Table 1. Some professional certifications relevant to the environmental sciences. This is not a
comprehensive list of environmental professional certifications.
Certification Certifying organization Web Site
Certified Ecologist Ecological Society of esa.org/careers_certification/
America
Board Certified American Academy of www.aaee.net/Website/WhyCertified.htm
Environmental Engineer Environmental Engineers
Certified Environmental Academy of Board www.abcep.org
Professional Certified Environmental
Professionals
Qualified Environmental Institute of Professional www.ipep.org
Professional Environmental Practice
Registered National Registry of www.nrep.org
Environmental Manager Environmental
Professionals
Fisheries Professional American Fisheries www.fisheries.org/afs/education.html
Society
GIS Professional GIS Certification Institute www.gisci.org
ACSM-THSOA National Society of www.nspsmo.org/hydrographic_cert/hydrog
Certified Hydrographer Professional Surveyors raphic_index.shtml
(member organization of
ACSM)
Certified Lake Manager North American Lake www.nalms.org/CLMProgram/Default.aspx
Management Society
Chartered Marine Institute of Marine www.imarest.org/membership/registration
Scientist Engineering, Science and
Technology
Chartered Meteorologist Royal Meteorological www.rmets.org/activities/cmet/index.php
Society
Certified Consulting American Meteorological www.ametsoc.org/amscert/index.html
Meteorologist Society
Certified American Society for www.asprs.org/membership/certification
Photogrammetrist, Photogrammetry &
Certified Mapping Remote Sensing
Scientist – Remote
Sensing
Professional Wetland Society of Wetland www.wetlandcert.org
Scientist Scientists
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Table 2. Summary of some pertinent information about the twelve U.S.-based certification and
two U.K.-based chartered registration programs listed in Table 1. This information was obtained
through the certifying organizations' web sites, and in eight cases with additional e-mail and/or
phone contact with someone at the certifying organization.
Sponsor Government-sanctioned professional society (2); professional society
(8); independent agency or organization (4)
Start year 1957-2004
Accrediting International Certification Accreditation Board, Council of Engineering
organizations and Scientific Specialty Boards
Recognizing Air Force, Army Corps of Engineers, Dept. of Energy, EPA, National
Organizations Park Service, NOAA, U.S. Forest Service, USGS, U.S. Postal Service,
state and local governments, National Association of Counties, port
authorities, courts, University Consortium for GIS, National State
Geographic Information Council, some companies
# people certified 51 - 1664
% applicants who < 2% or "very small" (4), 5% (1), 15% (2), 36% (1)
fail
Fees 1st time: $50 - $600; renewal: $35-$275
Education None (3); bachelor's degree (10, including some that require certain
requirements courses or that the degree is in engineering or science); master's degree
(1)
Experience 2 – 16 yrs; 5 yrs is most common. For some, M.S. may be used to
requirements substitute for 1-2 yrs; Ph.D. for 2-3 yrs. For one, B.S., M.S. or Ph.D.
each count for 0.5 yrs experience.
Test requirements None (7); written (4); written or oral (1); written and oral (2). In two
programs, the written exam may be waived if applicant has 15-16 yrs
experience.
Other requirements References; sign code of ethics; technical report; essay; oral
presentation and/or interview; membership in a professional society; be
professionally engaged in the field
Continuing Point system for professional development activities (9); none (3);
requirements continuing professional development log must be submitted (2)
Recertification 5 yrs (8; some also have an annual fee); 3 yrs (1); 1 yr (4), none (1)
interval
Program Small profit (2), break even (2), loss (3)
Profitability
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