Become an FSOE Member
Fellow class of membership (FSOE) is the highest grade attainable at the SOE and is granted by the Membership & Professional Standards Committee. FSOE is the grade for senior engineers who are recognised for their leadership, technical knowledge, and are decision makers influencing engineering policy. FSOE carries considerable prestige and responsibility and shows you as a senior leader in your field.
Become an SOE Fellow today to gain professional recognition, access to CPD resources, exclusive events, networking and industry support, and more.
Discover the benefits of an SOE Fellow Membership
SOE Fellow Membership offers a range of benefits and privileges to support your career, strengthen your skills, and connect you with the wider engineering community.
Signal to colleagues, employers, and clients that you take pride in your career, keep your professional knowledge up to date, and meet the standards of a Professional Engineering Institution (PEI).
FSOE membership is a gateway to Professional Registration with Engineering Council or Society for the Environment.
Enjoy access to a range of CPD events and networking opportunities across the UK and online, building meaningful connections to support career growth and knowledge sharing.
FSOE members can access exclusive CPD and knowledge support, with around 2000 resources including technical guides, webinars, newsletters, and Transport Engineer and Operations Engineer publications.
The SOE CPD Hub makes it easy to log and track all your CPD activity in one place. For those who are new to the process we provide templates and guidelines on this.
FSOE membership gives you voting rights in annual SOE elections, plus eligibility to stand for election to our SOE Trustee Board or your relevant Professional Sector Council.
What are the entry requirements?
If you wish to apply for FSOE, you will need to satisfy the requirements for Member class as well as show evidence of the qualities of Fellowship. You need to be registered with the Engineering Council. If you do not hold Professional Registration, you will be assessed for Fellow grade membership via the non-engineering ‘Industry Professional Route’.
If you are already a member and wish to upgrade to Fellow please contact membership@soe.org.uk.
You must show on your application form evidence of the following competencies.
There are two options when applying for Fellowship:
Option 1: Complete Part 1 – Evidence and Part 2 – Desirable Qualities.
Option 2: Complete Part 1 – Evidence, 1 question from Part 2 – Desirable Qualities and 1 question from Part 3 – Optional Qualities.
Part 1 – Evidence
All of the below must be demonstrated.
E1: A position of senior responsibility and/or significant autonomy in your particular field.
E2: Demonstrable leadership qualities.
E3: Influencing policy and strategy making decisions in either a technical or business environment.
Part 2 – Desirable qualities
D1: Highly specialist knowledge in a specific area of engineering.
D2: Technical or engineering resource management and/or personnel management and development.
Part 3 – Optional qualities
O1: Responsibility for a budget and the associated risk.
O2: Application of a significant range of fundamental principles and complex techniques across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts.
O3: Active development and application of new technologies in engineering and related areas at senior level.
Hear from our members
I have been a member of Cornwall Centre IRTE for 30 years and very privileged to be Honorary Secretary for the past 23 years. In my time with the IRTE I have visited many great places, organisations and manufacturers and received brilliant presentations from numerous professionals delivering transport and engineering related topics. None of these great experiences would ever...
I have been a proud member of SOE since 2007 and have actively supported the institute through volunteer roles since 2022. I am passionate about the vital work the SOE undertakes to raise and maintain professional standards across the BES sector and beyond. My contributions include coaching and mentoring candidates through the professional registration process, reviewing applications, and conducting...
My involvement with SOE has been extremely positive and rewarding. As a member of both the IRTE Professional Sector Council and the Membership and Professional Standards Committee, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the organisation while supporting and guiding fellow engineers.
What fees will I pay?
The annual fee for FSOE membership is currently £214.41, which is pro-rated depending on when you join during the year, and renews every January. There is also a one-off non-refundable application fee of £193.99.
If you are employed by one of our Corporate Partners, and they have agreed to pay for your membership and any application fee, then the process will pick up on this when you advise us of your employer.
- Click the download application
- Fill out all details and Print application
- Send to address on last page
Book a meeting with us today
Interested in learning more about SOE membership? Book a call with our friendly Membership team at a time that suits you.
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Membership FAQs
Have questions about SOE membership? Find answers here about benefits, membership levels, and more.
- What are the benefits of SOE membership?
Members gain access to professional recognition, CPD content and our CPD Hub to track activity, technical publications, events and webinars, mentoring opportunities, and a strong professional network.
- What types of membership are available?
The SOE offers a range of membership grades, including Student, Apprentice, Graduate, Associate, Member and Fellow. Each is designed to reflect different career stages and levels of experience, helping you join at the right point and progress over time.
- How do I become a member of SOE?
Once you have determined which of our SOE membership grades align with your career stage, you can join online here.
- How does SOE support professional development and CPD?
Members have access to the SOE CPD Hub, technical articles, member publications, events, webinars and conferences. These resources are designed to support lifelong learning, help members maintain professional standards, and keep skills up to date.
- Can SOE membership support Professional Registration?
Yes. The SOE is licensed by the Engineering Council to support Professional Registration, including EngTech, IEng and CEng, as well as by Society for the Environment to award CEnv and REnvP. Members receive guidance, mentoring and resources to help them prepare for and progress through the registration process.
- How do I get involved once I join?
Members can engage with their relevant Professional Sector, their local regional centre, attend events or take advantage of volunteering opportunities, join our Mentoring Programme and contribute to publications or working groups. Getting involved helps members expand their network, share knowledge and actively support the profession.