Become a DER

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Designated Engineering Representative.

Basic qualifications for becoming a Designated Engineering Representative (DER)

• Basic engineering knowledge appropriate to the designation being sought,
• Eight years of progressively responsible engineering experience for which an undergraduate engineering degree may be substituted for up to 4 years of maximum credit.
  • An applicant who has completed an FAA-Accepted Master of Science Degree in Airworthiness Engineering (MS-AWE), subsequent to an undergraduate engineering degree may claim credit for 1 year of experience in addition to the 4-year undergraduate credit.
  • Check here for current FAA-Accepted MS-AWE Degree Programs
• An applicant who has not earned an engineering degree may substitute 40 credit hours of successfully completed course work in engineering or related curriculum for 1 year of experience, up to 4 years of maximum credit.

Specific qualifications and instructions are found in FAA Order 8000.95, Designee Management Policy.

Applications must be made using the Designee Management System (DMS).