABET-accredited as well[1].