Programme Accreditation

The WISE CDT pursued CIWEM accreditation to meet the needs of its students who did not have a formal engineering academic background. Accreditation was awarded in June 2018 and covered all student intakes. This was CIWEM’s first accreditation of a PhD programme. Areas of good practice highlighted by the accreditation panel included the relationships with and between student cohorts, the CDT’s industry links and the ability of students to draw on academic expertise and facilities across the four universities. Membership of CIWEM has been an important core strand of students’ professional development, offering many advantages such as networking through branch meetings and events.

The four CDT partner universities have additionally pursued JBM accreditation of the PhD programme. WISE JBM accreditation had to be actioned by each university individually and therefore took place over an extended period. Exeter, Cardiff and Bath universities obtained JBM accreditation for all their WISE student intakes. Additionally, Bristol obtained JBM accreditation for its 2018-19 intake. JBM accreditation means that the WISE PhD programme is accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer for candidates who have already acquired a Chartered Engineer accredited Bachelor’s undergraduate first degree.

Accreditation has been important to the WISE CDT, providing external validation of the quality of the programme and assurance to UK and international applicants. Accreditation also supports the aim of raising professional standards in the water and environment sector by ensuring that the skill sets of students meet the demands of the profession. Furthermore, following an accredited programme enhances students’ career prospects by facilitating their path to Chartership.