Geotechnical Engineering

The baseline requirements set the minimum standards for applying for post-licensure board certification in civil engineering specialties. Board certification demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for competent practice, as outlined in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (CEBOK3) and the relevant Specialty Area Bodies of Knowledge (SABOK).

1. Professional Characteristics:
1.1 Adherence to the ASCE Code of Ethics.
1.2 Strong communication skills.
1.3 Demonstrated project management and/or leadership abilities.
1.4 Commitment to continuing education and advancing the profession.

2. Education: Formal education in engineering and the specialty area supports achievement of the CEBOK3 and specialty area body of knowledge.
2.1 A bachelor’s degree in engineering or another related field, from an ABET-accredited program is required. Alternatively, a relevant postgraduate degree (master’s or PhD) may fulfill this requirement.
2.2 Thirty or more postgraduate education credit hours, or completion of recognized certificate program(s). Alternatively, additional work experience can also qualify (see Item 4.2 below for details).

3. P.E. License or Approved Equivalent:
3.1 A current P.E. license or approved equivalent is required. In countries without this, additional work experience may substitute (see item 4.3 below).

4. Work Experience: Work experience may include planning, design, analysis, operations, management, governance, research, and/or teaching. The applicant
must be currently actively engaged in geotechnical engineering and have:
4.1 At least 10 years of progressively responsible post-BS experience in civil engineering, with 8 years in geotechnical engineering. 
4.2 Without postgraduate education (see item 2.2 above), 15 years of experience (13 in the specialty) is required.
4.3 If an applicant lives and works in a country without a P.E. license or equivalent (as per requirement 3), they must have at least 15 years of civil engineering experience, with 13 of those years in geotechnical engineering.

5. Validation:
5.1 The applicable administrative unit validates achievement of the requisite CEBOK3 and SABOK outcomes in a manner appropriate for the certification. Validation applies to all applicants and follows a uniform process for each certification developed and administered by the applicable specialty board.

View the complete CEC eligibility requirements. 
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for certification, contact [email protected].

To apply for board certification in geotechnical engineering:

1. Email your completed application and supporting documentation to [email protected].
2. Request references from licensed professional engineers representing at least three different organizational entities. You may submit more than three professional references, provided at least three are from different organizational entities. You must request these references using the form provided. 
3. Pay the application fee online. Note, the application fee is non-refundable, please ensure you have met eligibility requirements before paying the application fee.

Once complete, the application is reviewed by the Admissions Committee of the Academy of Geotechnical Professionals. A status of application will be provided to candidates after full review by the Admissions Committee.

Applicants with less than 15 years of total experience will be required to sit for an oral exam.

To help the Applications Committee determine whether an oral exam is required for certification, please provide detailed information in your application. Pay special attention to the requirements regarding progressive responsible charge after earning your P.E. and share information about your geotechnical work experience.

• ASCE and/or Institute Members - $350
• Non-members - $450

• Spring Application Deadline: March 31st
• Summer Application Deadline: June 30th
• Fall Application Deadline: September 30th
• Winter Application Deadline: December 31st

Our program involves thorough applicant reviews by volunteer member boards and panelists, so the timeline from application submission to board certification can span several months. An overview of typical processing times is outlined below. 

1. After submission, your application undergoes a completeness check by CEC staff (7-10 business days) before it is sent to the respective Review Committee.
2. Complete applications are reviewed quarterly for winter, spring, summer, or fall intake (6-8 weeks).
For example, if an application is received in February, your application will be reviewed with other applications that are received by the March 31 deadline for the spring applications review. (allow 6-8 weeks for review time by Review Committees after each published application deadline) 
3. Incomplete applications by the deadline are deferred to the next cycle for review. 
4. If you are recommended for the panel exam interview, depending on your schedule and the panel’s availability, the normal period for a panel interview to be scheduled is within 4-6 weeks after the committee’s recommendation for your panel interview. 
5. If you have participated in a panel exam interview, you can expect to hear the results of your interview within 2-3 business days.

