Non IET Accredited MSc - Is this a problem?

[R_Josh]

Hello All,

Just seeking some advice re masters course which I am planning to do starting this year.

University I want to apply for are doing MSc Engineering Management which I find quite interesting. However the problem is that the course is not IET Accredited.

So naturally I thought you lovely folks may be able to help me out with your real world experiences.

I contacted the programme leader re this issue and he tells me "We are planning to seek accreditation in the next round,
hopefully this would then be backdated to cover the 2014 intake."
Can this happen? or is he trying get me to enrol? (carrot on a stick situation?)

If I still go for the course knowing it will not be Accredited, will this effect my prospects for getting chartered (CEng) status in the future?

They do offer other similar course which are accredited, should I go for that instead?

TL:DR: The biggest question in my mind. How much IET accreditation effect the path to chartered engineer? if at all?

Thank you for any help .

R_Josh
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Current Bike: Honda CBR 125R R-C SUPER sports (SOLD)
Excuse my brevity

[R_Josh]

So I read through the other post about degrees (should have seen it earlier)... and it does answer some questions and some interesting links there.

• An accredited Bachelors degree with honours in engineering or technology,
plus either an appropriate Masters degree or Engineering Doctorate (EngD)
accredited by a professional engineering institution, or appropriate further learning to Masters level*; [UK-SPEC UK STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING COMPETENCE Page. 30]

Does this say non-accredited "appropriate further learning to masters level" is also okay?
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Current Bike: Honda CBR 125R R-C SUPER sports (SOLD)
Excuse my brevity

[instigator]

[R_Josh]

[instigator]

Hi,

Out of those 2, I would strongly vote for the more technical electronics engineering degree. Project management (which is effectively what you would get into with such an MSc) is a vastly over subscribed field whereby most people with a Prince2 / PMP qualification will be at the same level as you unless you get a very specific employer/role who specifically requests an engineering management degree. All engineering managers I have met do not posess such a degree but are instead engineers who have worked their way up. And they know what they are talking about which helps.

I'd vote do the electronics.... then do Prince2 or something after if you want to go down that route. I reckon the technical degree will work more in your favour. And at least it is guaranteed accredited. The programme might keep bashing on about how the management course will become accredited but I would exercise the 'Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear' approach on this one, particularly when it's coming from an educational establishment who wants your money. They'll promise you the earth to get you to sign up.

Just my 2 's worth of course - take in the advice of many others before you make the decision - it's one you mustn't make too quickly!±

[R_Josh]

Thanks for the information. I definitely need to re think my options.
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Current Bike: Honda CBR 125R R-C SUPER sports (SOLD)
Excuse my brevity

[carvell]

Also bear in mind you don't have to have a Masters to be chartered.

"Appropriate learning to a masters level" is fine. A few years working on projects as an Engineer would qualify you for this fine.

It's not all about "getting chartered". Being chartered isn't ever going to be the one thing that gets you a job. Companies look at what you can do and your experience at work, not if you're chartered or not.

(Bear in mind I am specifically talking about engineering and there are probably some exceptions, Civil Engineering for example.)

If you are doing this MSc specifically because you want to become chartered then maybe have a rethink...

If you're doing it because you want to learn more things then go for it!

I agree with instigator 100% about doing the technical degree rather than the management based one. The best project managers I've worked with have technical degrees.
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Yamaha TDM 850

[R_Josh]

[instigator]

So how long does a part time masters take and how much is the full cost & actual cost to you? I ask because I am doing one via distance learning, takes between 3-5 years to complete and "only" cost £6k. Offers a lot of flexibility.

[R_Josh]