CIPD membership

Qualification levels

There are two main types of membership and within these there are different grades: Professional Membership and Chartered Membership.

Professional membership

Professional membership gives you recognition of your achievements and a grade of membership that reflects your experience and qualifications. There are three grades of professional membership:

1. Chartered Member (Chartered MCIPD)
2. Chartered Fellow (Chartered FCIPD)
3. Chartered Companion (Chartered CCIPD) – by invitation only
    

CIPD Qualified

Chartered membership - available to those who have met our Professional Standards at practitioner level, have at least 3 years’ relevant managerial-level experience, and who demonstrate continuing professional development through a range of activities.

Graduate membership - available to those who have met our standards at practitioner level but who are not yet experienced enough for Chartered membership. You can apply to upgrade to Chartered membership when you have achieved the required level of experience.

CIPD Part Qualified

Licentiate membership - Available to those who have met our standards at practitioner level in part. It indicates completion of at least one complete field of the standards (but not Applied Personnel and Development) through national examinations.

Associate membership - available to those who successfully complete one of the support-level qualifications. These qualifications, which include some CIPD Certificates and some NVQ/SVQs at Level 3, are aimed at people in support and/or administrative roles in personnel and development.

No Qualification Status

Student membership - If you are studying for a CIPD qualification, or if you are undergoing assessment through the PAC route to membership, you can benefit from a subsidised annual subscription rate for up to 5 years. Student membership is available for Affiliate, Associate and Licentiate grades.

• Access to member services only
  These grades allow you full access to member benefits and services without the need to show achievement through qualifications or experience. They do not give any professional recognition.

Affiliate membership

Any individual with an interest in people management and development can join us as an Affiliate member. This gives you immediate access to our member benefits and services. However, Affiliate membership is not a professional grade of membership and carries no designatory letters.