Is engineering council the same as IMechE?

A question in an application asked whether I had an IMechE accreditation. My degree is accredited by "engineering council". I tried reading the site but, to put it bluntly, I don't understand a word of it. Are they the same? Can I just say yes, its accredited by IMechE or not?

you did aero at bristol right? If yes then its accredited by RAeS not IMechE. Says it on the website

I Engineering Council delegates the responsibility of accrediting degrees to the various professional bodies who specifically represent that area, e.g. the IMechE, IChemE, IET, ICE, etc. So if it was mechanical then the IMechE probably accredited it on behalf of the EC, although there's no way to be sure it was them unless it specifically says so, but it really isn't an issue as long as it is accredited by somebody.

So if the application says are you accredited by IMechE, do I say yes, even though its by RAeS?

Yes, Bristol.

I am really confused though. I don't know whether I can apply for jobs where IMechE is a requirement To give examples:

-BP, Eaton and TFL have all asked for it in their engineering programmes...

Yes, Bristol.

I am really confused though. I don't know whether I can apply for jobs where IMechE is a requirement. To give examples:

-BP, Eaton and TFL have all asked for it in their engineering programmes...




So if the application says are you accredited by IMechE, do I say yes, even though its by RAeS?

IMechE and RAeS accreditation are not the same. The disciplines and hence course syllabus' are different so you definitely need to check with your potential employers Human Resources department to see if RAeS accreditation is acceptable.

For instance, IMechE has a division covering Aerospace Engineering but RAeS accreditation will not cover autombile, railways, etc.

Also when you say 'IMechE' is a requirement, is that for accredited courses or do they actually want full or associate membership of the Royal Society together with Chartered Engineer status?

You really do need to check with the relevant HR departments.

Its just frustrating as to me at least, it feels like another needless hurdle and makes my degree feel even more ****ty than what I thought of it before :/

Good luck, do not give up. Engineering degrees are very desireable.

Just wondering but did you/ or are you studying engineering?

B.Sc Electrical and Electronic Engineering
M.Sc Advanced Aerospace Systems Engineering (Society of British Aersopace Companies sponsored).

Don't lose heart and write it off. RAeS accreditation is as respected as IMechE, it just follows a different set of guidelines for course content to achieve accreditation by the relevant institution. Accreditation means the course is of a high standard and is suitable as a pre-requisite for Chartered Engineer status.

I would definitely speak to the HR department first and explain your concern. Ask them to follow this up with a confirmation e-mail. This shows you are pro-active, can communicate effectively and are methodical and determined. All qualities they will be seeking and is a good opportunity to get yourself known ahead of others. This alone may be enough to secure an interview with the HR department in the first instance.

Make sure you have all of the relevant information to hand BEFORE you call them. i.e. job title and reference number, full university course title and reference code, list of course content, name of your university sponsor / references and their contact details etc.

Plan what you are going to say and make a list of all questions you need answers for. Make a note of who you spoke to, their position in the company and their contact details. Don't forget to thank them afterwards.

Employers want to know if the course is accredited because:

a) Degrees are awarded by university, not by a national body like say GCSE's or A-levels. This is because the course content can and is so diverse - especially in the second and third years. Accreditation by the Engineering Council gives an extra layer of assurance that the content and academic standards of any given course, meet a recognised international standard. Not all universities and degrees are the same.

b) Larger companies will have systems and procedures/training in place for you to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status within typically 4-6 years. This follows periods in a diverse range of departments including: R&D, production, testing, project management, sales, finance, health and safety, etc. It also means you are mentored throughout your training and have demonstrated responsibility for other staff and decision making above the level of technician.

Good luck, do not give up. Engineering degrees are very desireable.
Do let us know how you get on.

I will, but regarding the companies involved, I am pursuing a different scheme for TFL which doesn't ask for IMechE.

Regarding BP, I'll have to email them, but yeah I do lose heart. I go on their websites, they are so poorly layed out, and I find it insulting that they expect me to spend my life practing tests when their staff can't design a clean site (looking at Jaguar and EADS people in particular here). I do feel like my degree is worthless, I try and warn people not to pursue engineering just because they like Physics and Maths. No one really tells you the downsides to the course during the open day, and not being a quitter, I couldn't drop it to pursue something else and now I'm stuck, penniless, can't do MSc (pressure from home) and struggling to do pshycometric tests because I read too slowly (always have done, but I'm not dyslexic..).


Thanks for the advice about the email content, I'll take that on board.