Below are the following possible outcomes once an application has been fully reviewed by the Review Committee and the timeline after an application is submitted:

1. In rare circumstances, the applicant may be approved for the board certification, with the panel oral exam waived. (6-8 weeks after the review deadline)
2. The applicant may be recommended for the panel oral examination. (12-14 weeks after review deadline to participate in a panel interview after the review deadline)
3. The applicant may be required to submit additional documentation and/or clarify their professional experience and expertise. (6-8 weeks after the review deadline + additional weeks for additional review)

The applicant is denied board certification. (12-14 weeks after the initial review deadline + additional review of additional documentation of application materials)

Please contact [email protected] for any questions regarding the timeline for the application process.

Oral exams are conducted by a panel of three current board-certified geotechnical professionals. The exam is confidential and consists of three parts: a summary of your experience and responsibilities, a presentation of one or two projects where you were the lead engineer, demonstrating advanced understanding in geotechnical engineering, and a question and answer session with the panelists. The interview typically takes around 90 minutes, depending on your presentation, the question and answer period, and your application details.

The professional presentation should be 30-minutes in length and should focus on professional work experience and providing relevant examples of projects. The presentation should showcase mastery in one specific element of the Body of Knowledge (BOK) as stated in the application. The candidate should clearly indicate which BOK elements they believe they have mastered.

Following this presentation, the candidate will be asked a series of questions by the examiners to clarify the full extent of the applicant’s experience and mastery of the Body of Knowledge.  The examiners’ questions will relate to the applicant’s specific presentation, as well as any other areas of his professional career as necessary to provide a basis for assessing whether the candidate has:

1. Demonstrated advanced and accurate knowledge in geotechnical engineering.
2. Demonstrated progressive responsible charge in the geotechnical profession since obtaining his/her P.E.,
3. Exhibited an attitude regarding continued professional development that is consistent with that of AGP, CEC, and ASCE, and
4. Current responsibilities that include either routine performance or routine review of technical aspects in geotechnical engineering.

During the interview, the applicant may be presented with scenarios to discuss and showcase their professional judgment. These scenarios will not be given to the candidate beforehand. The purpose is to evaluate the candidate's grasp of geotechnical engineering and problem-solving approaches.

Through its comprehensive Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge, 3rd edition (CEBOK3), ASCE has defined the set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to exercise responsible charge in the practice of civil engineering. The CEBOK outlines 21 foundational, technical, and professional practice learning outcomes for individuals entering into responsible charge in the practice of civil engineering.

Board-certification in geotechnical engineering requires the mastery of outcomes at a higher level of achievement than the minimum requirements in the CEBOK3.

AGP defines “Mastery” to mean that the engineer has reached a level of knowledge, skills and attitudes such that the engineer can solve more challenging and difficult problems than those addressed by an ordinarily competent licensed engineer.

Candidates for certification can demonstrate mastery through academic accomplishments, work experience, publications, and leadership in areas of geotechnical engineering and professional activities.

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes

Fulfillment at the mastery level in one or more of the geotechnical engineering technical specialties listed in outcome Depth in Geotechnical Engineering in combination with one or more of the following outcomes listed and defined below: Experimental Methods & Data Analysis, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Project Management, Risk & Uncertainty, and Sustainability.

Depth in Geotechnical Engineering (Cognitive Domain)

Level 6 - Evaluate (judge the value of learned material for a given purpose)

Evaluate solutions to complex problems that involve specialty areas appropriate to the practice of geotechnical engineering.

The candidate demonstrates progressively responsible charge in the design of a complicated or complex project, or newly created knowledge or technologies and mastery in one or more of the technical specialty areas of practice forming the Body of Knowledge for Geotechnical Engineering:

• Site characterization
• Laboratory/Field testing and analysis
• Foundations
• Slope stability
• Excavations and retaining structures
• Tunnels and underground construction
• Embankments, dams and levees
• Geo-synthetics
• Ground improvement
• Soil and rock dynamics
• Geo-environmental engineering
• Earthquake engineering
• Pavements
• Other (self-designated)

Experimental Methods & Data Analysis (Cognitive Domain)

Level 6 - Evaluate (judge the value of learned material for a given purpose)

Assess new experimental methods and/or the results of multiple experiments for the solution of geotechnical engineering problems.

The candidate demonstrates the application of geotechnical observations, testing programs, instrumentation programs, analyses, and evaluations in areas of technical depth (specialization) forming geotechnical engineering. The outcome of these geotechnical evaluations should be geotechnical conclusions and recommendations that meet the fundamental requirement to protect public health, safety, and welfare while meeting project needs.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (Cognitive Domain)

Level 6 - Evaluate (judge the value of learned material for a given purpose)

Assess a set of solutions to determine the most appropriate solution to a complex problem, question, or issue relevant to geotechnical engineering.

