Education

Pathways to MCIPS

What is MCIPS?

MCIPS stands for Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. By Member this means a fully qualified Member. Full Members are recognised internationally for their professional accomplishment. Full membership confers the post nominals MCIPS and represents an expression of professionalism associated with achieving the highest recognised global standard of excellence in procurement. Members can achieve this through a range of study options, most notably through the CIPS Graduate Diploma in Purchasing and Supply, or members working towards MCIPS through the Personal Development Plan (PDP). Please note that although successful completion of a PDP awards Full Member status, it does not award the CIPS Graduate Diploma.

>> Read more here for an explanation on the Membership Grades above

CIPS Qualifications Ladder

View the subjects in each CIPS level here (PDF).

The subjects shown are the compulsory and elective subjects needed to complete each level if you are choosing one of the 5 options below. These subjects do not relate to Accredited University courses.

More information on each subject is available at http://www.cips.org/studyqualify/cipsqualifications/syllabuses/

The CIPS Corporate Award Programme

Typically 12 months
Applied learning, Flexible & Tailored
Designed to meet your employer’s objectives and CIPS International Standards
Practical Focus – designed to help you improve your ability to apply new knowledge
Enables you to gain a professional status
Organisational diagnostic review and skills analysis
Click here to read more about Corporate Award

The CIPS Australia Corporate Award Programme is a tailored accredited and applied training programme that is designed to develop an individual’s professional procurement expertise. It equips participants with the ability and opportunity to apply and implement the knowledge they have gained within their working environment and to deliver a significant return on the training investment to their organisation.

The programme offers an intense, unique route to accreditation as a full Member of the Institute (MCIPS), which is degree level that awards MCIPS, the internationally recognised industry standard of professional competence in procurement.

More information on the CIPS Corporate Award Programme can be found on the People Development and Training page.

CIPSA Accredited University Courses >>

CIPSA Approved Study Centres >>

CIPSA Accredited Programmes via Approved Providers >>

Distance education through private colleges based in the UK

Cheltenham Tutorial College: www.cheltenhamlearning.com/

Resource Development International: www.rdi.co.uk/

Personal Development Plan (PDP)

Assessed route to full membership
Looks at applicant’s experience and responsibilities throughout their career
Designed for senior purchasing professionals with at least 5 years experience at that level

The identification of a PDP is through a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire, with supporting evidence, enables a profile to be developed of your knowledge, experience and responsibility across the core areas of purchasing and supply chain management. Your profile will be benchmarked against that of a ‘typical senior manager’ (with a minimum of 5 years experience in a procurement/supply chain senior management role) that has been identified by the CIPS Professional Practice Team.

Any area where your profile does not meet the benchmark will be deemed to constitute a development need. This will confer Associate PDP Membership status to begin with. Where a profile does meet the benchmark and the complete portfolio satisfies the PDP assessment panel, the applicant may be offered MCIPS directly without the need for further study. Full membership of the Institute enables you not only to use the designatory letters MCIPS but also enjoy the full range of membership benefits that we offer.

More information on PDP can be found in the PDP brochure attached here.

Contact membership@cipsa.com.au to find out more about the CIPS Personal Development Plan.