The board may approve engineering, land surveying, and related science programs which shall be accepted under the following criteria:

(1) PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for licensure as a professional engineer:

a. Graduation and experience plus examination.

1. Graduation in an approved engineering curriculum plus four years experience. A graduate of an approved engineering curriculum of four years or more from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamental engineering subjects and in the principles and practice of engineering and has a specific record of an additional four years or more of progressive experience in engineering work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice engineering in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

2. Graduation in an unapproved engineering curriculum plus six years experience. A graduate of an unapproved engineering curriculum of four years or more who has successfully passed a board- approved examination in the fundamental engineering subjects and in the principles and practice of engineering and has a specific record of an additional six years or more of progressive experience in engineering work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice engineering in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

b. Comity. The board may, upon application, issue a certificate of licensure as a professional engineer to any person who holds a valid professional engineering certificate issued by any jurisdiction of the United States or of any country; provided, that the education, experience, and examination qualifications of the applicant are, in the judgment of the board, of a standard not lower than that specified in the applicable licensure act in effect in Alabama at the time such certificate was issued.

(2) ENGINEER INTERN. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for certification as an engineer intern:

a. Graduation and examination. A graduate of an approved engineering curriculum of four years or more from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamental engineering subjects shall be certified as an engineer intern, if otherwise qualified.

b. Graduation and examination plus experience. Graduation in an unapproved engineering curriculum plus two years experience. A graduate of an unapproved engineering curriculum of four years or more who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamental engineering subjects and who has a specific record of two years or more of progressive experience in engineering work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be certified as an engineer intern, if otherwise qualified.

c. Comity. The education, experience, and examination qualifications of the applicant are, in the judgment of the board, of a standard not lower than that specified in the applicable licensure act in effect in Alabama at the time such certificate was issued. Fundamentals of engineering examinations of comparable character taken and passed in another jurisdiction may be accepted by the board.

(3) PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for licensure as a professional land surveyor.

a. Graduation and experience plus examination.

1. Graduation in an approved land surveying curriculum plus four years experience. A graduate of an approved land surveying curriculum of four years or more, or a graduate of an approved civil engineering curriculum of four years or more, including a minimum of 15 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours of land surveying courses from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed board-approved examinations in the fundamentals of surveying and in the principles and practice of surveying and has a specific record of four years or more of progressive combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be admitted to a board-approved examination on laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to land surveying in this state. Upon passing the examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice land surveying in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

2. Graduation in an approved curriculum related to surveying plus five years' experience. A graduate of a curriculum related to surveying of four years or more including a minimum of 15 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours of surveying courses from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed board-approved examinations in the fundamentals of surveying and in the principles and practice of land surveying and has a specific record of five years or more of progressive combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be admitted to a board-approved examination of laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to land surveying in this state. Upon passing the examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice land surveying in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

3. Graduation in a related science curriculum plus six years' experience. A graduate of a related science curriculum of four years or more from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed board-approved examinations in fundamentals of surveying and in the principles and practice of land surveying and has a specific record of an additional six years or more of progressive combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be admitted to a board-approved examination of laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to land surveying in this state. Upon passing the examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice land surveying in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

b. Comity. The board, upon application, may grant to any person who holds a valid professional land surveying certificate issued by any jurisdiction of the United States or of any country, admission into a board-approved examination of laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to land surveying in this state, provided that the education, experience, and examination qualifications of the applicant are, in the judgment of the board, of a standard not lower than that specified in the applicable licensure act in effect in this state at the time such certificate was issued. Upon passing the examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice land surveying in this state, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

(4) LAND SURVEYOR INTERN. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for certification as a land surveyor intern:

a. Graduation plus examination. Graduation in an approved land surveying curriculum. A graduate of a land surveying or civil engineering curriculum of four years or more including a minimum of 15 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours of land surveying courses from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamentals of surveying shall be certified as a land surveyor intern, if otherwise qualified.

b. Graduation and examination plus experience.

1. Graduation in an approved curriculum related to surveying plus one year's experience. A graduate of a curriculum related to surveying of four years or more including a minimum of 15 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours of surveying courses from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamentals of surveying and has a specific record of an additional one year or more of combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be certified as a land surveyor intern, if otherwise qualified.

2. Graduation in a related science curriculum plus two years' experience. A graduate of a related science curriculum of four years or more who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamentals of surveying and has a specific record of an additional two years or more of combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be certified as a land surveyor intern, if otherwise qualified.

3. Graduation in an approved associate of science degree in surveying or engineering plus two years' experience. A graduate of an approved associate of science degree program in surveying or engineering including a minimum of 15 semester hours or 22.5 quarter hours of land surveying courses from a school or college approved by the board who has successfully passed a board-approved examination in the fundamentals of surveying and has a specific record of an additional two years or more of combined office and field experience in land surveying work of a grade and character satisfactory to the board shall be certified as a land surveyor intern, if otherwise qualified.

c. Comity. The education, experience, and examination qualifications of the applicant are, in the judgment of the board, of a standard not lower than that specified in the applicable licensure act in effect in Alabama at the time such certificate was issued. The board may accept fundamentals of land surveying examinations of comparable character taken and passed in another jurisdiction.

(5) CHARACTER. No person shall be eligible for licensure as a professional engineer, certification as an engineer intern, licensure as a professional land surveyor, or certification as a land surveyor intern who is not of good character and reputation.

(6) TEACHING CREDITS. In considering the qualifications of applicants, teaching in an engineering curriculum approved by the board may be considered as engineering experience. Teaching land surveying subjects in a land surveying curriculum approved by the board may be considered as land surveying experience.

(7) GRADUATE STUDY. In counting years of experience for professional engineer licensure, the board may give credit, not in excess of one year, for successful completion of graduate study leading to a master's degree in engineering. If a Ph.D. in engineering is completed, a total of two years' experience may be credited. The two-year credit shall include one year for the master's degree. If the Ph.D. is obtained without the master's degree, the credit for experience shall be two years. In counting years of experience for professional land surveyor licensure, the board may give credit, not in excess of one year, for successful completion of graduate study leading to a master's degree in land surveying. If a Ph.D. in land surveying is completed, a total of two years' experience may be credited. The credit of two years shall include one year for the master's degree. If the Ph.D. is obtained without the master's degree, the credit for experience shall be two years.

(8) NONPRACTICING APPLICANTS. Any person having the necessary qualifications prescribed in this chapter to entitle the applicant to licensure shall be eligible for licensure although the applicant may not be practicing engineering or land surveying at the time of making application.

(9) RECOGNITION OF PREVIOUSLY TAKEN EXAMINATIONS. The board may accept fundamentals and principles and practice examinations of comparable character taken and passed in another jurisdiction.