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A chartered professional is a person who has gained a specific level of skill or competence in a particular field of work, which has been recognised by the award of a formal credential by a relevant professional organization. Chartered status is considered a mark of professional competency, and is awarded mainly by chartered
professional bodies A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
and learned societies. Common in Britain, it is also used in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and the Commonwealth, and has been adopted by organizations around the world. Chartered status originates from
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...
s issued to professional bodies in the UK by the British Monarch, although such is the prestige and credibility of a chartered designation that some non-UK organisations have taken to issuing chartered designations without Royal or Parliamentary approval. In the UK, chartered titles may still only be awarded by institutions that have been incorporated under royal charter, with the permission of the Privy Council. The standards for chartered titles in the UK are set between the professional bodies and relevant government departments, and cannot be changed without government permission. Many chartered statuses in the UK and Ireland are also regulated professional titles under European professional qualification directives.


Standing and usage

Chartered status is generally considered a terminal qualification in a particular profession, in some fields professional bodies also offer lower level qualifications, such as Incorporated Engineer (IEng),
Engineering Technician An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist engineers and eng ...
(EngTech) or
Registered Scientist Registered Scientist (RSci) is an extension to the Science Council's existing professional registers, that was introduced in 2012. This register extends the framework to allow professional recognition for higher technical roles. Holders of this qual ...
(RSci). It should not be confused on this point with the senior membership grade of Fellow in many professional institutes and learned societies, which is usually a measure of achievement and/or standing in a profession rather than a professional qualification based on assessment of competencies. Chartered status is a form of accreditation, with there being a grant of a protected title but no requirement to be chartered in order to practice a profession (making it distinct from licensing). In the UK and other countries that follow its model, the professional bodies overseeing chartered statuses have a duty to act in the public interest, rather than in the interests of their members, ensuring that chartered professionals must meet ethical standards of behaviour. As a status, rather than simply a qualification, a chartered title may be removed for failure to adhere to codes of conduct, or lost through non-renewal. Someone who has lost the status may no longer describe themselves as chartered. Many chartered statuses require initial academic preparation, normally to bachelor's level but sometimes to master's level (or equivalent experience) in engineering and scientific fields where an integrated master's degree is the standard first degree. After completion of academic training, it is normal to have to complete
Initial Professional Development Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive ...
(IPD), which may include professional courses and examinations, to gain the competencies necessary for chartered status. Many chartered statuses also have a requirement that holders undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain and update their competencies, with some requiring evidence of CPD at regular intervals to renew the status. In the UK, the Privy Council has stated that its policy is "that the criteria for individual Chartered Status should be broadly similar across the professions". They also caution that chartered designations used without approval by the
Queen in Council The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of ap ...
or the Privy Council "are not recognised by the UK Government and no assurance can be given that such designations meet the same high standards as authorised designations". The full title used differs from profession to profession and is normally of the form "Chartered ", where is replaced by the name of the profession (e.g. Engineer or Accountant), sometimes with qualifiers to differentiate it from a similar title issued by another body (e.g. Marine Engineer or Management Accountant). In the UK, chartered professional titles may only be trademarked if issued by a body holding a royal charter and which has permission under its charter to grant that title. Chartered professional titles are normally only permitted to be registered as collective trade marks. Guidance provided by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office is that the use of the word "chartered" in a trademark by a non-chartered organisation "would mislead the public into believing that the association and its members have chartered status." In the US, "chartered" is considered a descriptive term, thus trademarks using "chartered" along with a descriptive title for the profession may only be registered on the principal register if they can be demonstrated to have acquired distinctiveness through exclusive usage in trade for at least five years. Alternatively, they may be registered on the supplemental register.


International use

The two best known chartered statuses are probably Chartered Engineer and Chartered Accountant, along with their derivatives. Examples of their use outside of the UK include '' Chartered Engineer'' (CEng) in Ireland (granted in 1969 by the Oireachtas), India and Singapore; '' Chartered Professional Engineer'' (CPEng) in Australia and New Zealand (under the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002); ''ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer'' (ACPE) in participating
ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, milita ...
member states by the ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer Coordinating Committee; '' Chartered Accountant'' in Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa and Zambia; and '' Chartered Professional Accountant'' in Canada. Chartered Engineer (or a derivative) is also used in the official translation of titles from Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Iceland and Slovakia, while Chartered Accountant (or a derivative) is used in the official translation of titles from Austria, France, Hungary, Iceland, and Romania. In the US ''Chartered'' qualifications are offered by private education providers such as
The American College of Financial Services The American College of Financial Services (The American College) is a private online university focused on professional training for financial practitioners and located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It offers several professional certificati ...
and the Global Academy of Finance & Management (formerly the
American Academy of Financial Management The American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM) was a US-based board of standards, certifying body, and accreditation council focused on the finance sector and wealth management professionals.. AAFM was superseded by the Global Academy of Fin ...
). Unlike chartered qualifications in most countries, these are not issued under a royal/government charter or legislation. The
UK Intellectual Property Office The Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom (often referred to as the UK IPO) is, since 2 April 2007, the operating name of The Patent Office. It is the official government body responsible for intellectual property rights in the UK ...
refused a trademark application for the US Chartered Financial Analyst qualification on the grounds that it was not granted by a body with a royal charter and therefore had the potential to be deceptive.


