Registration Criteria & Instructions for Filling Out The Application For Registration

You are evaluated according to Section 13 of the Regulations accompanying the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act as follows.

13 A person who meets the following requirements and applies to the Registrar for registration is entitled to be registered as a professional member:

(a) the applicant is a Canadian citizen or is lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence;

(b) the applicant is of good character and reputation;

(c) the applicant has a knowledge of the Act and the regulations under the Act, and general knowledge related to the practice of engineering, geology or geophysics, which has been demonstrated by passing an examination that is prescribed by the Board of Examiners;

(d) the applicant demonstrates to the Board of Examiners that the applicant has a proficiency in the English language that is sufficient to enable the applicant to responsibly practise the profession of engineering, geology or geophysics;

(e) the applicant meets one of the following requirements:

(i) the applicant is admitted as a member-in-training and has obtained at least 4 years of experience in work of an engineering, geological or geophysical nature that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners;

(ii) the applicant is enrolled as a student under section 6(b)(ii) and

(A) has completed all examinations prescribed by the Board of Examiners, and

(B) has obtained at least 8 years of experience in work of an engineering, geological or geophysical nature that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners, at least one year of which is obtained after completion of the examinations referred to in paragraph (A);

(iii) the applicant is admitted as an examination candidate and

(A) has completed the examinations referred to in section 8(b), and

(B) has obtained at least 4 years of experience in work of an engineering, geological or geophysical nature that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners;

(iv) the applicant is not in a register or record referred to in subclause (i), (ii) or (iii), but has the combined academic qualifications and experience acceptable to the Board of Examiners that would be required for registration as a professional member had the applicant progressed through one of those registers or records.

The following chart outlines the various categories of registration and the criteria that must be met to qualify for each.

You will note from the application form that you cannot apply to be an exam candidate. Rather, it is a category in which you are enrolled if you have a degree in one of the 3 professions but APEGGA has assessed you exams.

If you do not have a degree, your application will not be considered unless you meet a minimum set of academic, experience and character requirements. You must possess an academic background equivalent to at least two years post secondary education in areas that relate to the science or technology of engineering, geology or geophysics, have at least one year of experience in a position that is related to the practice of the professions, and be of good character.

This brochure gives instructions for filling out the registration form and information on the registration criteria in the order they appear on the Application for Registration. The bold italicized sections provide the basic instructions for filling out the form.

Please print or type. Check the box for the category in which you feel you are qualified to be registered and the profession/discipline in which you want to be assessed. If you feel you meet the requirements of Section 13 (with the possible exception of (c)), and are a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant, apply to be a Professional Member. If you feel that you meet the requirements of Section 13 (other than (c)), but you are not a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant, apply to be a Foreign Licensee. If you feel you meet the academic and character requirements but do not have the experience necessary, you should apply to be a Member-In-Training (MIT). If you do not meet either the academic or experience requirements but do meet the minimum standards to apply, you should request registration as a Student. You must also be an Alberta resident and Canadian Citizen (or Landed Immigrant) to be a Student.

If you apply to be a Member-in-Training (MIT) your work experience will not be reviewed nor will your post graduate academic studies experience credit, if any, be reviewed.

If you are not sure which category to apply for, put a question mark in the box and explain in the comments section at the end. If registration in more than one profession is sought i.e. engineering, geology or geophysics, fill in the boxes for the professions involved and write the word "Multiple" beside one of the boxes. If you possess degrees in disciplines that are not listed e.g. architectural, bio-medical, bio-resource, ceramic, electronic, forestry and welding engineering, you may indicate another discipline of your choice but you will be assessed against the syllabus of one of the disciplines that is listed.

NAME

Provide both your legal name and your preferred name. Your preferred name will appear in the APEGGA member register and on your stamp and seal unless you tell us otherwise on the application form and the stamp and seal form. Your membership certificate will be issued in your full legal name.

RESIDENCY

Provide the information requested under Home and Business Addresses and indicate which one you prefer for communications from APEGGA. If neither is preferred indicate your preference on a note attached to this application form.

NOTIFY APEGGA OF ALL ADDRESS CHANGES. DO NOT RELY ON POSTAL FORWARDING SERVICES.

Alberta residency is not a requirement for membership. This means that you may freely move in and out of the province while retaining the same status with APEGGA. The Student examination program, however, is a special privilege extended to Alberta residents only.

