Board Of Examiners' Guidelines

The following definitions clarify what the Board generally considers to be acceptable for specific types of experience.
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North American work standards

The Board expects that you are performing to North American technical and ethical standards and codes. Working for North American companies overseas, or for international organizations whose standards meet those of North American jurisdictions may be acceptable, but you will have to show evidence of equivalent standards. A candidate with training and experience in warmer climates must convince the Board that he or she has been exposed to and understands the effects of the colder Canadian climate on the practice of their profession.

Postgraduate degrees

Experience credited for postgraduate degrees in engineering, geology or geophysics will not normally exceed a maximum of 50% of the four years experience requirement. No experience credit will normally be granted for a postgraduate degree that is not in engineering, geology or geophysics. Experience credit will only be granted for postgraduate degrees at Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) and American Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited institutions. If the postgraduate degree is not from a CEAB/ABET accredited institution, no experience credit will be granted for the postgraduate degree, nor will that degree exempt you from having to write assessed confirmatory examinations. If your undergraduate degree is not from a CEAB, ABET or Mutual Recognition Agreement accredited university program, but your postgraduate degree is from a CEAB/ABET accredited institution, the Board will normally look to exempt you from confirmatory examinations after a review of your transcripts. In this situation, if confirmatory examinations are waived, the experience credit granted for the postgraduate degree will automatically be reduced by six months. Experience credits will not be automatically granted upon completion of an advanced degree, but must be requested via the application for professional registration submitted to APEGGA. In order to request experience credits for postgraduate academic studies, the following items must be submitted: o The title page, abstract page, recommendation and conclusion portion of thesis or project report. o A letter of recommendation from the thesis supervisor which includes a statement about the engineering, geology or geophysics experience and the engineering, geology or geophysics contribution of the research as reported in the thesis. Furthermore, if the advanced degree is the only North American experience you possess, the Board will ask for additional experience beyond the postgraduate studies experience.

Other acceptable experience

Other acceptable experience The Board may give you full credit for many types of experience, but the Board will require additional documentation for the areas listed below. Such documentation must confirm the percentage of time spent on the technical aspects of the professions and provide evidence that you applied the principles of engineering or geoscience. Orientation programs, administration and management may also be acceptable forms of experience if you conducted these in an engineering or geoscience environment. However, it will be to your advantage if your experience is not exclusively in any one of the following areas:

If your experience is in one of the preceding areas, the amount of credit you receive may be less than the actual time spent in that position if the work does not contain significant application of engineering or geoscience principles or if the work is not being performed at a high enough level. Additional experience may be required beyond the four year requirement to ensure the quality of experience is equivalent to that of someone whose work does contain sufficient application of engineering or geoscience principles.

Experience in a discipline different than your degree

If your experience is in a discipline different than your degree (eg. a mechanical engineering graduate who is working in the petroleum engineering field), the Board may require you to obtain additional experience beyond the four year requirement to ensure that your experience is equivalent to that of someone working within the speciality of their degree.

Experience outside the field of your degree

If your experience is in a field other than your degree (eg. a geology graduate who is employed in the engineering field), depending on the APEGGA designation being sought, the Board may either require you to obtain substantial academic upgrading, or require you to obtain additional experience beyond the four year requirement, or both, to ensure that the quality of experience is equivalent to that of someone who has clearly related education and experience.