Historical development

While the concept of
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...
s dates back to the eleventh century, the idea of someone being a chartered professional only dates to the 19th century. The first chartered professionals were accountants in Scotland. The Society of Accountants in Edinburgh (now part of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) was founded in 1853 and the title Chartered Accountant was in use by 1855. The title spread to England and Wales with the granting of a charter to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1880 and to Ireland with the chartering of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland Chartered Accountants Ireland was established by Royal Charter on 14 May 1888, and is Ireland's largest accountancy body. According to its website, it represents over 30,000 members globally. Chartered Accountants Ireland is part of the Con ...
in 1888. The next professionals to adopt the title were Chartered Surveyors in 1903 and Chartered Directors in 1906. These were followed between the wars by Chartered Civil Engineers (1923), Chartered Electrical Engineers (1924), Chartered Architects (1924) Chartered Textile Technologists (1925) and Chartered Mechanical Engineers (1930). Coverage of the grant to the Institution of Civil Engineers made it clear that the title Chartered Civil Engineer was intended to act as a form of occupational closure: In the Commonwealth, the title Chartered Accountant was adopted by Acts of Parliament in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
in 1902 and in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
in 1927. It spread to Australia in 1928 with the granting of a royal charter to the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (the institute) was the professional accounting body representing Chartered Accountants in Australia before it merged with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants to become Chart ...
(now part of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand). The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India was established by Act of Parliament in 1949 and the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan ( ur, , ICAP) is a professional accountancy body in Pakistan. As of 2022, it has over 8,000 members working in and outside Pakistan. The institute was established on July 1, 1961 to regulate th ...
by Act of Parliament in 1961. Development in the US began in 1927 with the establishment of the American College of Life Underwriters (now
The American College of Financial Services The American College of Financial Services (The American College) is a private online university focused on professional training for financial practitioners and located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It offers several professional certificati ...
) offering the Chartered Life Underwriter designation. This marked not only the first use of a chartered title in the US but also the first use without government permission by either Charter or Act of Parliament. This was a sharp contrast to the situation in the Commonwealth, where accountants in South Africa and Australia had been engaged in a decades-long struggle to gain the right to use a chartered title that came to fruition at about the same time. The CLU was followed, after many years of preparatory work, by the incorporation of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (now the
CFA Institute The CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education. The institute aims to promote standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investme ...
) in 1962 and the creation of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1963. With the Engineering profession in the UK fractured into many different professional institutions, the 13 chartered engineering institutions formed the Engineering Institutes Joint Council in 1962, which was chartered as the Council of Engineering Institutions in 1965 and introduced the title of Chartered Engineer with the designatory letters CEng. This marked the introduction of separate post-nominals for chartered status, which had previously been (and still is in many institutions) marked by the same post-nominals as membership. The CEng spread to Ireland a few years later in 1969. Following the introduction of the CEng, many scientific professional bodies also gained the right to award chartered status, such as Chartered Chemist (1975), Chartered Biologist (1979), Chartered Physicist (1985) and Chartered Geologist (1990). This expansion was driven less by occupational closure than a desire to demonstrate professional equality with the engineers. When the European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations were introduced in the UK in 1991, they featured 40 chartered statuses, including five forms of Chartered Surveyor from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Accountants from three different bodies, and two titles from the Chartered Insurance Institute. The most recent version of the regulations, from 2015, lists 71 chartered statuses, now including 20 varieties of Chartered Surveyor. The UK Privy Council list includes (as of November 2018) 107 titles, including 20 variants on Chartered Surveyor, and is noted as not being exhaustive. The 21st century has seen moves to increase professionalism. The
Chartered Physicist Chartered Physicist (CPhys) is a chartered status and a professional qualification awarded by the Institute of Physics. It is denoted by the postnominals "CPhys". Description Achieving chartered status in any profession denotes to the wider ...
status, for example, has, since 2001, required a master's degree to fulfill the academic preparation and is no longer awarded automatically to all corporate members of the Institute of Physics, and since 2012 has required evidence of CPD to be presented to renew the status every 3 years. Similarly Chartered Engineers in the UK have needed a master's degree since 2012, and in Ireland since 2013. The Chartered Scientist title, introduced in 2004, required a master's degree and annual re-validation through evidence of CPD from the start.