There are some practical considerations, however. If you are already an MIT in another province there may be advantages in becoming registered there first as a Professional Member before requesting registration in APEGGA just as there may be advantages in completing your registration with APEGGA before requesting registration in a new jurisdiction. You should become familiar with the requirements in both areas. Exam Candidates must make special arrangements with APEGGA to have examinations administered outside Alberta.

CITIZENSHIP

You must be a Canadian Citizen or a Landed Immigrant to request registration as a Professional Member. Otherwise, you apply for registration as a Foreign Licensee. The registration criteria, however, are the same for both categories. The only privilege held by Professional Members that is not held by Foreign Licensees is the privilege of taking part in the administration of the Association by running and voting in Association elections. If you were not born in Canada and you wish to be registered as a Professional Member, a copy of your citizenship papers or the Canadian Immigration Record and Visa is required. There is no citizenship requirement to be either an MIT or an Exam Candidate. Students must be Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants and Alberta residents.

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

Please list all post secondary education. The academic achievements must be confirmed by the institution(s) that you attended by using the attached Request for Academic Documents. Forward the Request Form directly to your educational institution; do not return to this office. The reverse side of that form clarifies under what circumstances we require either a Certification of Graduation or Transcripts.

APEGGA will arrange for the certification or transcripts for University of Alberta and The University of Calgary graduates who apply to be MITs at the Graduating Student Lunch.

When copies only are supplied or when APEGGA staff takes true copies (T-copies) of what appears to be originals supplied by the applicant, and confirmatory examinations are assessed, the freedom in the choice of examinations will generally be eliminated, e.g. an applicant from a school on the foreign degree list who would be assessed a choice of 2 from Group A plus 1 from Group B, may have the examinations specified. The academic examiner may specify the particular professional examinations from Group A and B that the candidate is to write. Usually of the three examinations specified, two are in the candidate's area of practice and one is in an allied area.

Further, when originals are not received directly from the educational institution, experience may not be used to reduce or eliminate the examination assessment.

Engineering

In Canada, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), a subgroup of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers sets standards for engineering education and inspects all engineering schools for compliance with these standards. Graduates from these accredited programs are deemed to be academically qualified for registration.

In the USA, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) provides a similar function. APEGGA will generally accept engineering graduates from ABET accredited engineering programs as being academically acceptable for registration. However, APEGGA reserves the right to assess confirmatory exams to these graduates if an examination of the transcripts reveals some areas of concern. APEGGA does not accept engineering technology graduates from ABET accredited engineering technology programs without assessing a number of exams.

In the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong there are similar accreditation systems. Graduates of programs accredited by the Engineering Institutes in these countries from 1989 on and in Hong Kong from 1995 on, while continuing to be reviewed by the Board of Examiners, would normally look to be exempt from confirmatory exams. However, the Board reserves the right to assign examinations if, in the opinion of the examiners, there are grounds for concern such as the nature and amount of advanced standing credit, course deficiencies, academic performances or a lack of information on the program of studies.

For other foreign degree applicants, the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board (CEQB), a subgroup of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, has prepared a list of foreign institutions that meet certain standards set by CEQB from information published by third party journals. These institutions are not accredited by a body that APEGGA recognizes, therefore the candidates are typically assessed three confirmatory exams at the professional level to verify the quality of their education plus an examination on engineering economics. If the applicant's undergraduate institution is not on this list typically nine confirmatory exams are assessed that cover preliminary through to professional level subjects.

When an applicant with an engineering degree has been assessed exams, he/she will be enrolled as an Exam Candidate.

A non-degree applicant will have his/her post secondary education compared to a syllabus of choice and will be assessed exams on a course by course basis to upgrade his/her academic background. The applicant will be enrolled as a Student.

Geology

There is no national accreditation system for geology. APEGGA has developed a geology syllabus against which the transcripts from all geology applicants are compared. Applicants with degrees may be assessed exams on a course by course basis and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.

Foreign applicants with geology degrees will be assessed exams on a course by course basis if the academic information is clear or may be assessed confirmatory exams if the information is not clear and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.

Applicants without a degree will be assessed exams on a course by course basis and will be enrolled as Students.

Geophysics

There is no national accreditation system for geophysics. APEGGA has developed a geophysics syllabus against which the transcripts from all geophysics applicants are compared. Applicants with degrees may be assessed exams on a course by course basis and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.

Foreign applicants with geophysics degrees will be assessed exams on a course by course basis if the academic information is clear or may be assessed confirmatory exams if the information is not clear and will be enrolled as Exam Candidates.

Applicants without a degree will be assessed exams on a course by course basis and will be enrolled as Students.

