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How to apply for Academic Review 

 

When not to apply for Academic Review

You must not apply for Academic Review or complete the Academic Review application form if your qualifications:

  • Have been Accredited by us (the Institution), or  
  • Have been Accredited by another professional engineering institution, or listed as acceptable on the Engineering Council database, or
  • Are covered by a Mutual Recognition Accord, ie Washington Accord, Sydney Accord or Dublin Accord  

If you're not sure whether your qualifications are Accredited or covered by an international accord, you must complete our Qualification checker. Once you have completed the Qualification checker we will tell you whether or not you need to apply for Academic Review.

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When to apply for Academic Review

You may need to complete Academic Review if you:

  • Don’t have any formal qualifications, or
  • If you only have pre-degree qualifications, such as HNC/HND that do not meet the current academic requirements
  • Have been told by our membership team that you need to undertake Academic Review
  • Already know that your non-accredited qualifications need to be reviewed
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What you need before you start your application

If you do need to complete Academic Review, you'll need to upload several documents. Submission of these documents is mandatory and they will be used to determine your engineering knowledge and understanding.

You must have these documents ready to upload before you start your application:

  • A copy of the certificate and transcript for each of your academic qualifications
  • Undergraduate qualifications: a one page summary of your final year project
  • Post-graduate qualifications: table of contents, abstract and conclusions pages from your thesis
  • A copy of your CV

Any documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a translation. Ideally this should come from a professional, licensed translator with evidence to that effect. We can also accept translations that have been authenticated and signed by a Chartered Engineer. Short course certificates are not required.

The person conducting the translation or certification should not be:

  • related to you
  • living at the same address
  • in a relationship with you
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How applications are decided

The Academic Assessment Committee will carefully consider the evidence relating to your qualifications and academic experience before deciding whether you meet the current Engineering Council criteria for IEng or CEng professional registration. If they decide you are not ready, the assessors may advise that you undertake a period of Further Learning or they may suggest a Career Learning Assessment.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

My qualifications were IMechE-accredited 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 using Qualification checker.

Are there any academic requirements for MPDS?

No, you don't have to meet an academic requirement to join an MPDS programme, 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.

What is the Academic Review process?

Once your application is submitted, it will be processed by staff. If your application is complete it will be sent away to be reviewed by two volunteer assessors from the Academic Assessment Committee. If both of the assessors agree then the result will be forwarded to you by email. If the assessors do not agree then your application will be forwarded to the Chair of the Committee. The Chair assessment will be completed and a final result will be forwarded to you after that time. The process can take approximately 10-14 weeks (longer for incomplete applications).

When can I apply for Academic Review?

After you graduate with 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 our Qualification checker before applying. If you are unsure if your degree is Accredited, simply use Qualification checker.

I am currently studying a master's degree, can I apply for Academic Review?

If you already hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent and are currently studying a master's degree, then it would be advisable that you complete this before you submit your application for Academic Review.

How long does the Academic Review take?

If your application is complete and all documents are provided the process can take approximately 10-14 weeks. Please allow at least 10 weeks from submission of your completed application form before contacting us, as this will affect our processing times.

If your application is missing documents, the application process can take much longer and there is a chance that your application could be withdrawn.

What should I include with my Academic Review application?

  • An application form – completed and signed
  • Academic transcripts for each qualification (with translation, if applicable), even if one of your qualifications is Accredited. Transcripts or mark sheets should include grades received in each subject, each year.
  • Certificates for each qualification (with translation, if applicable), even if one of your qualifications is Accredited.
  • Project summary for a bachelor's degree or equivalent
  • Thesis documents for postgraduates 
    - Table of contents/index page(s)
    - Abstract/summary of the thesis
    - Conclusion/recommendations
  • A detailed CV

Do I need to be a member to apply for Academic Review?

No, Academic Review is available to all non-members and members.

If you're not a member, find out how to join us.

Is there a fee to apply for Academic Review?

There is a fee of £40 for prospective members requiring an Academic Review. 

The fee does NOT apply to current members who are paying subscriptions to IMechE. 

If you would like to become a paying member at the time of applying for Academic Review, then the £40 application fee will be waived. 

As the Academic Review is the first step in completing your membership application, if you go on to apply for membership as an EngTech, IEng or CEng Member or Fellow within 1 year of undertaking the Academic Review, the £40 will be deducted from your professional registration application fee.

Who reviews the Academic Review applications?

Your application will first be processed internally by staff and then it will be reviewed externally by two professionally registered engineers, who are volunteer members of the Academic Assessment Committee.

Please note that staff are only responsible for administrating the application process and not the assessment part of these applications.

Why do I need to submit all the supporting documents for Academic Review?

As you are being assessed on your qualifications, we need evidence that you have completed the courses you have listed on your application. The certificates from these courses provide this evidence. We require the academic transcripts as they list the subjects you have studied for each course. We require project and/or thesis documents as they provide a more in-depth demonstration of your academic knowledge.

What if I don’t have the required documents for Academic Review?

Transcripts / certificates – If you do not have a copy of the transcripts or certificates, you will need to contact the academic establishment to find out if they are able to resend these to you. If they are not available, then a letter confirming this from them will suffice.

Project summaries/thesis documents – If you do not have a project summary it is advised that you try to write a short summary within a couple of paragraphs, briefly outlining the final year project of your course. If you do not have thesis documents, a short summary as previously mentioned will be required.

Do I need translated documents for Academic Review?

Yes, as per the standards of the Engineering Council, the full application process must be conducted in English. If your documents are not in English then you will need to have them translated. This must be accompanied by a signed confirmation from the translator, that it is an accurate translation. You will also need to include a copy of the original documents with the translation.

What happens if my Academic Review is unsuccessful?

It is not possible to ‘fail’ the Academic Review process – the outcome of the application will result in a Further Learning or Career Learning Assessment route to either Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer (or both), and this route will be based on your academic level as a whole and your time spent in industry.

Why has my application for Academic Review been withdrawn?

If your application has been withdrawn we will notify you, of the reason, by email. This usually happens for two reasons.

Firstly, it could be that we have found your degree to be accredited and therefore you are not required to go through the Academic Review process.

Secondly, it could be that you have not submitted all of the supporting documentation, which is required to assess your application. We will write to you to request this, however if we do not receive it within six weeks, your application will be withdrawn.


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Start your application

Complete the online Academic Review form.

You can also apply by completing a PDF Academic Review form. 

You should refer to the guidance notesand checklist for assistance.  If you have any questions email academicreview@imeche.org.

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Need some help?

Contact the Academic Review team if you have any questions about applying.