Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners Signs Agreement with the Japan PE/FE Examiners Council

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Japan PE/FE Examiners Council (JPEC), the organization that administers engineering exams in Japan. 

The MOU is intended to facilitate the application process for Japanese engineers seeking registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in Tennessee.  The PE license is regarded as a global standard and recognized indicator of an individual’s engineering competency.  The PE license also signifies a commitment to the protection of the public’s health, safety, and welfare in the practice of engineering.

Japanese engineers applying for PE registration in Tennessee must meet all of the standard education, experience, and examination requirements for licensure.  The engineering examinations developed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), which are required for PE licensure in Tennessee, have been administered in Japan since 1992.

Tennessee now joins several other U.S. jurisdictions, including Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas, in establishing a formal licensing agreement with JPEC.  Such agreements have proliferated in part due to the fact that Japan is one of the largest foreign investors in the U.S.  According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, there are over 180 Japanese-owned companies operating in the state, and Japan is the largest foreign investor in Tennessee. 

“Engineering is a global profession, and license mobility is a matter of prime importance to the Board,” said Board Executive Director John Cothron. “The Board hopes that this MOU will foster further cooperation with Japan and encourage Japanese engineers working in the state to pursue registration in Tennessee.”

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