Every licensed engineer understands that PDH credits are an important element of a successful career. Despite their importance, most engineers let them just hover in the background, to the point where it seems like they aren’t taking them as seriously as they should.
According to us, the reason for this disconnect is failing to understand all the details clearly. Many engineers understand that they need to take PDH courses to keep their licences active, but that’s just about it. They don’t necessarily know which courses count, what their state expects, and what happens if they get their professional development wrong.
So, here’s what you should know to succeed in your professional development journey.
What PDH Credits Actually Are
The term PDH stands for Professional Development Hours. You typically earn one PDH credit from an hour of structured learning, either through a course or a different approved training program. The PDH courses you take must contribute to your professional competence as an engineer, which is why you must use your state licensing board’s requirements as a guide.
In most cases, nonetheless, earning your PDH credits through a top-rated provider like RocketCert guarantees success. That’s because such a provider does their due diligence to ensure their courses not only deliver high-quality content but also meet the state’s regulatory requirements.
How Many PDH Credits Do You Need?
Once most of the engineers learn that they must complete PDH programs to keep their licences intact, they will naturally want to know how many PDH credits they need. Well, the truth is that there is no single national rule. PDH requirements are, in most cases, set by state licensing boards, and they vary a lot more than you’d expect.
A majority of the states, however, require 15 PDHs every year, while others need slightly less than that. It’s also common for states to combine the PDH requirements into two years. In such a case, you would, for instance, be required to have 30 PDHs during a biennial renewal cycle.
Additionally, some states specify a minimum number of live or interactive learning hours, while others adopt a more flexible approach. If you are licensed in multiple states, it’s always best to treat the strictest requirement as the baseline, and then you can work from there.
Approved And Non-Approved PDH Topics
This area comes with a lot of confusion for many engineers. Not every learning activity counts when it comes to PDH credits, even if it feels professionally relevant. So, here’s a closer look at the approved and non-approved topics.
Approved Topics
While the approved topics vary greatly from one state to the next, most of the licensing boards simply require the content of your PDH course to be relevant to the engineering practice and count towards licence renewal. The most commonly approved topics in this category are:
- Engineering topics
- Project management
- Ethics for professional engineers
- Laws & rules for engineers
Non-Approved Topics
Again, the topics that aren’t recognised by licensing boards do vary between states. The areas that generally won’t count towards PDH are:
- Self-improvement (Courses or programs that train you on general self-improvement or personal hobbies)
- Personal development (Topics such as those meant for personal financial management)
The In-Between Topics
Some topics fall into a grey area, which means that they are accepted as PDH in some states but not in others. The most common are:
- Leadership
- Business skills
- Engineering firm management
- Computer skills
Given this information, it’s easy to understand why it is important to check with your state’s licensing board so you’re always sure that the PDH programs you engage in are accepted.
PDH Courses You Can Count On
It’s not a secret that personal development is crucial if you want to succeed as an engineer. And though a majority of course providers promise to deliver top-quality content, only a select few actually do. One of these is RocketCert.
Their online, expertly written and fully narrated courses come with everything you need and more to succeed in this industry. So, if you’ve been looking for a convenient and fun way to continue your education in engineering, this is it!