Membership Grades

Student
The applicant must not be less than 18 years of age and must satisfy the Board of Governors that he is a Professional Investigator in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Once admitted as an Student, the applicant must take and pass an examination acceptable to the Institute to qualify for Membership within 5 years.

Associate
An applicant must have not less than 6 years experience as as investigator and must satisfy the Board of Governors that he is an investigator in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Once admitted as an Associate the participant may progress to Membership by success in a course and examination in management subjects acceptable by the Board of Governors.

Membership
(1) Any person who satisfies the Board of Governors that he has been employed as a Professional Investigator for at least 3 years and that he has sufficient professional knowledge and capability, and
(2) he has taken and passed a professional examination, relative to investigation, at senior management level which is acceptable by the Board of Governors in accordance with the Bye-Laws of the Institute, shall be eligible for ordinary Membership, or
(3) the Board shall have power to admit to Membership of the Institute any person who, provided he falls within Clause (1) above and has, in the opinion of the Board of Governors, already attained a high academic or professional position in investigation, at least equivalent to the requirements of (2) hereof.

Fellowship
To obtain Fellowship status a Member must submit a Thesis of approximately 8,000 words on an agreed subject.

Definition of a Professional Investigator

For Institute purposes a professional investigator is defined as “Any person who is engaged, fully or part-time in a paid capacity in either the private or public sector,

(a) in investigatory activities as defined by Section 4(1), Schedule 2 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, or

(b) in criminal investigations, or

(c) in the investigation of accidents of events that may give rise to legal action

or

who, whilst predominantly engaged in another occupation, has extensive, provable 5 involvement in activities equivalent to the aforementioned classes of investigation and who can satisfy the Admissions Committee that they comply with all legal, professional and ethical rules that govern the way in which those activities are undertaken.