Hi, 

So I have recently had an email to say my application has been approved and I am awaiting detail of a date regarding my Professional registration interview. However, after reaching out to a Professional registration advisor they queried my academic qualifications and said that UK-SPEC fourth edition now requires a bachelors with hons plus a masters degree. I have a BEngs hons and have completed half a masters (international work assignment prevented me completing the masters until I return). I have 3.5yrs work based experience post my partial masters learning. Based on this should I attend the interview as planned or will I get rejected as I do not have a masters as per the UK-SPEC states for CEng applicants? Please help I’ve been searching online all evening!! 

I personally would attend the interview if your application is approved pending interview. 

I would personally advise that you attend the PRI as scheduled. 

The professional registration process comprises several stages. The fact that you were invited to the PRI means you passed the necessary pre-screening of application completeness and underpinning knowledge and understanding. The PRI is to confirm / clarify what you have written in your application and to show commitment to professional practice.

I believe there may be a misinterpretation of UK-SPEC by some. CEng requires master level “underpinning knowledge and understanding”. Not necessarily a master degree. This may be achieved in several ways. Formal education (i.e. MEng or BEng/BSc/BTech + MSc/EngD) or combination of education and/or work experience. 

Andy Millar: 
 

I've just checked the FAQ page 

It would be really helpful if this included a comment on timescales as this is definitely an FAQ? 

Thanks,

Andy

Hi Andy

Great suggestion, I've forwarded this on to the relevant team for them to consider. ?

Lisa

Thank you David, I have had a second conversation with my PRA and have since provided him with additional detail of my qualifications and work based experience and he has since agreed that I should definitely pursue to pursue my CEng and attend my interview. Thanks to all who responded. 

There appears to be some confusion here about a requirement to have a masters with honours Batchelors or master's level education to apply for registration as CEng.  Unfortunately this is incorrect.

You are not required to have master's level education to apply to be registered as a CEng. No where in V4 of the UK-Spec is there any mention of this requirement. In fact the words master's level are not there either.

To apply for registration you are required to demonstrate underpinning knowledge and understanding (UK&U) at the level for which you are applying for registration. So each of the categories of registration has its own requirements. 

You can demonstrate the required level of UK&U via recognised qualifications. These are for For IEng and CEng these are:

Incorporated Engineer (IEng)

One of the following:

• An accredited Bachelors or honours degree in engineering or technology

• An accredited Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in engineering or technology started before September 1999

• An HNC or HND started after September 1999 (but before September 2010 in the case of the HNC) or a Foundation Degree in engineering or technology, plus appropriate further learning to degree level

• A National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) at level 4 that has been approved by a Licensee, plus appropriate further learning to degree level

Equivalent qualifications or apprenticeships accredited or approved by a Licensee, or at an equivalent level in a relevant national or international qualifications framework

• An accredited Bachelors degree with honours in engineering or technology, plus either an appropriate Masters degree or engineering doctorate accredited by a Licensee, or appropriate further learning to Masters level*

Chartered Engineer (CEng)

One of the following:

• An accredited integrated MEng degree

• An accredited Bachelors degree with honours in engineering or technology started before September 1999

• Equivalent qualifications or apprenticeships accredited or approved by a Licensee, or at an equivalent level in a relevant national or international qualifications framework

However, if an applicant does not hold recognised qualifications, they may still make an individual application. It is important to note that over 70% of all applications to the IET for registration are individual applications. 

Individual applicants will be assessed to determine if they can demonstrate the required level of UK&U for the level of registration for which they are applying.  Many factors will be considered and we call this looking for UK&U hooks in an applicants career. Examples of possible hooks are shown below.

So hopefully, this sets aside any misconceptions that candidates for CEng need a masters!  

Further details are on the IET website in the new revised guidance launched in September.. 

See attached and extract from UK-SPEC 4th edition on requirement for EngTech, IEng and CEng professional registration.

Hope this helps clarification. 

Just to be clear, as others have said above, this table is NOT a list of requirements, it is (as it says) recognised qualifications. You don't have to have ANY of these to achieve these professional registration statuses.

But if you don't have any of these you need to show that you've gained the same level of knowledge and understanding through your work experience (and / or through unrecognised qualifications), which is of course a harder task than showing it by a certificate. So it certainly makes it easier for the applicant to fill in the form if they have one of these.

Thanks,

Andy