Guidance on applying for Corporate membership

Introduction

Achieving an academic qualification is only the first stage of an engineer's professional career. The achievement and maintenance of professional competence cannot be acquired solely by formal study, but necessitates life long professional development, which includes both training and experience.

Professional development may be defined as the acquisition, maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge, understanding and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for engineers to carry out their professional duties throughout their working lives.

Corporate membership

Corporate membership of the Institution is achieved by meeting the Institution's requirements for professional competence and responsibility in the appropriate class of membership. Achieving Corporate membership of the Institution as a Fellow or Member is a significant achievement that brings with it international recognition of a member's professional status as a qualified, experienced and competent engineer. The Institution considers that only those who have achieved the standards required for Corporate membership may properly describe themselves as being professionally qualified engineers.

Candidates may apply for election as a Corporate member either directly, or by transfer from Associate Member.

Requirements

Fellow (FRINA)

The requirements for election as a Fellow are:

elected or qualified for election as Member

and

having achieved professional standing in the maritime community, and having held positions of superior responsibility for a period of at least five years;

Member (MRINA)

The requirements for election as a Member are:

holding an approved diploma or degree in a subject relevant to the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures;

offering experience in lieu of the required formal academic qualification;

and

having achieved the standard of professional competence required for Corporate membership of the Institution;

Milestones

The four major milestones to becoming a Corporate member of the Institution are (1) achieving the required knowledge and understanding which underpins professional competence, (2) developing professional competence through training and experience, (3) the application process and (4) the Professional Review.

1. Achieving Knowledge and Understanding

Candidates for Corporate membership are required to have achieved underpinning knowledge and understanding at degree or diploma level, in a subject relevant to the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures.

Such knowledge and understanding may have been achieved through formal study, leading to the award of an approved academic qualification, or through experience in the work place, or a combination of both.

2. Developing Professional Competence

The award of Corporate membership is dependent upon the candidate having achieved the required standard of professional competence across a range of activities relevant to the design, construction and maintenance of marine vessels and structures.

Whilst not being strictly time based, a period of four years of Initial Professional Development is considered to be the minimum a candidate would need in order to adequately achieve these levels of competence. During this time, the candidate would be expected to have held a position of responsibility for a total of at least two years.

The Institution is flexible about how the candidate has achieved the professional competence, which can be by experience, on-the-job training, or off-the-job courses. Any relevant previous engineering experience, not necessarily in the marine field, and work experience at an appropriate level gained prior to graduation may also help the candidate in part to meet the requirements.

Professional Development Objectives

The Institution requires that professional competence is achieved across a range of activities relevant to the design, construction and maintenance of marine vessels and structures. These requirements are defined in the Professional Development Objectives which candidates are expected to have achieved during their Initial Professional Development. The Professional Developments Objectives consist of a number of activities and the minimum levels of ability expected for each of the activities.

Activities

The activities are grouped under the broad headings of Design, Engineering Practice and Management Services. However, the required skills may be developed in several activities. For example, it may well be possible to achieve management skills whilst working in a design environment. The Institution does not prescribe how or where the candidate should obtain these skills.

Levels of ability

The minimum levels of ability required in each activity are broadly defined as:

Having knowledge or being aware of an activity's existence and the reason for it.
Having an understanding of the reason for an activity and being familiar with how it should be carried out.
Having the skill to be able to carry out an activity competently and without further guidance

However, irrespective of the minimum standards implied in the Objectives, a Corporate member is expected to be competent to carry out all activities required by their position of responsibility.

IPD Logbook

The Professional Development Objectives are listed in the IPD Logbook. Associate Members are advised to use the IPD Logbook to maintain a record of the activities from graduation which have contributed to their Initial Professional Development, showing the nature of the activity, its duration and the Professional Development Objective(s) which the activity has helped to achieve.

The completed IPD Logbook will form the basis of the Professional Review Report which is required when the Associate Member applies to transfer to Corporate member. Candidates who have not maintained the IPD Logbook from graduation are advised to use the Logbook as an aide memoire to check that they have achieved all the required Professional Development Objectives.

The IPD Logbook does not require to be submitted with the application for Corporate membership

3. Application

Having achieved the required levels of professional competence, application may then be made for Corporate membership. All applications for Corporate membership are considered by the Institution's Membership Committee which meets five times per year. Applications should normally be received at least three weeks before the meeting at which they are considered.

Application Form

The first step is the completion of the appropriate Application Form, providing personal information, details of academic and professional qualifications and a brief record of employment from graduation, giving company, job title and brief description of job.

The application should normally be proposed by two Corporate members who should verify that to their best of their knowledge the information contained in the application is correct. However, if this cannot reasonably be achieved, it is acceptable for the application to be verified by two persons in positions of responsibility. Details of the positions held by such non-member proposers should be supplied with the application.

Application forms

4. Professional Review

The Professional Review is the process by which candidates for Corporate membership demonstrate that they have achieved the required professional competence. It consists of a Professional Review Report and, in some cases, a Professional Review Interview

Professional Review Report

Every application must include a Professional Review Report, which demonstrates that the candidate has achieved the level and breadth of professional development required for Corporate membership.

Although the route to Corporate membership may be different for every candidate, each is required to achieve the standards of professional competence defined by the Professional Development Objectives. The Professional Review Report should therefore be written such as to demonstrate how the candidate's training and experience has enabled these Objectives to be achieved.

If a candidate has completed an accredited Company Graduate Training Scheme, the Report should give a summary of activities carried out as part of Scheme, and a detailed description of activities carried out since completing the Scheme which have contributed to the candidate's professional development. It is not necessary to submit their Company Graduate Training Scheme Record/Logbook, although confirmation by an authorised person that the candidate has satisfactorily completed the Scheme is required. If a candidate did not complete an accredited Company Graduate Training Scheme, the Professional Review Report should give a detailed description of all activities carried out since graduation.

The Report may also include activities carried out before graduation which have contributed to the candidate's Initial Professional Development.

Applications for Fellow

Additionally, candidates for Fellow are required to demonstrate in their Professional Review Report that they have held positions of superior responsibility for a period of at least five years.

Professional Review Interview

If the Membership Committee is satisfied that the Professional Review Report has demonstrated that the candidate has achieved the required professional competence and responsible experience, the candidate will be elected as a Member (MRINA). Exceptionally, where the Membership Committee considers that the Professional Review Report has not provided adequate evidence of professional competence, the candidate will also be required to undertake a Professional Review Interview.

If an Interview is not required, the candidate will be informed of the result of the application within 2 weeks of their application being considered by the Membership Committee.

If the Membership Committee does not consider that the candidate has met the requirements, they will normally advise the candidate where further experience is required, and when they should apply again. The candidate has the right to appeal against the decision of the Membership Committee.

Registration

The Institution is a Nominated and Licensed member of the Engineering Council. Corporate members may apply for registration as CEng, IEng or EngTech. Application for registration may be made at the time of applying for Corporate membership, or subsequent to election as a Corporate member.

Advice and Assistance

The Professional Affairs Department is ready at all times to advise and assist members and non members on all aspects of Initial Professional Development and application for Corporate membership.

Contact:

The Professional Affairs Manager

Royal Institution of Naval Architects

10 Upper Belgrave Street, London SW1X 8BQ, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 4622;

Fax: +44 (0)20 7259 5912;

Email: membership@rina.org.uk