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Chartered Engineer (UK)

In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer is a professional engineer registered with Engineering Council UK (the British regulatory body for engineers). Contemporary Chartered Engineers are master's degree-qualified and have gained professional competencies through training and experience. The formation process (academic + internship + peer reviewed professional practice) of a chartered Engineer spans a minimum of 8-12 years. The title Chartered Engineer is protected by civil law. With over 180,000 registrants, it is one of the most recognizable international engineering qualifications with registrants in many countries.

Qualifications required for registration

According to Engineering Council UK, Chartered Engineers "are characterised by their ability to develop appropriate solutions to engineering problems, using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change. They might develop and apply new technologies, promote advanced designs and design methods, introduce new and more efficient production techniques, marketing and construction concepts, pioneer new engineering services and management methods. Chartered Engineers are variously engaged in technical and commercial leadership and possess interpersonal skills."

For registration, it is necessary for candidates to demonstrate that they are professionally competent through education, training and professional practice. Although many Chartered Engineers have honours degrees in engineering, science or mathematics, since 1997 it has been necessary to demonstrate masters level knowledge and understanding, most commonly by completion of the 4-year integrated MEng degree, or by gaining an appropriate masters degree following completion of a bachelor degree in engineering or a cognate subject. Candidates are also required to demonstrate an appropriate level of professional competence to practice, through evidence gained from records of initial professional development, and by professional review. The final stage of assessment is a "professional review" (interview) conducted by two Chartered Engineers and a Chairperson at which the candidate's competence will be assessed. A full description of the requirements for registration appears at Overall it usually takes a minimum of 8 years but usually 10 years of university education and post graduate training to achieve the Chartered Engineer qualification.

Designatory lettering

Chartered Engineers are entitled to use the suffix CEng after their names and to make use of the logo . This is written after honours, decorations and university degrees but before letters denoting membership of professional engineering institutions, for example:

A. B. Smith, OBE, BSc, CEng, FIET

When a Chartered Engineer has more than one institution membership conferring designatory letters, the institution through which the holder is registered as a Chartered Engineer appears immediately after CEng, with other memberships following in order of the institutions' foundation dates. Engineers with "chartered" titles awarded by professional institutions (such as Chartered Electrical Engineer, awarded by the Institution of Electrical Engineers prior to 2002) are only entitled to call themselves chartered engineers and use the CEng suffix if they are registered accordingly with Engineering Council UK.

International equivalence

The level of competence required for registration as a Chartered Engineer in the UK is not comparable to other English-speaking jurisdictions; and set at a higher level. It is comparable, however, to many continental European countries that require master's-level education for registration as a professional engineer. Since the Engineering Council (UK) moved to the M-Level qualification required for registration, there have been inconsistencies in the Washington Accord agreement on the recognition of academic qualifications.

Although the Engineering Council (UK) now requires a master's-level qualification for Chartered Engineer registration, the other Washington Accord signatories have not raised the level of qualification (it remains at the bachelor's degree-level). A recent International Engineering Allicance (IAE) meeting brought forth these issues regarding the Washington Accord. It was unanimously agreed that all Washington Accord countries will look to follow the path taken by the UK and raise the requirement for professional engineer registration to the master's degree-level. In the meantime, the Engineering Council (UK) can restrict registration to those that hold bachelor's degree qualifications from Washington Accord countries.

Chartered Engineers are entitled to register through the European Federation of National Engineering Associations as a European Engineer and use the pre-nominal of Eur Ing.

Bodies qualified to register Chartered Engineers

The body that maintains the UK's register of Chartered Engineers is Engineering Council UK. Authority to register Chartered Engineers is delegated to licenced member institutions:

Some of these institutions also register Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians. There are other Engineering Council UK licensed member institutions that register Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians but do not register Chartered Engineers.

References

A. & C. Black Staff. (2002). Titles and Forms of Address, 21st edition. A. & C. Black. ISBN 0-7136-6265-4
Engineering Council UK. ECUK Institution Details Retrieved 13 July 2007
Engineering Council UK. FEANI Registration and the EurIng Title Retrieved 13 July 2007
Engineering Council UK. Register Sections Retrieved 13 July 2007
Institution of Engineering and Technology. How to Use Your Post-Nominals Retrieved 13 July 2007
Institution of Engineering and Technology. The Chartered Engineer Qualification Retrieved 13 July 2007