IPHE stands for Interim Professional Home Economist. It is a class of membership leading to professional status. The IPHE Program is designed to further professionalism and to provide an introduction to the Association.

The IPHE Program is easily and readily completed. It is not academic in nature. The Program does not deal with technical expertise, nor is it a supervised work experience. As do all pre-professional programs, IPHE allows the participant to apply the concepts of being a professional and to develop an understanding of professionalism.

How do I start?

To enroll in the IPHE program, please register for membership and submit your dues or upgrade your Student membership to a paid membership and submit copies of:

  • your education credentials (official transcripts or degree),
  • your current resume listing your continuing education, and
  • documentation of any change of name since your graduation (marriage certificate, legal name change, etc).

Your application to the program will be forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review. If accepted, you will be contacted about the program and to discuss the mentorship process.

Benefits of the Program

Participants in the IPHE Program can derive a variety of benefits through the opportunities offered in the Program. Benefits include:

  • Meeting other members at meetings and conferences who are in diverse occupational settings and varied employment areas, and whose professional practice will be in the different majors of human ecology/home economics; discovering what other people do can provide you with ideas.
  • Networking with other members at local and provincial levels, to make contacts which will be valuable personally and professionally; where members are aware of positions available they endeavor to inform other members through the strong, informal network.
  • Becoming familiar with their professional Association, what it does, its activities, and the issues it addresses related to our profession and societal needs.
  • Becoming involved and participate in the Association, to express opinions, address issues, make a contribution, collectively advance our profession, derive satisfaction, and work toward personal and professional achievements.
  • Learning why professional legislation is advantageous to you as an individual and to our profession, what it means, why it is important and what our responsibilities are. In the future human ecology/home economics graduates will begin to see more employers requiring professional status in conjunction with the degree.

Activities

The Program has been designed to provide the participant with a broad and flexible range of activities aimed at furthering professionalism and becoming familiar with the Association. On average, the Program takes six months to one year in length to complete, depending on completion of required and elective components. Participants are paired with a Professional Home Economist member as their mentor for the duration of their program. Upon successful completion of all the requirements, the IPHE participant will be brought forward to the MAHE Board of Directors for a vote on acceptance into Active Practising status, after which the member may begin using the professional designation and title, PHEc (Professional Home Economist).

Required Components

  1. View the webinars on the MAHE website and discuss with Mentor.
  2. Attend a minimum of three meetings between Participant and Mentor.
  3. Prepare and submit an article to be posted on the Home & Family website (www.homefamily.net).

Elective Components (one of four required)

  1. Participate and complete responsibilities on a MAHE committee(s) or with another organization where MAHE is represented. Attend or contribute to a minimum of three meetings/interactions.
  2. Attend a minimum of two MAHE Board of Director meetings, member programs or member events.
  3. Attend a MAHE Annual General Meeting/Provincial Conference.
  4. Develop and present a community project at a professional level.

Full descriptions of the components, mentor matching process and program completion requirements can be obtained from the MAHE office.