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Grading Criteria

Applications are considered by the Membership Committee and are assessed primarily on the basis of Academic Achievement and Professional Experience, specifically in the ICT arena. Participation in IITPSA and other professional activities may also be taken into account.
Member Grade
 Points Required  
Student Member [SZ] 0
Affiliate Member [AA]
 1 – 64
Associate Member [AZ]
 65 – 95 AMIITPSA
Member [MZ] 96+ MIITPSA
Professional  Member 135+ PMIITPSA
Professional CIO  150+ Pr.CIO
Fellow  [FZ] See note 1 FIITPSA
Points are awarded for :

  • Academic Achievement
  • Relevant Professional Experience
  • Participation in IITPSA Activities
  • Participation in Professional Activities
  • Note

Relevant Academic Achievement:  Points allocated for qualifications (based on their ICT subject content)  and relevant ICT related certifications may change from time to time, as proposed by the IITPSA Membership Committee and approved by the Institute. In cases where multiple qualifications are offered (for example, a B Degree and subsequent Honours) only the higher degree will be considered (see Note 3 below).
Relevant Professional Experience:  One point per month for relevant professional experience (i.e. ICT related). Relevant professional experience should reflect a path of progressive career growth, either in terms of a broadening of experience and responsibility, or by demonstrating an increased depth of knowledge in a particular technical field (or fields). Candidates must provide details of the positions held together with start-finish dates (month-year).
Grading Minimum Experience Required
 Maximum Experience Claimable
Affiliate Member:
Associate Member: 12 Points 59 Points
Member: 36 Points 88 Points
Professional Member: 36 Points 99 Points
Professional CIO 78 points 108 points

Candidates for Member (MIITPSA) or Professional Member (PMIITPSA) must offer a minimum of three years experience in industry in a professional capacity, and this may not include any period of full time training or education unless it is in research for a Doctoral thesis. Furthermore, an applicant for Professional Membership must normally have been a member of the Institute, in good standing, for two years immediately prior to being assessed for their eligibility for Professional Membership.

The maximum amount of experience that may be claimed for admission of a candidate as a Member (MIITPSA) is 7 years 4 months [88 points], as a Professional Member 8 years 3 months [99 points] and as a Professional CIO, 9 years (108 points). The balance of points must be claimed from Section1 [Academic Achievement], Section 3 [Participation in IITPSA activities], Section 4 [Professional Activities], or Section 5 [Student Membership of the IITPSA while a full time student].

Where such experience consists of more than one activity undertaken at the same time [for example, systems analysis and programming undertaken during the same period of time] the two activities can only be claimed concurrently (and not consecutively).

Participation in IITPSA Activities:  Points are awarded under this section to recognise a candidate’s involvement in and / or contribution to the activities of the Institute in the year immediately prior to the date of application. One point for each SIG meeting attended during the year immediately prior to application, or 2 points per full day of IITPSA conferences attended during the year immediately prior to application; Five points for being an active member of a Chapter or SIG committee [provided at least 75% of the meetings were attended in the year immediately prior to application]; One point for each new member introduced and sponsored in the year prior to application for upgrade, who is accepted by the IITPSA as an Associate Member (AMIITPSA), Member (MIITPSA) or Professional Member (PMIITPSA) and who has paid their membership subscription.
Participation in Professional Activities:  Points awarded under this section are intended to recognise a candidate’s contribution [s] to the broad field of Information and Communications Technology in academia or industry. Points may also be awarded in this section for short courses and achievement in professional development as may from time to time be assessed and recommended to the Executive Council by the Membership Committee.

Six points for full membership of other specified relevant professional bodies [e.g. SAIEE, IEE, BCS, ACS] of which the candidate is a current member,

Five points for a refereed and published paper on a computer or computer-related subject presented at an international Conference.

