Academic requirement
The academic requirement to apply for a P.Eng. licence is a bachelor’s degree in an engineering program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) or a bachelor's degree on PEO's Recognized Programs List supplemented by completing a technical exam program.
Graduates with bachelor's degrees from outside Canada and the USA must request a course-by-course report from World Education Services (WES) for each program to meet PEO’s academic requirements.
Note for non-CEAB graduates who cannot obtain a WES Assessment, Evaluation, or WES Gateway Program Report:
In rare situations, WES does not perform assessments or issue evaluations for specific institutions. In these cases, WES cannot provide a WES ICAP Course-by-Course Report or a WES Gateway Program report.
If WES cannot provide either of the required reports, the Apply team will instruct the candidate to have an official transcript in English or a certified English translation sent directly to [email protected].
This procedure currently applies only to institutions recognized by either Engineers Canada’s IIDD list or the relevant national accreditation body. Once the official transcript in English, or a certified English translation, is received, ARU staff will verify that the conferral information matches the academic information on the application, and will upload the transcript and related email correspondence to the candidate’s file.
If a candidate cannot obtain their official transcript, they will be instructed to request an evaluation through a NACES member organization, a U.S.-based credential evaluation association, and have the report sent directly to [email protected].
If neither of the above options is possible, a sworn affidavit will be accepted. The affidavit should include a transcript, if available, and a translation from an accredited interpreter if the transcript is not in English or French. The affidavit does not need to be prepared by an Ontario lawyer, but it must be sworn or affirmed before an Ontario Commissioner for Taking Oaths or a notary public. All Ontario-licensed lawyers are Commissioners for Taking Oaths.
Those without a bachelor's degree in engineering are encouraged to explore PEO’s Limited Licence option. A limited licence allows individuals to engage in professional engineering activities within defined fields. This path is suitable for those with at least eight years of experience, of which six years must be directly related to the scope of services within professional engineering practice.
Experience requirement
At the time of application, all applicants (including Canadian and international) must meet the experience requirement through a competency-based assessment (CBA) model. CBA is a tool to assess readiness for licensure that examines engineering competencies across several categories in which all professional engineers must be competent to support effective practice and public safety. You can learn more about our requirements by downloading the CBA Applicant Guide.
Our licensing process is changing.
On July 1, 2026, we will change the minimum required engineering experience from four to two years as part of our broader competency-based assessment (CBA) model. Our CBA, which focuses on demonstrated competence, remains unchanged. Applicants must demonstrate 34 competencies to show readiness for entry to professional practice. Demonstrated competence is the standard for licensure.
Two years of engineering experience do not automatically qualify an applicant for a licence. While some will require more than two years of experience to demonstrate all 34 competencies, changing the minimum requirement from four to two years removes an unnecessary barrier for those who can demonstrate competence after two years. You can learn more about the changes by reading our time-based experience FAQ page.
What does this mean for you?
Start documenting your work experience!
You don’t have to wait until you’ve accumulated two years; you can start building your CBA in the Experience module of the portal on July 1. Once you have entered at least two years of experience and your CBA has been completed and validated, you will be able to mark the experience requirement as complete.
Review our experience requirements and prepare your work examples early. You can learn more about our requirements by downloading the CBA Applicant Guide.
Experience gained during undergraduate or graduate study
The key factor in determining the eligibility of engineering experience is whether it meets CBA criteria.
Please note that undergraduate experience obtained before the conferral of a bachelor’s degree—such as a co-op or internship—does not count toward the two-year minimum. However, it may be applied toward the CBA if it meets the criteria.
Experience obtained during graduate study, such as a master’s or doctorate program, may count toward both the two-year minimum and the CBA if it meets the criteria. However, PEO does not grant experience credit for completing a graduate degree on its own.
PEO does not require Canadian experience.
Identification
PEO accepts most forms of government-issued ID.
Good Character Assessment
Please complete your good character assessment in the PEO portal.