Can I become an EIT for a different discipline?

[TheNE]

Can I take the FE for Civil Engineering, and get EIT certification in Civil?

I got my B.S. in Nuclear Engineering last December. I was not required to pass the FE to get it, and therefore decided to spend my time not studying. I performed atrociously. An opportunity has presented itself in the realm of Civil Engineering. I would start out in a lab, and maybe with EIT in Civil, I could work my way up to a better position with the company as a PE.

I am thankful for all input on this matter.

 

[analogdesign]

There is no problem having a degree in Nuclear Engineering to get an EIT in Civil Engineering (at least in CA). It will be very challenging to pass the FE exam, however, due to your lack of grounding in the principles of Civil Engineering. If your career goals have shifted to Civil, have you considered getting an MS in Civil? It could be a good investment.

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

The EIT is a very general test. It simply confirms that your college education was an adequate foundation for further apprenticeship. We do not actually call the work experience as an EIT an apprenticeship, but that's pretty much what it is.

That said, while analogdesign's suggestion is a good idea, you may already have sufficient exposure to the field of Civil Engineering in both work experience and your education to pass the EIT. Nevertheless, I recommend you take an EIT review course to confirm whether you need additional study.

For reference, my degree was in Electrical Engineering, but I took the Control Systems Principles and Practices exam. I know others who have taken the P&P exam for two disciplines and passed, without additional classes at a university. It has been done, but it isn't easy.

 

[CalcNerd]

The new EIT format for exams is not a general exam anymore. Each EIT exam is now a specialized for the discipline selected. It is a 5 hour computerized exam with NO general portion, just discipline specific questions. While many of us pick on simple Civils, and you are an esteemed degreed Nuke graduate, what really makes you feel you can pass a Civil EIT exam, when all of your education is in Nuclear? You will likely have to study harder for it than studying for and re-taking the Nuclear EIT exam (I would think). And the state boards actually do not track the EIT specifics, just that you passed and can move onto the PE exam a few years later. So, unless you do take some more formal civil engineering course work, you will likely do no better than you did previously.