Engineer Educated Outside of the U.S.

Path to Licensure

What to Know First
In addition to the requirements for Graduates without a degree from a US-Based ABET accredited engineering program, applicants who received their bachelor of science dgree from outside of the United States or Canada must go through additional processes.

Obtain a Credential Review by NCEES
All foreign-educated applicants (even if licensed in another state or jurisdiction) may have their education credentials reviewed by NCEES as part of their application for licensure in Illinois. Through the review process, NCEES compares the candidates college-level education against the NCEES Engineering Education Standard. This thorough review includes course descriptions, etc. from the conferring institution and takes time. The resulting report is then used by the state licensing board. The current cost for the evaluation is $400.

There are no exceptions to the Credential Evaluation requirement, even if the applicant has earned a master's or even a doctorate degree in the United States.

For comprehensive information about the NCEES Credential Evaluation, click here.

Complete English Equivalency Exam
If a candidate's foreign education was not conducted in English, the candidate must also submit proof of completion of either

The Test of English as a Foreign Language internet Based Test (TOEFL-iBT) with a minimum integrated score of 88 and a minimum score of 26 on the speaking module; or
The Test of English as a Foreign Language with a score of 550 for the paper-based examination or 213 for the computer based test, AND the Test of Spoken English (TSE) with a score of 50; or
If the candidate later earns post-graduate degree from a U.S. based accredited engineering program, the exam is not required.

Note: If a candidate has taken the TOEFL and met the requirement in other states, but did not achieve the score required by Illinois, the test must be repeated until the minimum Illinois scores are met.

For information on TOEFL Services, visit ets.org.

Continue Your Path to Licensure
Continue to follow the path of licensure, either as an PE from another state, or as a graduate without an ABET engineering degree. When submitting your application, be sure to include your Credential Evaluation and TOEFEL results as Supporting Documents.

PE From Another State

Graduate Without an ABET Engineering Degree