fallenatreus

Just feeling curious: Can someone use a software engineer designation without the formal education path (such as Computer Sc. degree etc). I always thought that to use a professional designation, you need to have professional qualification. Is there any laws/regulations/bodies that govern use of title of 'engineer'? I am interested to know, apart from learning to program and developing/designing software solutions, what makes a software engineer an 'engineer'?

Or is there a career path one has to take. After how many years in industry a person can start to call himself an engineer?

PS: Also curious what's the nuances of distinction between a Software Developer Vs Engineer?