Professional Development Opportunities for NCDOT Employees

Fundamental Engineering Principles (FEP) Program

Started in 1992 as a cooperative venture with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the FEP Program offers introductory engineering education for transportation technicians. FEP courses build a deeper conceptual understanding of transportation design, inspection, and field practices. Initially offered throughout the state of North Carolina, FEP is now available nationwide through the use of live online virtual classrooms. Technician development continues with the capstone Highway Engineering Concepts (HEC) course.

• For technicians with little or no engineering background
• 10 courses that introduce engineering fundamentals
• Two prerequisites – Mathematics and Physics
• Bypass exams available for demonstrated proficiency
• Certificates available for 5 modules*
• Live online virtual classroom
• 7 to 13 weeks (varies by course)
• 3 hours per week (one half day)
• Weekly graded tests
• 3-hour comprehensive final exam

Cost: Free to NCDOT technicians with supervisor approval. Please complete the FEP Registration excel sheet found at the bottom of the page and email to Walt Thomas (wthomas@ncsu.edu) to register.

2024-2025 Scheduling Details:

• FEP courses meet in an online virtual classroom one morning per week from 8 am until 11 am.
• Students must complete (or bypass) Mathematics, then Physics, prior to registering for other courses. Fall courses must be completed (or bypassed) prior to corresponding spring courses.
• A sample pathway through the FEP Program is presented below. Please note that once prerequisites are met, courses can be completed in any order.
• Bypass exam administration dates are August 6 and February 4. Final exams are administered upon completion of individual courses: October 1; December 10 and 11; March 28; and June 4 and 5.
• Instructor will email detailed schedule, printable textbook, and online access information prior to class start.

Sample Pathway	FEP Course	Meeting Day	Start Date
Year 1	Mathematics* Physics* Geotechnical Engineering*	Thursday Thursday Thursday	September 5 February 13 April 3
Year 2, 3, or 4	Statics Strength of Materials Structure Design*	Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday	August 13 October 8 March 4
Year 2, 3, or 4	Fluid Mechanics Hydraulics	Monday Monday	September 30 March 17
Year 2, 3, or 4	Horizontal and Vertical Alignment Highway Design*	Wednesday Wednesday	September 25 March 19
*Certificate Available for Module Completion

Registration Form: FEP Registration [XLS | 50KB]

 

Highway Engineering Concepts (HEC) Program

Applies the engineering principles covered in FEP to the design of an interchange.  Similar topics as covered in FEP and are applied to a semester interchange design project.  Courses are delivered live on Mondays from late July to early December in Raleigh or Hickory (every third year).

• Course Location(s): Raleigh (2025, 2026), Hickory (2027)
• Contact Hours: ~125 hours
• Course Topics:
  • Transportation Planning & Engineering
  • Highway Alignment
  • Highway Design
  • Solid Statics / Strength of Materials
  • Structure Design
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Hydraulics

• Target Audience: High school diploma, two-year degree, or non-engineering four-year degree

The course has a project-based format and consists of 17 classes that will be held weekly from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., one day a week (typically Mondays), from mid-July to mid-December.  The HEC graduation is held in Raleigh in January.

To reduce drops and increase the level of success with the project-based format of the HEC course a HEC Attendance Policy has been established between NCDOT and ITRE.  The policy requires that prior to enrollment in the course participants must demonstrate proficiency in Horizontal and Vertical Alignment (H&V). This requirement can be satisfied in any one of three different ways:  (1) earning a two-year AAS degree in Civil Engineering Technology, or higher related degree, (2) passing the FEP Mathematics, FEP Physics, and FEP Horizontal & Vertical Alignment courses, or (3) passing the HEC Horizontal & Vertical Alignment Qualifying Exam.

Cost: Free to NCDOT technicians with supervisor approval.

Complete your registration at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_hec_ncdot by the end of June.  Please send any questions to Lori Cahill (lmcahill@ncsu.edu).

 

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Civil Engineering Review Course

Provides a review for civil engineers for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.  All 40 courses are delivered online (Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings) during the winter/spring and are recorded for use by participants in preparation for the exam.

• Course Location: Online
• Contact Hours: ~130 hours
• Course Topics:
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Ethics and Professional Practice
  • Engineering Economics
  • Statics
  • Dynamics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Materials
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Surveying
  • Water Resources and Environmental Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Construction Engineering
• Target Audience: Participants must be eligible to sit for the FE exam within one year of the course.  Experience and education level must meet the threshold established by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

The Civil Engineering FE Review course will be entirely online.  The classes will meet every Tuesday night from 6:00pm–9:00pm; AND every Friday morning from 8:30am–12 noon, using the internet meeting program Adobe Connect.  Employees will be contacted directly with special instructions and training on the Adobe Connect system before the first class. The  course runs from early January to the end of May.

The NCDOT attendance policy applies for the PE and FE Exam Review courses.  First, NCDOT will sponsor an employee to take each course only once. Second, by taking a course, each participant agrees to take the respective national exam within one year plus thirty days after the start of the course.  Participants not complying with this policy will be invoiced for the standard course fee. It is strongly recommended that participants register for their preferred scheduled exam, preferably prior to signing up for the course.  

If you are not aware of your eligibility for the FE exam, please see a summary of the requirements linked below.  We’re glad to answer any questions you have about these changes and provide recommendations about eligibility.

Cost: Free to NCDOT technicians with supervisor approval.

Complete your registration at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_fe_review_ncdot by early December.  Please send any questions to Kelly Holsopple (keholsop@ncsu.edu).

