Ocean Engineering questions re: accreditation and FE/PE

I’m planning to pursue a career in ocean engineering. I’m trying to stay in state to save money, however my state college does not have an ocean engineering major. Instead, they have ocean physics, or physical oceanography, which is pretty darn close, all 16 credits of calc, 8 credits of physics. Alternatively, I could take an applied sciences in engineering degree, which is not ABET accredited, but would allow me to take more engineering courses, plus build the rest of my degree with oceanography courses.

My question is, if I did a non-engineering/unaccredited engineering undergrad, and then went on to an ocean engineering masters program somewhere else that was accredited, would I qualify for the FE/PE exam? What level of credential/experience is necessary to be able to get certified? I saw that I could get my degree independently verified if I wanted to take the FE/PE eventually. How important is FE/PE in general for ocean engineering/coastal engineering?

These are the ABET-accredited ocean engineering programs:

Florida Atlantic University
Florida Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University at Galveston
United States Naval Academy
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Rhode Island
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

All are bachelor’s degree programs except for the one at University of Hawaii at Manoa, which is a master’s degree program. Its admission page at http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/ore/OE/ore_admission.htm says:

The FE/PE licensing rules vary by state. Note that ABET accreditation is technically program-specific, not department-specific. In most engineering departments, only the BS programs are ABET-accredited, not the MS programs. So even if you get an MS degree in Ocean Engineering from a department with ABET accreditation, the MS degree may not technically be ABET accredited. It looks like the only true ABET MS in Ocean Engineering is the one at UHawaii.

Some states may be OK with an MS from a department that has ABET-accredited BS programs. Other states may strictly require an ABET degree, so an MS degree may not work unless it is from UHawaii.

The FE/PE licensing rules widely by state. Some states strictly require an ABET degree. In others, you can qualify for the licensing exams without ABET degrees, if you have sufficient experience, but the amount varies. An ABET degree is always the fastest track.

This may vary by state. Some state boards may be willing to evaluate non-ABET degrees. Others may not.

I am not an expert in this field, but in general FE/PE is important for permanent, site-specific infrastructure and less important for portable devices. My guess is that if you want to design coastal infrastructure, you will probably need a PE license. If you want to design ships, then maybe you don’t.

If you want to design coastal infrastructure, then you might want to start with an ABET-accredited Civil Engineering BS (which your state university probably does offer), and then add an MS in Ocean Engineering. If you are in a coastal state, the Civil department may well have some electives related to coastal engineering. You would probably not have a lot of room for oceanography electives in a Civil BS program, although you could maybe double-major if you opted for a fifth year of undergraduate study.

If at all possible, try to find some actual ocean engineers and discuss with them. If they are licensed, check what licensing exam they took, because there is no Ocean Engineering PE exam. You would probably have to take either the Civil PE exam (which is offered by all states), or the Naval Architecture PE exam (which is less common, and my impression is that it is oriented towards ship design).

For example, let’s say you’re in Oregon. No standalone ocean engineering programs. But the Dept. of Civil & Construction Engineering at Oregon State has a graduate program in Coastal and Ocean Engineering, and they offer relevant courses to undergraduate civil majors:

CE 411 OCEAN ENGINEERING (4)

Introduction to linear wave theory and wave forces on piles. Guided design of wave gauge facility at Coos Bay, Oregon, that requires synthesizing fluid mechanics, structural design and foundation design.

Top CE 415 COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE (3)

Planning and design criteria of coastal infrastructure, including breakwaters, jetties, sea walls, groins, piers, submerged pipelines, harbor design, and tsunami defense. Use of laboratory models, numerical simulations, and field observations for design.

http://cce.oregonstate.edu/content/coastal-and-ocean-civil-engineering
http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/CourseList.aspx?subjectcode=CE&level=undergrad&campus=corvallis

An ABET-accredited Civil BS degree from OSU would be a very employable credential (much more so than an Oceanography BS, or an unaccredited engineering BS, or an ABET Ocean Engineering BS). And if you took the related electives and did well, then you would be a good candidate for an Ocean Engineering MS program.

You have both given me a lot to think about, thank you for your responses!