Additional Information
Engineers must have a bachelor's or a master's degree. Five- or six-year
co-op programs are also sometimes available.
In the United States, professional engineers who work in areas that affect
life, health or property, or who offer their services to the public, must
be licensed. Licensed engineers are called professional engineers (PEs).
Professional engineers can become quality assurance engineers. In some
places, university courses can help engineers prepare for CQE (certified quality
engineer) exams. Two-year technical courses are also available at some colleges
and universities.
Engineers who want to be certified through the American Society for Quality
(ASQ) must have eight years of combined work experience and education. "For
example, you could have four years of education and four years of work experience,
or you could have a two-year technical diploma and six years of work experience,"
says Louise Routledge. She works for a technology institute.
ASQ members with the right education and experience study for a five-hour
exam. Those who pass are given a quality assurance engineer certification.
The ASQ outlines the areas that will be tested. The test covers quality
inspection, metrology (how to use gauges to measure parts), and the theory
and application of quality assurance. It also covers auditing, statistical
quality control applications and the design of experiments.
"Design of experiments means looking at the interaction between variables.
For instance, suppose you have a machine with several valves to turn. What
happens if you turn the pressure valves and heat valves up at the same time?"
says Routledge.
Quality assurance engineers must understand statistics. They must also
use computers. Attention to detail and good oral and written skills are important.