General Information on Writing Exams

More detailed information on exam administration will be provided should you be assessed exams but the following chart provides some information in a condensed form.

Technical exams are administered in Alberta in the first week of May and November. Syllabi including course content and recommended texts are provided and course equivalent lists are provided when equivalents are allowed. One copy of an old exam is generally available. No instruction is provided by APEGGA.

Note to Students: APEGGA is pleased to be able to offer an examination route to registration for those who are not academically qualified and cannot go back to school full time. Do not underestimate the difficulty in completing an examination program. Students may either challenge APEGGA examinations as the result of self-study or write approved University course equivalents.

If you choose to take course equivalents you should be aware that on average there are two course equivalents required for every APEGGA engineering examination and that few course equivalents are offered at night. If you are an engineering technologist you will likely be assessed 20+ examinations. As a geological technologist you may be assessed 15 to 20 examinations but, on average, there is only one course equivalent required for each examination.

EXPERIENCE

If you are applying to be a Professional Member or Foreign Licensee provide full employment details in reverse chronological order (present/most recent first) including the period of employment, the company name and location and the name and current address of supervisors. Details of the position should include the position title, the general responsibilities that can be found in a job description, the specific assignments, values and successes. In addition to increasing independence, initiative and responsibility you must show evidence of levels A, B, C and D experience (further details of which follow in this write up and in the Experience Guideline) for the years for which you are seeking credit. It would be helpful for the Board if you list the years for which you are seeking credit and the number of months of each year you feel were at levels A through D. Extra sheets will be required. Your experience can only be judged on the information you supply. It is unlikely that a brief summary will provide all the information required.

If you are applying to be a Member-In-Training, a brief summary of your work experience will confirm that you have applied for the right category. A detailed review of your experience will not be undertaken. A complete Experience Guideline is enclosed.

If you are applying to be a Student, a brief summary of your work experience will confirm that you meet the minimum requirements to be a student. However, if you have extensive experience and wish to benefit from a possible reduced assessment of examinations on the basis of your experience full details will have to be supplied as for those applying to be Professional Members. A complete Experience Guideline is enclosed.

APEGGA requires that an applicant with a degree in engineering, geology or geophysics have at least four years of experience that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners. Generally, the experience requirement must be met after completion of your degree requirements (i.e. not graduation) although summer, co-op and intern work experience may be awarded up to six months credit. Extensive technology experience prior to completion of the degree may also be given some credit.

APEGGA requires that a student who has completed an examination program have at least eight years of experience that is acceptable to the Board of Examiners, at least one year of which must be after completion of the examinations.

The Board recognizes that not all applicants are able or given the opportunity to perform full professional work immediately after graduation. However, the Board is prepared to grant credit for some amount of work that is below the level where the full application of engineering, geological or geophysical principles is expected, but where it is obvious that an increasing level of responsibility and initiative is being assumed.

The Board will award credit for A Level experience - orientation and non-technical training - if the orientation is in the early stages of the career and does not exceed 1 or 2 months and if the non-technical training falls within the areas of management skills, communication skills and understanding the societal implications of the work that is being done.

Full credit may be awarded for B Level experience - formal technical training - if it is a logical extension of the academic background on which your registration has been granted. In house courses may be acceptable. An approved post graduate program, may be eligible to receive some experience credit. Please refer to the Experience Guideline for more detailed information.

Full credit may be awarded for C Level experience - technician, technologist or technical support level - to a maximum of 12 months.

Full credit will be awarded for D Level experience - where the application of engineering, geological or geophysical principles and practical experience are evident. At least 2 years must be at D Level.

The Guideline for Experience Requirements for Professional Membership provides more details on levels A and D experience, the need for professional supervision, mentoring, documentation, and at least one year of North American experience and outlines types of experience that may need greater documentation to prove the extent of D Level experience. The guideline also explains how to receive experience credits for post graduate academic studies and work carried out as a Post Doctoral fellow or Research Engineer. It also introduces the concept of an optional midterm review to ensure that applicants are on track in obtaining experience that is satisfactory to the Board. Post graduate studies experience credit does not apply to applicants seeking enrollment as Members-In-Training.

REFERENCES

Please provide the names and current addresses of at least three persons who are familiar with significant time elements of your experience, at least one of whom is/has been your supervisor and at least two of whom are professional members with APEGGA or another comparable professional association. Under relationship indicate whether the reference is/was your employer, supervisor, mentor, colleague, friend or client. A standard Reference Questionnaire, a copy of which is enclosed in this package for information only, will be sent by APEGGA to the three references above (or to supervisors, not listed as references, if elements of your experience are not sufficiently covered by the listed references) to confirm your employment experience, your character and your English language competency. In the case of applicants who are looking to be registered as Members-In-Training a letter requesting a character reference will be sent by APEGGA to only one reference.

