Membership Requirements

Question: Am I eligible for Provisional Membership and how do I apply?

Answer: Any one with a degree from one of the CIP recognized planning programs is eligible for Provisional membership. In addition, anyone with an undergraduate-level degree or higher in any field AND who has obtained employment in the planning field is eligible for Provisional membership.

Question: How do I apply for Provisional membership?

Answer: Individuals interested in Provisional membership with AACIP, may apply by submitting the application form, available on the AACIP website, along with the $150 application fee to the AACIP office. If the applicant does not have a CIP recognized planning degree, then the application must include a letter from the applicant’s employer confirming employment in the planning field. All applicants must also make arrangements for their official university transcripts to be sent directly to the AACIP office from the appropriate educational institution (s).

Question: How does the AACIP Registration Committee determine when a non CIP recognized degree is “related” or “unrelated” to planning?

Answer: Each application is reviewed on an individual basis and the Committee carefully reviews the course listing on the transcripts and the course descriptions (if available) to determine if a degree will be deemed “related” or “unrelated” to planning. Generally speaking, the degree will be deemed “related” to planning only if it is clear that the applicant has accumulated at least one full year of undergraduate course study specifically in planning or sufficiently related or applicable to planning.

Question: What if my degree is not from a North American educational institution?

Answer: If your degree is from a foreign country, the process for applying for Provisional membership is the same, but in addition to the regular process, you must also make arrangements for an independent assessment of your foreign transcripts to be undertaken from a qualified assessment service and ensure that a certified copy of the assessment is sent to the AACIP office. To secure an assessment in Alberta, contact the International Qualifications Assessment Services (IQAS) at (780)422-2655 or visit their website at http//www.learning.gov.ab.ca/iqas and request a Description of Course Work Assessment.

Question: Can I apply for membership with AACIP if I am not residing in Canada, but I am planning to move to the area served by the AACIP affiliate?

Answer: Only those currently residing in the area served by the AACIP affiliate may apply for membership with AACIP. The only exception is those individuals who are members in good standing of another affiliate of CIP, may be eligible for Non Resident membership with AACIP. New applicants residing outside of Canada are only eligible to apply as International members through CIP.

Question: I do not have a university degree, am I still eligible for membership with AACIP?

Answer: If you do not have a university degree or you are a university student but not enrolled in a CIP accredited planning program, you may apply as an Associate of AACIP. To apply as an Associate, applicants should submit the standard application form supplemented with at Statement of Interest letter stating the applicant’s academic and professional experience in planning and future endeavors if any, the applicant's interest in planning, what the applicant can contribute to the Association and what the applicant is interested in receiving from association with AACIP. Associates of AACIP do not hold any level of membership with the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP).

Question: Does AACIP have a mentoring program?

Answer: AACIP does not currently have an official mentoring program; however, the Association recognizes the need for such a program and is working with CIP to establish a National Mentoring Program.

Question: Is it possible to backlog the responsible, professional planning experience that I acquired prior to becoming a Provisional member of AACIP?

Answer: Work experience completed prior to an application for Provisional membership may be submitted to the AACIP Registration Committee for consideration, providing the work fulfills the requirements of responsible professional planning experience. The final decision as to whether a candidate’s work experience constitutes responsible, professional planning rests with the Registration Committee.

Question: How do I get a CIP sponsor to sign my logbook?

Answer: AACIP Provisional members must secure a CIP Sponsor who is responsible for ensuring that the experience documented in logbooks constitutes, in their opinion, responsible, professional planning experience. Both the candidate and the Sponsoring CIP member need to clearly understand the importance of the responsibility being taken on by the Sponsoring CIP member when acting in this capacity for a candidate. If the Provisional member’s employment supervisor is also Full Member of any affiliate of CIP, that individual may act as both the supervisor and CIP Sponsor on the logbook submission. In those cases where the Sponsoring CIP Member is not the employment supervisor of the Provisional member during the duration of professional work experience documented, the CIP Sponsor is required to contact the supervisor named, in order to ensure they are satisfied the record accurately documents the work experience. Again, the final decision as to whether a candidate’s work experience constitutes responsible, professional planning rests with the AACIP Registration Committee.

Question: How do I transfer my membership from one affiliate to another?

Answer: AACIP members may transfer their membership to another affiliate by submitting a letter or email to the AACIP office. The request should include the individual’s new home and work mailing and email addresses and their preferred contact information. Any member, who wishes to transfer into AACIP from another affiliate of CIP, may do so by requesting a transfer from the affiliate of which they are currently a member.

Question: What is my user id and password for the Members’ Only portion of the AACIP website?

Answer: Members who have forgotten their user id and password may contact the AACIP office by telephone or email.

Question: How do I change my membership status from Full to Non Practicing or can I take a Leave of Absence?

Answer: All requests to change membership status must be made via letter or email to the AACIP office and are subject to approval by the AACIP Registration Committee. For more information, please contact the AACIP office.

Question: How do I get a receipt for my member dues, application fee or exam fee?

Answer: Receipts are issued via mail for all payments received by AACIP. If you did not get a receipt, you may request one by contacting the AACIP office via telephone or by email.

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