A Student member must carry at least 50% of a normal full-time academic program as a registered undergraduate or graduate student in a regular course of study in IEEE-designated fields. The total cumulative period for a member to hold the Student member grade and/or the Graduate Student member grade is limited to eight years.

Student members, upon graduation or upon reaching the eight-year limit (whichever occurs first), with a baccalaureate or higher degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution in an IEEE-designated field will be transferred automatically to member grade.

Student members outside of the IEEE-designated fields, upon graduation or upon reaching the eight-year limit (whichever occurs first), will be transferred to Associate member grade.

(Dues| Benefits | Qualifications)

A Graduate Student member must carry at least 50% of a normal full-time academic program as a registered graduate student in a regular course of study in IEEE- designated fields. The total cumulative period for a member to hold the Student member grade and/or the Graduate Student member grade is limited to eight years.

Graduate Student members, upon graduation or upon reaching the total cumulative eight-year limit as a Graduate Student member (whichever occurs first), will be transferred automatically to member grade.

(Dues| Benefits | Qualifications)

Member grade is limited to those who have satisfied IEEE-specified educational requirements and/or who have demonstrated professional competence in IEEE-designated fields of interest. For admission or transfer to the grade of member, a candidate may be either:

• An individual who has received a three- to five-year university-level or higher degree from an accredited institution or program and in an IEEE-designated field
• An individual who has received a three- to five-year university-level or higher degree from an accredited institution or program and who has at least three years of professional work experience engaged in teaching, creating, developing, practicing, or managing in IEEE-designated field
• An individual who, through at least six years of professional work experience, has demonstrated competence in teaching, creating, developing, practicing, or managing within IEEE-designated fields

(Dues | Benefits | Qualifications)

The grade of Senior member is the highest for which application may be made and requires experience reflecting professional maturity. For admission or transfer to the grade of Senior member, a candidate shall be an engineer, scientist, educator, technical executive, or originator in IEEE-designated fields.

The candidate shall have been in professional practice for at least ten years and shall have shown significant performance over a period of at least five of those years, such performance including one or more of the following:

• Substantial responsibility or achievement in one or more IEEE-designated fields
• Publication of papers, books, or inventions in one or more IEEE-designated fields
• Technical direction or management of important work with evidence of accomplishment in one or more IEEE-designated fields
• Recognized contributions to the welfare of the professions encompassed by one or more of the IEEE-designated fields
• Development or furtherance of important courses in one or more of the IEEE-designated fields at an institution in the REP list
• Contributions equivalent to those of the above areas related to IEEE-designated fields, provided these contributions serve to advance progress substantially in IEEE-designated fields

(Dues | Benefits | Qualifications)

The grade of Fellow recognizes unusual distinction in the profession and is conferred only by invitation of the Board of Directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of IEEE’s designated fields of interest.

The year of election to the grade of Fellow is the year following affirmative action by the Board of Directors in conferring the grade of Fellow. The candidate shall hold Senior member grade at the time the nomination is submitted. Normally, the candidate shall have been a member in any grade for a period of five years or more preceding 1 January of the year of election; however, the five-year membership requirement may be waived for a Fellow candidate who has been engaged in professional practice (as needed to qualify for Senior member grade) in a geographical area where, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, it was difficult to become a member previously, as evidenced by the absence of a Section previously and the recent formation of a new Section to cover that geographical area. In such case, membership of five years or more in a recognized local electrical, electronics, or computer-engineering society may substitute for the five-year IEEE membership requirement, when the nomination is submitted within four years after the formation of the new Section

(Dues| Benefits | Qualification)

The grade of Honorary Member is a significant honor bestowed by IEEE and is awarded for life to an individual. It was established through the Bylaws of the IEEE. Honorary Members are elected by the Board of Directors from among those who have rendered meritorious service to humanity in the IEEE’s designated fields of interest and who are not members of the IEEE.  This is by Selection only.

(Dues | Benefits | Qualifications)

The designation Life Member is applicable only to a member who has reached the age of 65 years and who has been a member of IEEE (or one of its predecessor societies) for such a period that the sum of his/her age and his/her years of membership equals or exceeds 100 years. All members having the designation Life Member (or Member-for-Life in the predecessor societies) shall be designated as a Life Member in IEEE. 

Basic dues and assessments are waived for those achieving Life Member status.

(Dues | Benefits | Qualifications)

• Affinity Groups are non-technical units within IEEE Sections formed to serve the specialized interest of IEEE members and to coordinate these with the local activities of the Section. IEEE has three Affinity groups viz.

Young Professionals (YP) are defined as post-Student members who are within 15 years of receiving their first professional degree with an option to participate beyond the 15-year time span. The most important action for Young Professionals is to promote the concept at the local level via non-technical groups called affinity groups. In 1996, IEEE instituted efforts to explore how to improve the retention and better meet the needs of recently graduated Student members. 

Women in Engineering (WIE) is one of the largest international professional organizations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists and inspiring girls around the world to follow their academic interests to a career in engineering.

• Society affiliate is a member of an IEEE Society. Society affiliates are not IEEE members and are not entitled to any IEEE benefits or services that are reserved solely for IEEE members. All affiliate benefits and services come directly from the individual IEEE Society offering affiliation. For each Society one is affiliated with, the applicant pays a separate annual affiliate fee plus that IEEE Society’s annual membership dues. Affiliate applications are provided by individual IEEE Societies offering affiliation.

(Dues | Benefits | Qualifications)