The candidate demonstrates the skill to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information gathered from experimental methods and data analysis as a means to solve problems.

Project Management (Cognitive Domain)

Level 5 - Synthesize (put learned material together to form an new whole)

Integrate components into a complete project management plan for a complex geotechnical engineering project.

The candidate demonstrates the ability to successfully initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close geotechnical projects The term "plans" in this context refers to internal project management plans that set forth how a project will be executed and its progress measured.

Risk & Uncertainty (Cognitive Domain)

Level 5 - Synthesize (put learned material together to form a new whole)

Integrate risk analysis into the solutions to complex geotechnical engineering problems The candidate demonstrates experience defining the mostly likely consequence of a particular geo-hazard or vulnerability combined with the likelihood of it occurring. Specific to geotechnical engineering, it includes demonstrating an understanding of uncertainty and how to appropriately quantify it in measured soil/rock parameters.

Sustainability (Cognitive Domain)

Level 5 – Synthesize (put learned material together to form a new whole)

Develop practices and requirements to achieve sustainable performance of complex geotechnical engineering projects from a systems perspective. The candidate demonstrates an application, analysis and synthesis of principles of sustainability in design work performed.

Sustainability (Affective Domain)

Level 5 - Characterize (follow a value system that controls behavior that is pervasive, consistent, predictable, and a defining characteristic)

Advocate for principles of sustainability. Candidate demonstrates prioritizing sustainability in designs, decisions, and recommendations.

Professional Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes

Fulfillment at the mastery level in three specific Professional Outcomes as listed and defined below: Teamwork & Leadership, Lifelong Learning, and Ethical Responsibility.

Teamwork & Leadership (Cognitive Domain)

Level 5 – Synthesize (put learned material together to form a new whole)

Integrate concepts and principles of effective teamwork and leadership, including diversity and inclusion, into the solutions of geotechnical engineering problems. The candidate demonstrates through technical, professional and community activities the ability to participate on and lead teams, effect change, and contribute to the advance of the profession.

Teamwork & Leadership (Affective Domain)

Level 5 – Characterize (follow a value system that controls behavior that is pervasive, consistent, predictable, and a defining characteristic)

Advocate for teamwork, leadership, diversity, and inclusion. The candidate demonstrates through references that he or she displays effective teamwork and leadership, including support of diversity and inclusion.

Lifelong Learning (Cognitive Domain)

Level 6 – Evaluate (judge the value of learned material for given purpose)

Evaluate the effectiveness of additional knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired through self-directed learning.

The candidate demonstrates how his or her continuous effort to learn and contribute to the design of complicated or complex projects, or to newly created knowledge or technologies in one or more of the technical specialty areas of practice forming the Body of Knowledge for Geotechnical Engineering.

 

Lifelong Learning (Affective Domain)

Level 5 (follow a value system that controls behavior that is pervasive, consistent, predictable, and a defining characteristic)

Advocate for lifelong learning in the practice of geotechnical engineering.

The candidate demonstrates a continuous effort and a lifelong plan to pursue learning through education, training, independent study and mentored experience, and activities in professional societies, community service, coaching, mentoring and other learning and growth activities.

Ethical Responsibility (Cognitive Domain)

Level 6 – Evaluate (judge the value of learned material for a given purpose)

Assess course of resolution to ethical dilemmas in complex situations.

The candidate demonstrates the ability to apply appropriate ethical requirements and assess ethical dilemmas to develop courses of action to address such dilemmas in complex situations, and offers examples from experience.

Ethical Responsibility (Affective Domain)

Level 5 – Characterize (follow a value system that controls behavior that is pervasive, consistent, predictable, and a defining characteristic)

Advocate for ethical behavior in the practice of civil engineering.

The candidate demonstrates the understanding of the ethical responsibilities of a registered professional engineer, explains the role ethical responsibility plays in the practice of civil - engineering, and offers examples from experienced in practice.

The Academy of Geo-Professionals will use the mentioned Body of Knowledge to assess certification applications and determine if an oral examination is necessary for the candidate.