Chartered Engineer (CEng)

CIWEM offers the widest range of charterships and technical membership grades of any professional institute in the water and environment sector, reflecting our engagement with the widest spectrum of environmental issues.

When you become a chartered member of CIWEM, you also have the opportunity to apply for the Engineering Council's registration Chartered Engineer (CEng), which can be applied for at the same time. If you are already a chartered member of CIWEM, you can submit an application for CEng in a separate application.

Becoming a Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Chartered Engineers (CEng) develop solutions to engineering problems using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change and/or they may have technical accountability for complex systems with significant levels of risk.

Chartered Engineers are able to demonstrate:

• The theoretical knowledge to solve problems in new technologies and develop new analytical techniques
• Successful application of the knowledge to deliver innovative products and services and/or take technical responsibility for complex engineering systems
• Accountability for project, finance and personnel management and managing trade-offs between technical and socio-economic factors
• Skill sets necessary to develop other technical staff
• Effective interpersonal skills in communicating technical matters.

Why become a Chartered Engineer?

The benefits of professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) include:

• Become professionally registered as an CEng – a globally recognised benchmark
• Improved career prospects and employability
• Higher earning potential
• Demonstration of a professional attitude valued by employers and customers
• International recognition of competence and commitment
• Evidence of expertise
• Greater influence within industry and own organisation

Watch the Engineering Councils 'Benefits of professional registration' video here:

Who can join?

The CEng title is open to anyone who can demonstrate the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the professional standard UK-SPEC, available to download here. Individuals generally develop these through education and working experience.

Recognised Qualifications

The application process for CEng registration is more straightforward for those with recognised academic qualifications. For CEng this is one of the following:

• A Bachelors degree, with Honours, in engineering or technology, accredited for CEng, plus an appropriate and accredited Masters degree or Engineering Doctorate (EngD), or appropriate further learning to Masters level
• An accredited Bachelors degree (Hons) in engineering or technology (if obtained before the year 2000). You can find out if your courses are accredited by the Engineering Council here.
• An accredited integrated MEng degree

If you cannot find your course on the Engineering Council’s database and have studied at a European university, your degree may still be recognised as equivalent to an Engineering Council accredited degree for registration purposes. You can check this here.

Individual Assessment

Applicants may also apply through Individual Assessment if one or both their degrees are not listed on the Engineering Council’s accredited course search and are from an appropriate academic background.

To apply through Individual Assessment for CEng, you will need to have your qualifications approved by the CIWEM Qualifications Panel (QP) before submitting your online application. To do so please send a copy of your CV, university certificates and transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate if applicable) and a summary of your dissertation or final year project to membership@ciwem.org.

When assessing qualifications, the QP look at how much engineering an applicant has undertaken during their studies and whether they are sufficient to meet the output standards for engineering programmes agreed between the Engineering Council and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (available here). If the Panel identify aspects that can be matched against all engineering output standards they will confirm the applicant’s eligibility to submit a CEng application.

In some cases where the QP cannot identify sufficient engineering content in an applicant’s qualifications, they may decide that there is potential for the applicant to demonstrate that they have achieved the equivalent learning to the recognised qualifications through their industry experience. In such cases they may invite the applicant to undertake the Work Based Learning Route towards CEng. Alternatively, they may also recommend the applicant undertakes further learning in order to be eligible to apply for CEng.

Please note applicants holding the recognised qualifications are automatically eligible for interim registration.

Engineering Council Standards Update

All applicants for engineering registration with CIWEM for are assessed against the standards as defined by the Engineering Council (EngC) in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). The 4th edition of the UK-SPEC was published on 1 September 2020, for implementation across the sector by 31 December 2021. The 4th edition is available here, with a summary of the key changes. We are in the process of transitioning to the 4th edition and there will be updates to our application/guidance documents and website over the next couple of months. Professional review interviews will not be available against the UK-SPEC 3 standards after 31 December 2021 and all applications from the 06 December deadline will be assessed against UK-SPEC 4.

Professional Competencies

All applicants for CEng, need to demonstrate the required professional competences and commitment, which can be viewed below:

Professional Development

Initial Professional Development (IPD)

Initial Professional Development usually refers to the workplace development that takes place before becoming professionally registered as EngTech, IEng or CEng. It describes the process of learning to apply knowledge and understanding, develop skills and competence and apply professional judgement and sets the path towards Professional Registration. CIWEM supports members on this journey with a suite on tools to support your career profession and record your progress.

Mentor Platform

The CIWEM Mentor Platform provides members the opportunity to be linked with a mentor with the skills and experience you are looking to gain.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is vital to keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date. CIWEM offers a wealth of opportunities to access CPD through our training, events and networks. Our CPD recording tool in MyCIWEM enables to keep on top of recording and reflecting on your activities.

Professional Development Plan

Developing both short- and long-term goals can help guide your IPD and CPD planning, and decisions you make throughout your career. A professional development plan can guide you toward reaching those goals by setting out a strategy on how to meet them. You can download the CIWEM Professional Development Plan Template within the 'My CPD' area of MyCIWEM.

Application Requirements

To apply for Chartered Engineer (CEng) you will need to

• Complete an online application form (please choose 'Chartered Member' and select CEng in the 'Mandatory Competencies' tab). You can also submit an application for other registrations at the same time. Please note you will need to either be a Chartered member of CIWEM or submit an application for this at the same time.
• Submit a copy of your most up-to-date CV
• Submit copies of relevant certificates signed by your sponsors
• Have two sponsors who hold CEng, who can review your application. You will need to submit a signed letter from each of your sponsors alongside your application confirming they have done this. Additional guidance on sponsor letter requirements can be download here.
• Complete your 1000 word Career Overview Report
• Submit your training and CPD record for the last three years
• Complete your 4000 word Mandatory Competence Attainment Report
• CEng Work Based Learning applicants, as outlined in the guidance, you will first need have your qualifications assessed and if required submit the Work Based Learning Plan form prior to completion of the standard route CEng assessment

Information about becoming a C.WEM can be found here.

Useful documents

Sponsor letter guidance

Professional Interview guidance

CPD guidance

Engineering Council UK-SPEC

Work Based Learning route guidance

Work Based Learning Plan form

​European Engineer (EUR ING)

The European Engineer (EUR ING) title is available through FEANI, a federation of professional engineers that unites national engineering associations from 32 European Higher Education Area (EHEA) countries. FEANI represents the interests of over 6 million professional engineers in Europe. For more details visit the FEANI website.

Need advice?

You may be required to undertake a Profession Review Interview (PRI), our membership team can provide guidance, please contact membership@ciwem.org or call +44(0)207 831 3110 for more information.

We’re with you every step of your application, please get in touch if you have any questions about your application or to find out which grade is right for you and someone will be delighted to help.