Engineering Ethics and Societal Impacts
Professional ethics and awareness of societal impact are core to licensure. The FE tests the canons of ethical practice and the wider consequences of engineering work.
Fundamental Canons
The first and overriding canon is that engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. Engineers also serve as faithful agents, perform only in areas of competence, and issue truthful public statements.
Public Protection and Licensure
Licensing boards exist to protect the public, not to promote the profession's economic interests. Engineers must disclose conflicts of interest, avoid deceptive acts, and report conditions that endanger public safety.
Societal and Sustainability Impacts
Engineering decisions carry economic, environmental, and social consequences over a project's full life cycle. Sustainability, life-cycle analysis, and equitable public safety are increasingly part of the ethical calculus.