That depends. In Canada, for instance, you absolutely have to be certified to call yourself an engineer.
I am a Software Developer - I did not graduate from an Engineering college. I am not an Engineer. The stuff I do does not kill people when it fails.
99% of people that claim to be Engineers (at least in Software) are not.
Oh? OK technically maybe not your job specifically, but ever hear about Therac-25? MCAS on the 737-MAX?
It's all a racket. I'm an unlicensed, non-PE software engineer. Am I allowed to call myself that?
It's not.
>I'm an unlicensed, non-PE software engineer. Am I allowed to call myself that?
In many areas, yeah, you can refer to yourself as a software engineer, but the title doesn't mean anything because anyone can refer to themselves as a software engineer; there is nothing defining what that means.
This is incorrect. Check out what the PEO has to say about using "software engineer" as a title:
https://www.peo.on.ca/public-protection/complaints-and-illeg...
You can sometimes use the title without being licensed, but you have to be careful, as it can easily be considered misrepresentation.
Which is why I qualified my statement with "many".
>You can sometimes use the title without being licensed, but you have to be careful, as it can easily be considered misrepresentation.
That is what this debate is about.
> Where the software is used in a product that already falls within the practice of engineering (e.g. elevator controls, nuclear reactor controls, medical equipment such as gamma-ray cameras, etc.);
> Where the use of the software poses a risk to life, health, property or the public welfare; and
> Where the design or analysis requires the application of engineering principles within the program (e.g. does engineering calculations), meets a requirement of engineering practice (e.g. a fail-safe system), or requires the application of the principles of engineering in its development.
In other words, the vast majority of software engineering does not fall within the practice of professional engineering.
The engineering council makes it easy to get the license. Demonstrate the knowledge through a raft of exams and you will qualify. Alternatively, demonstrating 20 years of engineering experience in your field will also let you qualify.
Also, I have in fact undergone the training that an engineer in Canada would undergo. I just didn't do the tests or pay the fees, and why should I?
If you already have the education and the experience (you need both), why not complete the ethics exam and earn the license? Is it about the fees? The annual fee in California is $180.00 [1]. The annual fee in Ontario, Canada is $299.45 [2]. Does your company not pay you enough? Are you living on hardship as a software engineer to not be able to afford that?
The real question is this: Why do you feel entitled to a designation without completing the requirements for it?
[1] https://bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/licensee_fees.shtml
[2] https://www.peo.on.ca/sites/default/files/2020-11/PEO-FeeSch...
Similarly, Doctors are still doctors even when they cross borders. They just can’t practice medicine for money without a license.