Become a Board Certified Environmental Scientist™

The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists® certifies qualified environmental scientists recommended by peers in their field of specialty as a Board Certified Environmental Scientist through certification procedures prescribed by the Academy's Bylaws.

Minimum Requirements for Board Certified Environmental Scientist™ (BCES)

Each candidate for certification as a Board Certified Environmental Scientist™ is required to possess certain minimum qualifications.

All candidates shall:

Be persons of good moral character and of high ethical integrity and professional standing, as determined by the American Academy of Environmental Scientists Certification Board (AAESCB).
Possess a degree in environmental science or related science degree acceptable to the AAESCB.
Be professionally engaged in environmental science activities on a full time basis.

Through a combination of credentials review, examinations, and assessment of work experience a judgment is made regarding qualification for specialty certification. This work is entrusted primarily to the Academy's Admissions Committee and staff. However, the final decision to grant a certificate rests with the AAESCB. The process is completed when the person deemed worthy of certification accepts the certificate and the responsibilities that certification entails.

Experience Requirements

Written & Oral Exams

Candidates applying for certification by Written Examination and Peer Review shall have had at least eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience following receipt of a baccalaureate degree, of which four (4) years shall have been in responsible charge of work at a level acceptable to the AAESCB in one or more of the designated environmental science specialties.

A Master's and a Ph.D each count as 1.5 years towards the 8-year requirement for a maximum of 3 years. The years of work and education may not overlap.

Written Exam Waiver

Candidates applying for certification without written examination must have had at least sixteen (16) years of progressively responsible environmental science experience following receipt of baccalaureate degree, of which twelve (12) years shall have been in responsible charge of work at a level acceptable to the AAESCB in one or more of the designated environmental science specialties.

Qualifying experience includes active and responsible participation and involvement in design, management, research, administration, or teaching primarily in one or more fields of environmental science.

Available Specialties

By obtaining certification, you demonstrate competence through comprehensive written and oral examinations in one or more of the following specialties:

Air Resources
Environmental Biology
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Microbiology
Environmental Toxicology
Groundwater and the Subsurface Environment
Site Remediation (formerly known as Hazardous Waste Management and Site Remediation)
Solid Waste Management
Surface Water Resources
Sustainability Science

Initial Certification

The qualifications of all candidates for certification are first reviewed by the Academy's Admissions Committee to determine if the Academy's minimum requirements are satisfied and in which specialty the candidate is qualified to be examined. After approval by the Admissions Committee, the candidate is examined using written and/or oral examinations, as appropriate.

The results of the examinations are returned to Staff for processing and then sent to the Admissions Committee for final review of the examination results. Those candidates who meet all the prescribed requirements are recommended by the Admissions Committee to the AAESCB which votes to grant certification.

The written and oral examinations are specialty specific. They are developed and updated bi-annually by committees composed of Board Certified Environmental Scientists certified in the specialty covered by the examination. Security and scoring of the written examinations are the responsibility of the Academy's Test Administration Department. The oral examinations are conducted by teams of three Board Certified Environmental Scientists in accordance with prescribed guidelines. The hour-long oral examination, one part professional practice issues and two parts technical specialty problems, is used to determine a candidate's ethical concepts, maturity, presence of mind, judgment, and ability to apply principles and concepts which cannot be easily measured by written examinations. Should a candidate fail either one of the two examinations, the failed component(s) may be re-taken pursuant to Academy procedures.

Upon satisfactory completion of the entire Admissions process and paying the prescribed fees, the candidate is granted certification in a specialty recognized by the Academy and awarded the title, "Board Certified Environmental Scientist™". A certificate embossed with the name and specialty of the BCES is provided as confirmation.

How Do I Apply for Board Certification in Environmental Science?

The application package provides complete information about the Academy and its programs together with the materials you need to apply.

Complete this form to download the application for Board Certified Environmental Scientist™.

The application you return to us must include:

The original application. Please make sure your experience is fully detailed. It must coincide with the Academy's requirements and the specialty in which you are seeking certification. You must supply the name, address and current phone number of the individual most familiar with your work.
Your college transcripts sent by your college or University to the Academy or copies of your diplomas provided by you.
The application fee for board certification is $125 for non-members and free for AAEES Members. To sign up as an AAEES Member, go to https://www.aaees.org/aaeesmember. This fee is also waived if your company/organization is an AAEES Patron. Go to https://www.aaees.org/patronsprogram for more information.
If your application is approved, an examination fee of $175 must be paid by members and non members before the examination date. If this fee is not paid, you will not be examined. If your company/organization is an AAEES Patron, these fees are waived. Click here to view current AAEES Patrons Program Participants.

How Do I Submit My Application for Board Certification?

Online. Go to the Application Submission Form to upload your application.
Email. You may send your application to Susannah Walz at [email protected].
Pay the application fee. The application fee is $125 for non-members, FREE for AAEES Members and employees of AAEES Patrons. To sign up as an AAEES Member, go to https://www.aaees.org/aaeesmember.

What to Expect - Whom to Contact

Applications and all supporting documents must submitted to AAEES. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that reference forms and transcripts are also received by the Academy.
The Admissions Committee reviews each applicant's submission and decides: (1) if an applicant is qualified for examination, (2) the type of examination(s) - written, oral, or both, and (3) the specialty in which the candidate will be examined and potentially certified.
Oral examinations are given under the proctorship of an Academy BCES via Zoom or similar. Written examinations are given under the proctorship of a contracted testing service at a time and date selected by the applicant.
A digital book, How to Prepare for the Examinations for Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science Specialty Certifications, is available from the Academy for $35.00 to help you prepare for the examinations.
Examinations are scored and the results evaluated by the Admissions Committee. The Committee then makes a recommendation to the AAESCB for each candidate based upon its evaluation. The approved candidates are granted certification annually.