Why become professionally registered?
Professional Registration is awarded by the Engineering Council. It is global recognition of your professional competence and technical excellence, and provides a benchmark through which the public and employers can have confidence and trust in your skills and ability.
RINA is a Nominated and Licensed Body of the Engineering Council. On becoming a Member (MRINA) or Fellow (FRINA), you are entitled to apply for Professional Registration.
You can apply for your Professional Registration at the same time as you apply for RINA Member or Fellow Membership. You can also apply once your Member or Fellow Membership is confirmed. Just let us know so we can keep your record up to date.
Depending on your academic achievements, professional development and experience, you can apply to become:
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Qualification requirements
The requirements for EngTech, IEng and CEng can be found in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).
EngTech
Typically, applicants will have successfully completed an Advanced/Modern Apprenticeship or other work-based learning programme.
Or, alongside appropriate working experience, they will hold:
- a qualification, approved by a licensed professional engineering institution, in engineering or construction set at level 3 (or above) in the Qualifications and Credit Framework/National Qualifications Framework for England and Northern Ireland; or at level 6 (or above) in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework; or at level 3 (or above) in the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales;
- or equivalent qualifications approved by a licensed professional engineering institution.
To check whether your academic qualification is approved for EngTech please click here.
You can still become an EngTech without these academic qualifications. Further information about the individual, work-based, assessment process can be found in UK-SPEC or through contact the RINA Membership Team
IEng
- An accredited Bachelors or honours degree in engineering or technology
- An accredited HNC or HND in engineering or technology (for programmes started before Sept 1999)
- An HNC or HND started after Sept 1999 (but before Sept 2010 in the case of the HNC) or a Foundation Degree in engineering or technology, plus appropriate further learning to degree level
- An NVQ4 or SVQ4 that has been approved for the purpose by a licensed engineering institution, plus appropriate further learning to degree level
You can still become an IEng without these academic qualifications. Further information about the individual, work-based, assessment process can be found in UK-SPEC or through contact the RINA Membership Team
CEng
- An accredited integrated MEng degree or equivalent
Or
- An accredited BEng degree or equivalent, plus an appropriate accredited Masters degree.
You can still become a CEng without these academic qualifications. Further information about the individual, work-based, assessment process can be found in UK-SPEC or through contact the RINA Membership Team
International accords
International accords are agreements between engineering organisations in various countries to recognise each other’s accredited academic qualifications.
These agreements make it easier for engineers, who are qualified in their home country, to register at the same level with engineering organisations overseas.
The Engineering Council which represents the UK has signed up to three international accords.
They are:
- The Washington Accord - Recognises accredited qualifications at chartered engineer level*
- The Sydney Accord - Recognises accredited qualifications at incorporated engineer level
- The Dublin Accord - Recognises accredited qualifications at engineering technician level
Learn more about international accords
Did you start your degree program after July 2015?
*Students starting Washington Accord programmes from July 2015 onwards will be required to demonstrate learning to European Masters level when applying for Chartered Engineer registration.
A candidate to meet the academic exemptions will be required to have an accredited Bachelors (BSc) and accredited Masters (MSc), or an accredited integrated Masters (MEng).
Candidates on a four year degree program need to ensure their awarding degree is to European Masters level standard. A four year undergraduate degree does not meet the Engineering Council academic standard.
Candidates who do not meet the post July 2015 standard, can still apply for Engineering Council registration with their qualifications and/or experience in lieu. Details can be found under the Extended Professional Review Report Route.
How to apply?
The first step to applying for your Professional registration is to check if you hold the qualifications listed above for the grade you are applying for. If you believe you hold the required qualification, this is called the Standard Route to Apply.
If you do not hold the qualifications, you can still apply. Please see Individual Route, or Extended Professional Route below for details of what to do.
Standard Route to Apply
- Make sure you have completed your Professional Review Report. If you have completed this recently for your MRINA or FRINA application we recommend updating it to ensure it meets the UK-SPEC standard. If you are jointly applying for MRINA / FRINA status alongside professional registration, you only need to submit a single Professional Review Report ensuring the content covers both requirements for MRINA / FRINa and the UK-SPEC for the Engineering Council grade you are applying for.
- Contact the RINA Membership Team stating the grade you wish to apply for. Your application will be considered by the RINA Membership Committee which meets 5 times a year.
- Assuming your qualification and report meets the standard, you will be invited to a Professional Review Interview. You can read about what happens in a Professional Review Interview here.
Individual Route
Candidates whose academic qualification(s) meet the exemplifying standards of knowledge and understanding but were gained through an academic course(s) which are not accredited by the Engineering Council may provide documentary evidence of the content of the course, obtained from the university, i.e. transcript of studies, course syllabus and abstract of the final year project.
The Membership Department can advise on the requirement for and acceptability of documentation.
Contact the Membership Department for details on how to apply via the Individual Route.
Extended Professional Review Report Route
Candidates who do not have the exemplifying academic qualification for CEng or IEng, in full or in part, but who can offer experience in lieu of formal academic qualification may apply through the Extended Professional Review Report Route, by demonstrating that they have achieved the same level of underpinning knowledge and understanding as a candidate with the exemplifying academic qualification.
CEng Candidates applying through the Extended Professional Review Report Route should read the Guidance
IEng Candidates applying through the Extended Professional Review Report Route should read the Guidance
Contact the Membership Department for details on how to apply via the Extended Professional Review Report Route.