PIBC Student Membership

PIBC is a membership-based professional organization with opportunities for professional practitioners in the planning field, students and others alike to join or get involved.

Become a Student Member

Becoming a non-corporate Student Member of PIBC is an excellent opportunity for post-secondary planning students to get connected with the planning profession, network with established professional planning practitioners, take advantage of the services and benefits of the Institute offered to Student Members, and build their future career in planning.

For a complete overview of the benefits of Student Membership please download the following

• Student Membership Information Sheet. [PDF]

Eligibility for Student Membership.

A Student Member is a post-secondary planning student who:

• Is currently enrolled in a university planning school/program which is formally accredited by the Professional Standards Board (PSB) - the national assessment body that is recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP)/PIBC. For information on which university planning schools/programs are currently recognized by the PSB, click here.
• Agrees to abide by the Institute’s bylaws.

Applying for Student Membership

Student Membership includes equivalent joint membership with the CIP. Eligible students wishing to apply for Student Membership should download, complete and submit the following application form:

• Application for Student Membership [PDF]

Membership Options for Other Students

Students enrolled in other schools or programs which are not CIP recognized Planning programs can join PIBC as non-corporate Public Subscriber. Becoming an Public Subscriber provides a connection to the profession and some of the same benefits and services.

• Application for Public Subscriber [PDF]

Student Membership Renewal (current process until new changes apply):

For New PIBC Student Members Who Joined in September 2019 and Later:

All Student members who applied and joined as members of PIBC in September 2019 or later will be automatically renewed and continue as Student members until December 31, 2020. If you are in this group of Student members you will not be required to go online and renew your membership for 2020. However you should keep your online membership login information and password to access PIBC's online database in the future. You can continue to use the system to update your contact information, find members, and access other services.

All Other Existing PIBC Student Members: 

All other Student members (those who applied and were admitted prior to September 2019) who intend to continue will receive notice of membership renewal by email by mid-November and will be required to login online to confirm their student status and renew their membership. If you are in this group be sure to watch your email in November for renewal information, and be sure to login and renew your membership to continue your membership with PIBC. Membership renewals will be due by January 2nd, 2020.

Student Members with Expiring Eligibility on December 31, 2019:

Continuing as a Student member requires that individuals be a currently enrolled student in an accredited university planning program, or be a recent graduate (within 12 months or less) of an accredited university planning program who is not yet employed in planning.

Individuals who's eligibility to remain a Student member expires this year - as of December 31, 2019 - will be notified by letter from PIBC of the expiry of their eligibility. If this applies to you, there are some actions you can and should take now. Please review the following:

• If you have completed your studies, graduated, and are now employed in planning, you should now apply for Candidate membership with PIBC to continue your professional membership. This is the first step to eventually becoming a Certified Member and Registered Professional Planner (RPP). For information about Candidate membership and how to apply, visit the 'Join' section of the PIBC website: https://www.pibc.bc.ca/join-candidate-member. 
• If you have completed your studies and graduated any time before December 31, 2018, but are not yet employed in planning and wish to continue membership in PIBC, you should now apply for a new category of membership with PIBC: Pre-Candidate membership. For information about Pre-Candidate membership and how to apply, visit the 'Join' section of the PIBC website: https://www.pibc.bc.ca/join-pre-candidate. 
• If you have completed your studies and graduated any time after December 31, 2018, but are not yet employed in planning and wish to continue membership in PIBC, you should contact PIBC right away to request a one-year extension to your Student membership eligibility. This will enable you to continue as a Student member for an additional year, until December 31, 2020. You will need to contact PIBC in writing (by email) and provide documentation to confirm your recent graduation. See below for contact information.
• If your studies in your university planning program have extended longer than originally anticipated, and you are still currently enrolled in the program, you should contact PIBC right away to request an extension to your Student membership eligibility. This will enable you to continue as a Student member for until you complete your studies and graduate. You will need to contact PIBC in writing (by email) and provide documentation to confirm your continued enrolment in your university planning program. We will check with the universities about the current stand of each student. See below for contact information.
• Finally, if you no longer wish to continue with membership in PIBC, you should contact PIBC in writing (by email) to notify us.