UK Engineering Degree Accreditation
Engineering Doctorate EngD
ENAEE, 12-13 November 2012
Deborah Seddon, Head of Policy and Standards
© Engineering Council 2011
Background
• Standard of professional competence is set and maintained by
the Engineering Council
• ‘UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence’ (UKSPEC)
• Criteria for accreditation of degrees are derived from this and
set out in the Accreditation of HE Programmes manual (2011)
• 21 individual engineering institutions are licensed to carry out
the process of accreditation to this standard in their discipline
• Accreditation is not a requirement in the UK
• Universities are subject to a separate rigorous external review
at institutional level by the national Quality Assurance Agency
QAA
• Qualifications frameworks, QAA degree level descriptors and
benchmark statement
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Engineering Council requirements
• Academic accreditation is granted on the basis of the
demonstration of learning outcomes
• Essentially a system of peer review
• Process requires a site visit, appropriate visiting panel
including industrialists, trained members, published learning
outcomes
• Judgements are made based on the evidence presented
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Professional Registration – Chartered Engineer
• Underpinning knowledge and understanding: demonstrate
achievement to Masters level – variety of ways, but UK-SPEC
was previously silent about the EngD
• Professional development – application of knowledge and
understanding, development of competence – structured
‘training’, in-company schemes can be accredited
• Professional Review – evidence and interview; demonstration
of competence (UK-SPEC) and commitment to the
profession - competence, codes etc
Education and development of competence may be integrated
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The EngD – common features
• Third cycle, partnership programme between industry and
academia
• ‘Research Engineer’ – has an in-company role c75%
• Training and competence development are required elements
• Some taught elements
• Research project(s)
• Focus on innovation, developing solutions
• Highly respected by industry: a wage premium
• Vehicle for collaborative research with universities, technology
transfer
• Graduates with skills that industry needs
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EngD and becoming a professionally registered engineer
• Strong support for a clear statement about the pathway from
EngD to Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Recognition that EngDs are varied
• Existing systems/processes were sufficiently flexible
• Academic or training?
• Evidence: mapping of EngDs to the UK-SPEC Learning
Outcomes revealed a high degree of conformity
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Findings
• High level of confidence that an EngD could demonstrate
‘general’ (transferable skills) and specific learning outcomes
• Successful pilot academic accreditation exercise March 2012
Then,
• Detailed mapping of EngDs against CEng standards of
competence revealed a similarly high level of conformity
• Few cautious responses: leadership (depends on the nature of
the project); commercial/contractual experience varies;
decision-making about implementation
• Concluded: an EngD holder is in a broadly comparable
position to someone who has completed an accredited incompany initial professional development scheme
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EngD as accredited initial professional development
• Same process, standards etc as for a company accreditation
• Accredited status awarded to an EngD centre at University of
Manchester
• Joint visit involving two discipline-specific engineering bodies
• Next step: to integrate the academic and profession
development accreditations for efficiency and because it’s
appropriate (pilot December 2012)
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Some reflections…….
• EngD graduates are the brightest and best, need to ensure
they become professionally registered engineers
• Be clear about the type and format of evidence that is required
from each stakeholder
• Mentoring of the individual’s development of competence
• Opportunity for joint visits
• Link to wider frameworks eg UK’s Researcher Development
Framework
• Link to other external requirements eg funding agency
• Make use of other validation exercises (eg university or
funding council)
© Engineering Council 2011
Contacts
Deborah Seddon
desddon@engc.org.uk
www.engc.org.uk
© Engineering Council 2011