In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer (CEng) is an engineer registered with the UK's regulatory body for the engineering profession, the Engineering Council. Chartered Engineers are master's degree qualified or must demonstrate equivalent masters level, work-based learning. The appropriate professional competencies must be demonstrated through education, further training and work experience. Significant experience is required which invariably spans several years of postgraduate professional practice. Demonstration of competence is defined in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence, assessed through professional review of academic qualifications and professional development (training and professional work experience). Formal, non-formal and informal learning can be assessed.[1] The title Chartered Engineer is protected in the UK under law by means of the Engineering Council’s Royal Charter and Bye-laws. As of 2019 there are approximately 180,000 engineers registered as a Chartered Engineer.[2] Chartered Engineers are registered through Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) licensed by the Engineering Council which are relevant to their industry or specialism. The total process of formation of a Chartered Engineer including MEng typically spans at least 8-10 years, although 12+ years is not uncommon to satisfy all of the competency requirements.
Many engineering tasks covered by UK legislation specify Chartership as a requirement of the persons undertaking them. For example The Road Tunnel Safety Regulations 2007 require that for inspections "The person appointed as the inspection entity must be a Chartered Engineer or headed by a Chartered Engineer".[3] Others require chartered engineers be registered with a particular institution, for example The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 require assessments be carried out by a "chartered engineer...who is registered by the Institution of Civil Engineers".[4]