CEU Requirements for Arkansas Professional Engineers
For professional engineers working in the state of Arkansas, we answer the important question – What are the continuing education requirement for Arkansas professional engineers?
The Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors requires a completion of 30 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) of continuing education for the renewal of a Professional Engineer license, biennially. If more than 30 PDHs are met, a licensee may carry over a maximum of 30 PDHs to the next renewal period. Odd-numbered licenses have a deadline of December 31 on odd years; even-numbered licenses have a deadline of December 31 on even years. Required course content is that related to the practice of engineering in a managerial, ethical, or technical sense.
Arkansas PEs can benefit from our complete engineering packages.
For a complete list of all license renewal requirements check out our Arkansas Continuing Education page.
Required PDH Credits
The Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (also known as “The Board”) renews licenses over a biennial period. 30 PDHs are required in “any qualifying course or activity with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee’s field of practice.” The Board does not offer or require pre-approval of courses or course providers. Electronic renewals for Professional Engineer (PE) licenses are allowed on the Professional Engineer Licensing System (PELS) November 1st through June 30th. A “completion of a continuing education certificate stating the number of PDH credit claimed” is required upon renewal. Engineers’ PDH records must be maintained for at least 3 years.
Arkansas Engineering License Renewal Dates
Licenses must be renewed biennially; odd-numbered licenses have a deadline of December 31 on odd years. Even-numbered licenses have a deadline of December 31 on even years. Dual licensees must report a minimum of 40 PDHs, with a minimum of 10 PDHs earned in each profession. The remaining 20 PDHs can be obtained in either profession. A maximum of 40 PDHs may be carried over to the next renewal period, with no more than 30 PDHs in either profession. Records must be kept for a minimum of 3 years. Licensees who miss the renewal deadline are put on probationary status and have six months to complete the required PDHs. If not complete after this period, inactive status is granted, and reinstatement must be undergone.
Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct in Arkansas
There are currently no required courses detailed by the Board and this includes courses in ethics, professional conduct, and state rules/laws. The board, however, has final authority on PDH values — with emphasis on clearly-defined courses that “maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee’s field of practice.”
Records Keeping Requirements for Engineers
PDH records must be kept for at least three years. The Board accepts logs with the type of activity claimed, duration, location, sponsoring organization, instructor’s name, and PDH credits earned. They also accept attendance verification records and certificates of completion, and records maintained by professional development repositories.
Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the Arkansas Board
The Board accepts the following activities toward the 30 PDHs: 1 College or unit semester hour (worth 45 PDHs), 1 College or unit quarter hour (30 PDHs), 1 Continuing Education Unit (10 PDHs), 1 hour of professional development in course work or seminars (1 PDH), a published paper, article or book (10 PDH maximum), active participation in a professional or technical society (2 PDH), a patent granted (10 PDH maximum). If you teach a college course, continuing education credit, or a seminar presentation, the PDH value is doubled — but for teaching the course for the first time, only. Online courses are accepted. There is no limit on online PDH coursework accepted. Relevant webinars and self-study courses are allowed.
To summarize, the Board accepts college coursework, continuing education units, professional development course work in meetings, seminars, or conferences, published related materials, technical society participation, and patent grants. The PDH value is doubled for teaching activities, but only for teaching a specific course or seminar for the first time. Finally, online coursework and webinars are accepted, but as with all PDH activities, they must be specifically related to the skills required for the licensee’s field.
Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities
The Board does not offer or require pre-approval of continuing education activities. The licensee must determine which courses are sufficient to maintaining, expanding, or improving the knowledge and skills required for their field of practice.
Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses
New members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) have access to 10 free continuing education courses. Similarly, members of the National Society of Professional Engineers have access to 15 free courses. A free PE course and webinar are available at the private company PDH-Pro.
Arkansas Engineering Licensing Requirements
Professional Engineer applicants must send proof of graduation from at least a four-year program accredited by ABET or the EAC and proof of 4 years of progressive engineering experience with a grade and character suitable for approval by the Board. They must submit five references, three of which must be professional engineers with knowledge of the applicant’s demonstrated work. One year of additional education may substitute for each graduate degree in Engineering — but not to exceed two year’s worth of credit. Four years must pass after completing the EAC or ABET degree. A fundamentals in engineering exam (as approved by the Board) must be passed, as well as the NCEES Professional Engineer examination. Full details are available online.
Engineering Discipline Restrictions for Continuing Education Courses
The Board does not specifically restrict continuing education courses by engineering discipline, however, emphasis is given by the Board to participate in clearly-defined courses that “maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee’s field of practice”.
Conclusion
Continuing education requirements for PE license renewal in Arkansas are as follows. 30 PDHs are needed over a two-year period; renewal due dates depend on the license. PDH activities include taking or teaching college courses, seminars, continuing education courses, participating in technical or professional societies, publishing papers, or having a patent granted. Finally, a “completion of a continuing education certificate” must occur and PDH activity records must be maintained by engineers for at least three years.