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ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) has standardised the academic requirements for CEng and IEng registration:

CEng:

  • Accredited BEng (Hons) degree plus appropriate Masters degree or
  • Accredited BEng (Hons) degree plus approved Further Learning to Masters level or
  • Accredited MEng

IEng:

  • Accredited Bachelor’s degree or
  • HND/Foundation degree plus approved Further Learning to Bachelor’s level

The current standard allows more flexibility for engineers with differing levels of qualifications to meet the academic requirements. 

Accredited qualifications

If your primary qualification is Accredited by us or Accredited by another UK professional engineering Institution – you will have already met part or all of the benchmark academic requirements for becoming an IEng or CEng.

Is my degree Accredited?

In the first instance, complete our Qualification checker to find out if your degree is Accredited. You can also review the Engineering Council's Accredited course database. We accept degrees Accredited by other professional engineering institutions without the need for further review.

What if it’s not Accredited?

If your degree isn’t Accredited by another professional engineering institution, it may be covered by a mutual recognition accord.

Mutual recognition accord is where engineering institutions recognise international academic qualifications as equivalent to their own. Recognition of graduates of programmes Accredited by any signatory by registering or licencing bodies in other signatory jurisdictions is subject to the following restrictions. The graduate must have completed the programme: 

  • Later than the date of admission of the Accrediting signatory; and
  • During the period of validity of the Accreditation (which may have commenced prior to the date of admission). 

We will accept qualifications Accredited by the Washington, Sydney and Dublin Accords. Full details on acceptable admission dates and restrictions are listed on the following websites: The Washington Accord is for CEng-level qualifications, Sydney Accord for IEng-level qualifications and Dublin Accord for EngTech-level qualifications.

The countries covered by these agreements are:

  • Australia
  • Canada 
  • Chinese Taipei
  • Hong Kong China 
  • India (Tier 1 Institutions, Washington Accord Only)
  • Ireland 
  • Japan (Washington Accord only)
  • Korea
  • Malaysia (Washington Accord only)
  • New Zealand 
  • Russia (Washington Accord only)
  • Singapore (Washington Accord only)
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka (Washington Accord only)
  • Turkey (Washington Accord Only)
  • United Kingdom
  • USA

What if my qualification doesn’t fit into these categories?

If you haven't done so already, please fill out and submit the Qualification checker and we’ll let you know if it’s Accredited or recognised.

If you have been advised that your qualification isn’t Accredited by us or Accredited by another professional engineering institution, or covered by one of the mutual recognition accords, you’ll need to go through the Academic Review process. You’ll also need to complete this review process if you don’t have any formal qualifications or if you only have pre-degree qualifications, such as HNC/HND.

Find out how to apply for Academic Review

Frequently asked questions

My qualifications were Accredited by the Institution in the past – do I need to complete any more study?

If you graduated with an Accredited BEng degree pre 1999 or an Accredited MEng, then you probably will not need to undertake any Further learning.

If you’ve completed a non-accredited BEng degree or graduated post 1999, check with the membership team, as you might have to complete some Further Learning to master's level if you are intending on applying for CEng registration. You can also find out by completing our Qualification checker.

What is Further Learning?

Further Learning is a demonstration of a broadening and deepening of your knowledge up to the required academic benchmark for your chosen professional registration. It is intended to 'top up' your formal qualification to the required benchmark level. Read about Further learning.

I have completed an Open University Engineering degree – is my degree Accredited?

The Institution currently Accredits a number of Open University Engineering programmes. Due to the nature of Open University degrees the Institution is only able to apply Accreditation to certain pathways (or themes) which form these programmes.

To find out if your Open University degree is accredited please complete the Qualification checker. Should you wish to find out which modules must be completed to receive an IMechE Accredited degree, please either contact membership@imeche.org or The Open University directly.

Are there any academic requirements for MPDS?

No, you don't have to meet an academic requirement to join a Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS), but you will need to make sure you meet the requirements before you complete MPDS and apply for registration as either a CEng or an IEng.

When can I apply for Academic Review?

After you graduate any unaccredited degree – or whenever you decide to become a member. We recommend starting as soon as possible, as this review will let you know whether you need to do any further study to meet the academic benchmark of your chosen professional registration.

If you are currently studying for an unaccredited master's qualification we recommend that you finish your course before applying for Academic Review – you should also complete the qualification checker form before applying. If you are unsure if your degree is Accredited, simply complete the Qualification checker.

Become a member

Contact our Membership team if you have any questions about joining us:

  • membership@imeche.org
  • +44 (0)20 7304 6999

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