Titles

Not an exhaustive list: *ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) * Chartered Accountant (CA/ACA/FCA) *Chartered Administrator (C.Adm. (Canada)/ACIA (Nigeria)) * Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) * Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL) * Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) *Chartered Appraiser/Chartered Assessor *Chartered Arbitrator (FCIArb) *Chartered Arboriculturist/Chartered Forester ( MICFor) * Chartered Architect ( RIBA/ RIAS/ FRIAS) *Chartered Architectural Technologist (MCIAT) *Chartered Asset Manager (CAM) *Chartered Banker (MCIBS) * Chartered Biologist ( CBiol) * Chartered Builder (MCIOB/FCIOB) * Chartered Building Engineer (CBuildE) *Chartered Building Professional (MAIB/FAIB/LFAIB) *Chartered Building Services Engineer (MCIBSE) *Chartered Business Consultant *Chartered Business Professional *Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) *Chartered CEO Professional * Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA/FCCA) *Chartered Certified Municipal Finance Management Practitioner (CCMFMP) *Chartered Certified Public Finance Management Accountant (CCFMA) *Chartered Certified Insurance Professional (CCIP) *Chartered Certified International Banker (CCIB) * Chartered Chemical Engineer (MIChemE) *
Chartered Chemist Chartered Chemist (CChem) is a chartered status awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in the United Kingdom, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) in Australia, by the Ministry of Education in Italy, the Institute of Chemistry ...
(CChem) * Chartered Civil Engineer (MICE) * Chartered Colourist (CCol) * Chartered Construction Manager (MCIOB/FCIOB) *Chartered Contract Management Professional (CCMP) *Chartered Cost Controller (CCC) *Chartered Customer Service Professional (CCSP) * Chartered Designer (MCSD) *Chartered Development Finance Analyst (CDFA) *
Chartered Director Chartered may refer to: * Charter, a legal document conferring rights or privileges ** University charter ** Chartered company * Chartered (professional), a professional credential * Charter (shipping) * Charter (airlines) * Charter (typeface) * Cha ...
(CDir)"Institute of Directors"
/ref> *Chartered Distribution Manager Specialist (CDMS) *Chartered Economist (ChE) *Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA) *Chartered Electrical Engineer (MIET/FIET) *Chartered Energy Engineer/Chartered Petroleum Engineer (MEI/FEI) * Chartered Engineer (CEng) *Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst *Chartered Environmental Health Officer (Ch EHO) *Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner (CEnvH) * Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) *Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist (CErgHF) *Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant *Chartered Finance Professional * Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) *Chartered Financial Consultant * Chartered Financial Planner (AFPS) * Chartered Fellow/Member/Associate of the Institute of Financial Services (CFifs/CMifs/CAifs) * Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) *Chartered Gas Engineer (MIGEM) * Chartered Geographer (CGeog) * Chartered Geologist (CGeol) * Chartered Governance Professional (FCG/FCIS/ACG/ACIS), one of the two designations awarded by the Chartered Governance Institute. * Chartered Health Care Consultant (ChHC) *Chartered Horticulturist (CHort) *Chartered Humanitarian (CHum) *Chartered Insurer/Chartered Insurance Practitioner/Chartered Insurance Broker (ACII) *Chartered Insurance Professional *
Chartered IT Professional Chartered IT Professional (in full, Chartered Information Technology Professional) denoted by CITP is a professional qualification awarded under Royal Charter to IT professionals who satisfy strict criteria set by the British Computer Society ( ...
(CITP) *Chartered Investment Management Professional (CIMP) * Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) *Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance (CPIF) * Chartered Landscape Architect (FLI/CMLI) * Chartered Legal Executive/Chartered Legal Executive Advocate (FCILEx) * Chartered Fellow/Member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (FCLIP/MCLIP) * Chartered Leadership Fellow (CLF) * Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) * Chartered Linguist (CL) * Chartered Fellow/Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT/CMILT) *Chartered London Teacher (CLT) *Chartered Loss Adjuster (CLA) * Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA/FCMA) *Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) *Chartered Management Professional *Chartered Member/Fellow of the
Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), formerly known as the Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (IMSPA), is the professional body for the United Kingdom's sport and physical act ...
