Qualifying to work in Company Secretary jobs
In the UK, in order to hold the post of Company Secretary in a publicly traded company, it is required by law that you are:
a) a qualified chartered, certified or management accountant; or
b) a barrister or solicitor qualified in any part of the United Kingdom; or
c) a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).
The requirements for company secretarial jobs in not-for-profit organisations such as a charities, schools or within central and local government are generally less stringent, though employers in these sectors will usually expect candidates to be part- or fully-qualified under ICSA.
Qualifying to work in company secretarial jobs
The ICSA qualifying prodess is in three stages: Foundation programme, Pre-Professional programme and Professional programme. Your point of entry to the programme depends on what qualifications you have, and the number of years’ work experience in relevant occupational areas.
School-leaver entrants who are at least 17 years old may register for the Foundation programme, for which academic qualifications are not required. Holders of a Higher National Diploma (or equivalent) are exempted from the Foundation course, and may apply directly to sit the Pre-Professional qualifying examination.
Graduates (in any subject) can sit the Professional qualifying level, while holders of a recognised postgraduate diploma or Masters degree can apply for exemption from up to six Professional programme modules.
Holders of some non-chartered qualifications may also apply for exemption from the Foundation programme and from certain Pre-Professional modules. Graduates may wish to consider studying for the internationally-recognised Masters in Corporate Governance, offered as a one year full-time or two-year part-time course by a number of universities.
Holders of this qualification are able to apply upon qualification for associate membership of the Institute (and gain the letters ‘ACIS’ after their name), whereas those who qualify via the Professional Programme must first complete a period of appropriate work experience (normally six years for non-graduates, or three years for a graduate) in order to gain associate membership of ICSA.