CHARACTER

You must be of good character and reputation. Character is defined as the combination of qualities which distinguishes one individual from another. Good character connotes moral and ethical strength and undoubtedly includes integrity, candor, honesty and trustworthiness. Character is what a person is, while reputation is what others believe that person to be.

You fail to demonstrate good character when:

§ you willfully obtain or attempt to obtain registration or renewal of registration by cheating on examinations or making or causing to be made a false statement on the application
§ you commit an act or series of acts that relate directly to the practice of engineering, geology or geophysics that affords grounds for the belief that you will not engage in the practices in accordance with the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act and the Regulations and By-laws accompanying the Act
§ you have committed an act or series of acts that are inconsistent with the qualities of honesty and integrity and you have not been rehabilitated or have not made adequate reparation
§ you have been convicted of a criminal offense or a civil offense impacting your practice

Good character is determined, with other sources of information, by the response to a general question on the Reference Questionnaire and by the responses to the specific questions on the application form. All questions on the form must be responded to with a yes or no answer. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you must provide details in writing. You may do so in a sealed envelope, the contents of which will be disclosed only to those members of the Board and staff who have a need to know. An affirmative answer to any question does not necessarily mean that you will be refused registration. If this information raises concern about your character, you will be given another opportunity to respond to the concern in writing.

KNOWLEDGE OF LAW AND ETHICS

You must demonstrate knowledge of professional law and ethics. This may be accomplished by passing the National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE). The examination may be written when you have at least two years of experience. More information on the NPPE is provided in the brochure for the NPPE, the Application to Write the NPPE, and the NPPE Literature Order Forms. The costs and dates change at the beginning of each year so if your form is out of date call us for the current information before you submit the form.

If you have passed an equivalent examination for another Canadian Association or are registered in another Canadian Association, you need only read the EGGP Act, Regulations & By-laws and the Guideline For Ethical Practice V2.0 and sign and return the Act, Regs and By-laws Confirmation. These will be provided to you when we acknowledge receipt of your application.

Indicate on the form how you meet or plan to meet this criterion by checking one of the boxes.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY

You must be fluent in the English language. Applicants whose native language is not English must confirm their ability to write and speak English in one of two ways. Either provide a letter in your own hand writing explaining why you feel that your English is acceptable or get a TOEFL score of 600 or better on hand-written exam or 250 or better on computer exam. Lengthy exposure to English through education or experience may be sufficient to meet the competency requirements but your comments will be verified by your references. For more information on TOEFL, contact TOEFL, Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, 08541-6151, USA. Several organizations can help you prepare for the TOEFL test. Results should be sent back to APEGGA directly from TOEFL. It is important that you are confident of your capabilities in the English language before you tackle any exams that you may be assessed.

Indicate on the form how you meet or plan to meet this criterion by checking one of the boxes.

PROFESSIONAL STATUS

Please fully disclose any activity or registration with APEGGA or other associations. This will ensure the fastest possible treatment of your application.

If you are registered with another Canadian or US Association/Ordre/State Board, APEGGA will confirm your registration with your home association using the Confirmation of Registration form, which has been included in this package for your information only. You must be a fully paid up Professional Member and must realize that APEGGA reserves the right to conduct a full review to ensure full compliance with all the registration criteria.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The professions of engineering, geology and geophysics are increasingly facing varied demands from the public, government, the economy and technology. As the environment in which we practice adapts and adjusts to these demands, it is important we keep pace with the changes. To help engineering and geoscience professionals meet the challenge, our governing APEGGA Council approved a mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program as a requirement for all registered members. It is a self-directed program that has been designed to be flexible in order to address the many needs of our diverse membership and, at the same time, includes elements that help to ensure protection of the public, APEGGA's primary responsibility. All new members will be provided with a Continuing Professional Development Guideline upon approval of registration at which time it will be their responsibility to have a CPD plan in place.

The Association is taking a leadership role in the development of such a program in Canada. As such, the Governing Council recognizes that adjustments may have to be made. It is a living program that will be reviewed on a regular basis.

COMMENTS

You are welcome to comment on anything else that you feel is pertinent to your application. The Board will also consider your feedback on the registration criteria, process and documentation.

Sign and date the application after reading the four point declaration.

Thank you for following the instructions.

Revised January 10, 2000