Main contact: http://www.bcs.org/
Membership: http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.10530

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, promotes wider social and economic progress through the advancement of information technology science and practice.

It brings together industry, academics, practitioners and government to share knowledge, promote new thinking, inform the design of new curricula, shape public policy and inform the public.

As the professional membership and accreditation body for IT, BCS serves members including practitioners, businesses, academics and students, in the UK and internationally. It delivers a range of professional development tools for practitioners and employees.

You might like to view a Powerpoint presentation about the advantages of being a member of the BCS.

Membership

The Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in Information Technology qualify the graduate for part-exemption from the entrance examinations requirements for membership of the Society:

Postgraduate Diploma

Exemption from the Certificate and Diploma papers only

MSc

Exemption from the Certificate, Diploma and Diploma project, and partial fulfilment for CEng/CSci registration (provided that the MSc project was a practical problem solving project, passed at the first attempt).

The British Computer Society Code of Conduct

Brief summary of the code of conduct:

Computing professionals should be expected to show the same standards of competence, conduct and accountability as other professions, such as doctors, lawyers, etc.

Professional societies maintain these standards by:

• setting standards of technical capability for membership,
• prescribing standards of conduct, to which members are held accountable.

BCS Bye-law 18 requires that: "Every member of the Society shall exercise his professional skill and judgement to the best of his ability and discharge his professional responsibilities with integrity."

To help the practitioner, the BCS has established a Code of Conduct. The provisions are wide-ranging, including:

The Public Interest:

safeguarding public health and safety, and the environment; complying with the law; respecting human rights.

Duty to Employers and Clients:

not taking bribes; not disclosing confidential information; not taking advantage of the lack of knowledge or inexperience of others; endeavouring to avoid conflict with The Public Interest.

Duty to the Profession:

upholding its reputation; advancing public knowledge and understanding; encouraging the professional development of others; not making public statements unless properly qualified.

Professional Competence and Integrity:

keeping up-to-date; only working within competence; accepting responsibility for actions.