The New Brunswick System
Engineering and Geoscience are regulated professions in Canada. Each province and territory has its own regulator and membership requirements. The Association of Professional Engineers & Geoscientists of New Brunswick (APEGNB) is the regulator in New Brunswick.
This means that even though you have a university degree in engineering or geoscience, and/or you may have worked as an engineer or geoscientist in another country, you may not call yourself a professional engineer or professional geoscientist in New Brunswick until you have become registered with APEGNB. You may also not take responsibility for engineering or geoscience work until you have become licensed with APEGNB.
Getting Registered In New Brunswick
- If you are an internationally educated engineer who wishes to practice in New Brunswick, you will be legally required to become registered with APEGNB.
- If you have completed an appropriate post-secondary program (typically bachelor’s degree) in a geoscience or earth science program, to practice professionally or call yourself a Professional Geoscientists you must become registered with APEGNB.
Each province in Canada conducts their own academic and competency assessment to determine eligibility and readiness for professional registration.
- Visit the Engineers Canada – Becoming a Licensed Engineer in Canada website on immigrating to and becoming a licensed practitioner in Canada.
- Visit the Geoscience in Canada website for information on becoming a licensed practitioner in New Brunswick.
How to submit an application
1. Become Academically Qualified
A) If your bachelor’s degree in engineering was obtained outside of Canada, we must first assess your education to make sure it meets (or exceeds) our academic requirements. For this, we will require a course by course (ICAP)report from World Education Service (WES). This report must be sent directly from WES to APEGNB (you can select APEGNB from a dropdown list on their website).
B) If you hold a Bachelor of Science or Baccalaureate Degree (B.Sc.) in Geoscience from a Canadian university your geoscience education must be verified and assessed against the geoscience knowledge requirements.
2. Begin application
A) For first time, internationally educated individuals with an engineering background, complete the online ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT APPLICATION.
B) GEOSCIENCE
- For first time geoscience applicants whose bachelor’s degree was from a Canadian university, complete the ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT – CANADIAN GEOSCIENCE application .
- For first time geoscience applicants whose bachelor’s degree was obtained internationally, and you are planning to move to or live in New Brunswick, complete the ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT – INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE application.
If you are unsure if any of these applications are right for you, complete our quiz to ensure you are applying for the appropriate pathway.
These applications will also advise you of which supporting documents are required for your situation and how to submit them. Please note, if we do not receive all required supporting documents within 1 year of the date of your application submission, your file will be closed. You will be required to reapply should you wish to continue with your registration.
NOTE: You must be a New Brunswick resident to receive the results of your academic assessment.
When your application is processed by APEGNB, you will receive an email with next steps.
3. Possible Outcomes
Completed applications will be submitted to the APEGNB Examinations Committee when all required documents are received.
They will compare your education to a typical Canadian Bachelor of Engineering degree (or to the Geoscientists Canada’s Geoscience Knowledge & Experience Requirement for geoscience applicants).
There are THREE (3) possible outcomes:
- You may exceed our academic requirements and the Examinations Committee did not assign you any additional exams. At this point you MAY NOW apply as a Member-in-Training or Professional, as appropriate.
- You may appear to meet our academic requirements. Confirmatory Exam(s) or an interview may be assigned to confirm that you have required depth and breadth of education.
- You may appear to have gaps in your education. You will be assigned technical exams or university level courses.