Engineering Education Accords

A key benefit for holders of academic qualifications recognised by the Engineering Council is that this recognition is extended internationally through a number of Engineering Education Accords.

Similarly, the accords make Engineering Council registration more straightforward for applicants whose qualifications are accredited by partner organisations in other countries.

There are three international accords that are associated with globally recognised levels of professional qualifications. These are the:

• Dublin Accord for Engineering Technician education
• Sydney Accord for Engineering Technologist/Incorporated Engineer education
• Washington Accord for Chartered Engineer education

A fourth accord, the EUR-ACE® Accord, operates at the Bachelor and Master academic levels within the framework of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Each accord provides the mechanism for mutual recognition of programmes accredited or approved by the signatories.

International recognition of engineers with accredited UK qualifications

An increasing number of countries are signatories to the Dublin, Sydney and Washington Accords. These agreements apply to programmes accredited or approved by a signatory within their national and territorial boundaries.

The international accords enable UK academic qualifications accredited or approved for the Engineering Council for Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration to be accepted as delivering outcomes that are ‘substantially equivalent’ to the Graduate Attributes (learning outcomes) defined for the corresponding Accord.

The Accords are used to enable recognition of signatories’ accredited engineering education programmes for national registration purposes.

Migration authorities in some signatory countries also use the Accords as a guide to academic equivalence when issuing visas.

Before applying for immigration or membership of overseas engineering organisations, applicants holding a UK qualification can check whether it is accredited by using our Course Search Database.

Holders of Higher National level qualifications (HNC, HND, HC, HD) can additionally check whether their qualification is on the list of Accredited Higher National Certificates and Diplomas that can be found at the bottom of the Course Search Database. If your qualification is not in the list or you started your studies before 1999, please consult the Higher National awards document.

European recognition of engineers with EUR-ACE® labelled UK qualifications

The European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE) is expanding within and beyond the European Higher Education Area.

All EUR-ACE® Authorised Agencies are signatories to the EUR-ACE® Accord by which they have agreed to make every reasonable effort to ensure that the bodies responsible for recognising engineering qualifications and/or for registering or licensing professional engineers to practice in its country or jurisdiction, accept the comparability of EUR-ACE® labelled programmes accredited by authorized agencies.

There is no geographical criterion for award of the EUR-ACE® labels.

Professional registration of engineers with qualifications from outside the UK

The Engineering Council recognises Dublin Accord, Sydney Accord and Washington Accord qualifications as providing knowledge and understanding that underpins the competence requirements for registration as Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer and Chartered Engineer respectively.

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.

The Engineering Council recognises degrees with the EUR-ACE® Bachelor label as fully meeting the education requirements for Incorporated Engineer registration. A EUR-ACE® labelled integrated Masters degree or a combination of a EUR-ACE® labelled Bachelors and Masters degree are recognised as meeting the education requirements for Chartered Engineer registration.

Applications for Engineering Council registration should be made through one of the Licensed Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs), who will be able to supply all necessary details.