Four points for a refereed an published paper on a computer or computer-related subject presented at a National Conference

Three points for a published paper or article written by and by-lined or attributed to the candidate within the twelve months immediately prior to application.
Documentary proof will be required [e.g. a copy of the membership certificate in other professional societies, or a copy of a published paper].
Notes: 

1. The Board and the body of Past Presidents of the IITPSA bestows the title of “Fellow of the Institute” [FIITPSA] only on those members who have made exceptional contributions to the Institute and to the computer industry in South Africa. The committee of Past Presidents of the Institute recommends Fellowships to the Executive Council for Ratification. Fellows of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa will normally qualify as Professional Members of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa in their own right. Fellows, Professional Members, Members and Associate Members in good standing may vote in elections for officers of the Institute.
2. An incomplete tertiary education course may be credited for the actual number of years successfully completed. For example, two completed years from a three year Bachelor Degree with a major in computing [Level E] may be treated as Level D. Documentary evidence must be produced of the candidate having completed a certain portion of an appropriate course.
3. Candidates with more than one relevant qualification in the list above may be awarded the points for each qualification provided that each qualification is separate and does not form an extension of an existing qualification. For example, a candidate with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and with an Honours Degree that is based on the Bachelors Degree as a pre-requisite will be given 48 points. However, should the same candidate also have an MCSE that was not a part of the coursework for either of the two degree courses, then the candidate could be given a further 8 points..
4. Degrees awarded before the establishment of the National Qualifications Framework [NQF] should show courses or modules relevant to computing that represent at least 30% of the time for the entire qualification. Degrees which have been registered in the NQF will need to show academic credits for computing or associated subjects carrying credits for Unit Standards on computer or related subjects representing at least 30% of the total credits.
5. Inclusion of a Doctorate at level G is not intended to equate the award of a Doctorate to that of a Masters Degree. Time spent on research for a Doctoral Thesis may be claimed as Professional Experience under Section 2 below [see Note 6].
6. Candidates for Member (MIITPSA) or Professional Member (PMIITPSA) must offer a minimum of three years experience in industry in a professional capacity, and this may not be concurrent with any period of full time training or education unless it is in research for a Doctoral thesis. Furthermore, an applicant for Professional Membership must have been a member of the Institute for two years prior to being assessed for their eligibility for Professional Membership. It should be noted that Professional Members will normally offer a minimum of a Level D qualification as an academic achievement.
7. The maximum amount of experience that may be claimed for admission of a candidate as a Member (MIITPSA) is 7 years 4 months [88 points] and as a Professional Member 8 years 3 months [99 points]. The balance of points must be claimed from Section1 [Academic Achievement], Section 3 [Participation in IITPSA activities], Section 4 [Professional Activities], or Section 5 [Student Membership of the IITPSA while a full time student].
8.The onus will be wholly on the candidate to keep a record of meetings attended and members sponsored and selected. A score card will be available from the Secretariat or off the web site which the candidate must get signed off each time he/she attends a meeting or sponsors a new member. It is specifically not the responsibility of the Secretariat to assist in keeping or maintaining a candidate’s record of attendance at meetings. Attendance at IITPSA activities of a social nature [e.g. The President’s Awards and golf days] will not qualify for points. A form will be provided on the IITPSA website for the purposes of claiming points for participation in IITPSA activities. This form will need to be signed off by the Chapter Chairman [or a designated Chapter Committee member] before submission by an applicant for membership or re-grading.
9. Documentary proof will be required [e.g. a copy of the membership certificate in other professional societies, or a copy of a published paper].
10. The requirement of either a written dissertation, a copy of results of a structured interview [as opposed to an oral dissertation] and / or the production of other evidentiary artifacts (e.g. supporting letters from employers / referees, professional articles written, etc.) ensures that the Institute has grounds to justify the election of a mature member to any competent authority that later requires justification for the election – for example: a sister Institute in another country.
11. A Mature Candidate will normally be admitted in the first place as a Member (MIITPSA). The qualifying period referred to in Note 6 above will apply, but in exceptional cases, a mature candidate may be admitted directly as a Professional Member provided his or her Local Chapter supports this in writing and it is then supported by the Membership Committee.
12. A maximum of 12 points may be claimed for participation in IITPSA and Professional activities. These points will be added separately to the points awarded for academic achievement and relevant professional experience.