(FCIMSPA (chartered)/MCIMSPA (chartered)) *Chartered Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (CMIIA) * Chartered Manager (CMgr) *Chartered Marine Engineer (CMarEng) *Chartered Market Analyst (CMA) * Chartered Market Technician (CMT) * Chartered Marketer (CMktr) * Chartered Mathematician (CMath) *Chartered Mathematics Teacher (CMathTeach) * Chartered Mechanical Engineer (MIMechE/FIMechE) *Chartered Materials Manager Professional (CMMP) *Chartered Measurement and Control Technologist (MInstMC) *Chartered Meteorologist (CMet) *Chartered Mortgage Analyst (ChMA) *Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC) *Chartered Occupational Hygienist (CMFOH/CFFOH) *Chartered Patent Attorney (CPA) *Chartered Pension Analyst Manager (CPAM) *Chartered Pension Manager (CPM) * Chartered Fellow/Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD/MCIPD) *
Chartered Physicist Chartered Physicist (CPhys) is a chartered status and a professional qualification awarded by the Institute of Physics. It is denoted by the postnominals "CPhys". Description Achieving chartered status in any profession denotes to the wider ...
(CPhys) *Chartered Physiotherapist (MCSP (UK)/MISCP (Ireland)) *Chartered Portfolio Manager (CPR) *Chartered Procurement and Supply Professional (MCIPS – Chartered Procurement and Supply Professional/FCIPS – Chartered Procurement and Supply Professional) *Chartered Procurement Risk Manager *Chartered Procurement Specialist Professional (CPSP) *Chartered Production Planning Professional (CPPP) * Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) * Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) *Chartered Project Management Professional (CPMP) *Chartered Project Management Specialist (CPMS) *Chartered Project Procurement Manager (CPPM) * Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) *Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) *Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) *Chartered Public Finance Accountant (CIPFA) *Chartered Public Relations Practitioner (Chart.PR) *Chartered Quality Professional (CQP) * Chartered Radiation Protection Professional ( CRadP) *Chartered Real Estate Consultant *Chartered Realty Investor *Chartered Relationship Management Specialist *Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner (CMIOSH/CFIOSH) *Chartered Sales Professional * Chartered Scientist (CSci) *
Chartered Science Teacher Chartered may refer to: * Charter, a legal document conferring rights or privileges ** University charter ** Chartered company * Chartered (professional), a professional credential * Charter (shipping) * Charter (airlines) * Charter (typeface) * Cha ...
(CSciTeach) * Chartered Secretary (FCG/FCIS/ACG/ACIS), one of the two designations awarded by the Chartered Governance Institute *Chartered Fellow/Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (Chartered FCISI/Chartered MCISI) *Chartered Security Manager (CSM) * Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) *Chartered Senior Financial Planned *Chartered Shipbroker (MICS) *Chartered Special Needs Consultant *
Chartered Statistician Chartered Statistician (CStat) is a professional qualification in Statistics awarded to practising professional statisticians by the Royal Statistical Society in the United Kingdom. A Chartered Statistician may use the post-nominal letters CStat ...
(CStat) *Chartered Strategic Management Professional *Chartered Strategic Sourcing Professional (CSSP) * Chartered Structural Engineer (AIStructE/MIStructE/FIStructE) *'
Chartered Supply Chain Professional™
'' (Level 3 -ACSCP™ (Affiliate Level), Level 4-CSCPP™ (Practitioner level),Level-5-CSCPE™(Expert level), Level-6-CSCPS™(Specialist level), Level-7-MCSCP™ (Master level), Level-8-FCSCP™ (Fellow ) *Chartered Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP) *Chartered Supply Management Professional (CSMP) * Chartered Surveyor (MRICS or FRICS) **Also Chartered Arts and Antiques Surveyor; Chartered Building Surveyor; Chartered Building Control Surveyor; Chartered Civil Engineering Surveyor; Chartered Commercial Property Surveyor; Chartered Construction Surveyor; Chartered Engineering Surveyor; Chartered Environmental Surveyor; Chartered Facilities Management Surveyor; Chartered Forestry Surveyor; Chartered Hydrographic Surveyor; Chartered Land Surveyor; Chartered Machinery Valuation Surveyor; Chartered Management Consultancy Surveyor; Chartered Minerals Surveyor; Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor; Chartered Project Management Surveyor; Chartered Quantity Surveyor; Chartered Valuation Surveyor. * Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) *Chartered Teacher of English (CTE) *Chartered Textile Technologist (CText) *Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) *Chartered Transport and Logistics Professional (CTLP) *Chartered Transport Planning Professional (CTPP) *Chartered Trust and Estate Planner (CTEP) *Chartered Warehouse Management Professional (CWMP) *Chartered Waste Manager (MCIWM) * Chartered Water and Environment Manager (C.WEM) *Chartered Wealth Advisor * Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM (US)/Chartered FCISI/Chartered MCISI (UK))


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chartered (status) Professional titles and certifications Professionals