• Self-Paced Option: Register for the self-paced version, available anytime at: https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_fe_review_self-paced_ncdot. Please note that this version is a recorded option based on the live class and does not include access to the instructors. You may register for this option by itself or in addition to the live online course at no cost, with supervisor approval.

Eligibility Summary: Eligibility for FE and PE Exams

 

Professional Engineering (PE) Civil Engineering Review Course

Provides a review for civil engineers for the Professional Engineering (PE) exam. Participants in the PE review course typically have a 10-20% higher pass rate than the national average. Courses are delivered live in Raleigh on alternating weekends (Friday and Saturday) for eight sessions from early January to April. 

Our review includes the newest NCEES changes to the exam from April 2024. The PE Review Course includes depth reviews on all topics except for Structural Engineering, however it may not be necessary for you to attend every single session. Review the PE specifications on the NCEES website for your Civil discipline to know which topics/sessions will be necessary to attend.

• Course Location: Raleigh
• Contact Hours: ~110 hours
• Course Topics:
  • Structural Engineering (Depth review not offered) 
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Water Resources and Environmental Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Construction Management and Materials
• Target Audience: Participants must be eligible to sit for the PE exam within one year of the course.  Experience and education level must meet the threshold established by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

The PE Civil Discipline-Specific (DS) Friday/Saturday Review Course will be taught at ITRE in Room 2600 on NC State University’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh, NC.  It will be conducted alternate weekends, from 9:00am-5:00pm on Fridays and from 8:00am-4:00pm on Saturdays. The dates are alternating weekends from January through April. 

The NCDOT attendance policy applies for the PE and FE Exam Review courses.  First, NCDOT will sponsor an employee to take each course only once. Second, by taking a course, each participant agrees to take the respective national exam within one year plus thirty days after the start of the course.  Participants not complying with this policy will be invoiced for the standard course fee. It is strongly recommended that participants become registered for their preferred scheduled exam, preferably prior to signing up for the course.

If you are not aware of your eligibility for the PE exam, please see a summary of the requirements linked below.  We’re glad to answer any questions you have about these changes and provide recommendations about eligibility.

Cost: Free to NCDOT employees with supervisor approval.

Complete your registration at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_pe_review_ncdot by early December.  Please send any questions to Kelly Holsopple (keholsop@ncsu.edu).

• Self-Paced Online Option: NCDOT employees are also eligible to access a pre-recorded online class at a cost of $250. This course has been updated with new content that includes depth content from the April 2024 changes (effective February 1, 2025).  Sign up at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_pe_review_study_aid_ncdot
• Synchronous Live Online Option: This option is available to NCDOT employees who are unable to attend the live January to April PE Review course in Raleigh due to supervisor and NCDOT approved reasons such as travel time or other hardships. Registration is free to NCDOT employees, but subject to approval. This Tuesday and Thursday evening course has been updated with new content that includes the April 2024 depth changes.  Register for August to November Live Online PE Review

Eligibility Summary: Eligibility for FE and PE Exams

 

Executive Education – NCDOT Financial, Budget, and Procurement Processes

Develop a more complete understanding of NCDOT financial, budget, and procurement processes with online, self-paced training offered by the NC Department of Transportation Multi-Modal Transportation Units and the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at NC State University. There are two trainings in this series: an introduction and an advanced course. 

• Course Location: Self-Paced Online
• Introduction Course Topics:
  • The Big Picture with Julie White, Deputy Secretary for Multi-Modal Transportation, and Stephanie King, Chief Financial Officer
  • Understanding Your Budget, the Budget Bill, and More with Joe Wilson, Budget Director
  • (Almost) Everything Besides LSCs with Joni Robbins, Procurement Director
• Advanced Course Topics:
  • Prequal/Discipline Codes/Work Codes with Jim McMellon, State Prequalification Engineer
  • Consultant Rate System with Shanna Cofield, CURT Senior Auditor, and John Stroud, CURT Team Lead Auditor
  • LSC Overview with Robert Stroup, State Professional Services Engineer
  • Smartsheet Resources and LSC Overview with Blair Chambers, Senior Transportation Advisor, IMD
  • Task Orders with Robert Stroup, State Professional Services Engineer
  • Kitchen Sink Workshop with Laura Sutton, Team Lead Project Management Unit
  • What OIG Reviews for in LSCs, POs, and Invoices with Shanna Cofield, CURT Senior Auditor, and John Stroud, CURT Team Lead Auditor
  • Consultant Evaluation Process with Robert Stroup, State Professional Services Engineer
  • Research Procurement Basics with Neil Mastin, Research and Development Manager

Cost: Introduction Course $75; Advanced Course $150 ($25 discount for NCDOT Modal employees given at time of registration – use Discount Code MODE DISCOUNT). Please note that the Introduction Course must be completed prior to registration for the Advanced Course. Each course is available for 6 months from the date of registration.

Complete your registration at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_intro_ncdot for the Introduction Course and at https://go.ncsu.edu/itre_adv_ncdot for the Advanced Course.  Please send any questions to Lori Cahill (lmcahill@ncsu.edu).

See below for an introductory video on how to navigate NCDOT Executive Education courses and the Moodle platform.

https://youtu.be/U9sqdtqwSKw

Executive Education – Growing at NCDOT

Increase your understanding of what your career can do for you at NCDOT. Learn about new opportunities and challenges that can help you grow professionally. This online, self-paced class will include several different modules.

Course Topics:

• Professional Development
• Improving performance
• Building Pathways to career advancement
• Mentorship
• & so much more!

Cost: Free to NCDOT employees!

Register here, and start by watching the first module, featuring the Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation, Julie White, interview current NCDOT leaders about their career journeys and their strategies for success and opportunity. See the video below for a sneak peak!