A recognised professional qualification demonstrates to potential employers that you are committed to your profession, and that you've achieved an accredited standard of competence in addition to your qualifications.

Achieving chartered status (CChem / CSci / CEnv) or professional recognition (RSciTech / RSci) evidences your ability to plan and organise your work, take the lead and manage others, solve complex problems, and communicate clearly and effectively.

Who's it for?

We offer a number of professional designations – each for a specific career stage or type – which we've summarised below.

Registered status

Registered Science Technician (RSciTech): a competence-based professional designation for technicians, technical support staff and advanced apprentices.

Registered Scientist (RSci): a competence-based professional designation for scientists, higher apprentices, and those working in higher technical support roles.

Chartered status

Chartered Chemist (CChem): awarded to professional, experienced practising chemists. 

Chartered Scientist (CSci): an award that recognises the professional practising scientist.

Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv):  an award for those in roles with an environmental or sustainability focus. 

If you're unsure about which of our professional registers and chartered status designations is right for you, use the table under 'Which is right for you?' below to help you choose.

Other professional designations/registers

Mastership in Chemical Analysis (MChemA): the statutory qualification for practice as a Public Analyst and Agriculture Analyst in the UK.

SiLC: a senior practitioner who has a broad awareness, knowledge and understanding of land condition issues, providing impartial and professional advice in their field of expertise.

Qualified Person (QP) in the Pharmaceutical Industry: an experienced professional with an in-depth critical understanding of pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution.

Which is right for you?

Use the table below to work out which of the chartered statuses and professional registers we offer is appropriate for your career stage or type.

We've included some typical criteria below – such as 'responsibilities', 'duties' and 'jobs' – to help you find the apppropriate award for you; note that these are examples and the list is not exhaustive.

When you've found the closest match, click the relevant award (post-nominal) at the top of the table to find out more and how to apply. Please get in touch using the contact details on this page if you need more information or support.

 Professional registersChartered status
Award (post-nominal)

RSciTech

RSci

CChem / CSci / CEnv
Full title & summary

Registered Science Technician

  • For technicians, technical support staff and advanced apprentices

Registered Scientist

  • For scientists, higher apprentices, and those working in higher technical support roles

Chartered Chemist

  • Awarded to professional, experienced practising chemists

Chartered Scientist

  • Recognises the professional practising scientist

Chartered Environmentalist

  • Awarded to experienced individuals working to mitigate and solve environmental challenges
Responsibilities
  • Responsible for some job-related details

  • No defined authority over others but may give guidance to those working on the same project
  • Responsible for most job-related details

  • Significant contribution to project team(s); may have defined supervisory / managerial responsibility 
  • Responsibility for job-related matters, which may include projects and programmes of work

  • Leading one or more project teams; may have defined managerial responsibility 
Duties
  • Work on well defined projects / assist more senior staff

  • Receive training for most / all aspects of work
  • Perform varied assignments within projects

  • Receive training for unfamiliar aspects of work
  • Plan, conduct and coordinate projects of some complexity; may have budgetary control

  • Encouraged to seek out and request training as needed
Supervision
  • Work assigned with clear instructions

  • Detailed guidance always available

  • Work and results subject to frequent close review 
  • Work assigned in terms of detailed objectives and priorities

  • Guidance available on problems and unusual features

  • Work with some autonomy, results subject to regular review
  • Work assigned in terms of general objectives and priorities

  • Guidance available on policy or unusually complex problems

  • Work autonomously, subject to occasional review, usually for effectiveness only
Qualifications
(equivalence may be demonstrated through experience)
  • GCSEs

  • A-levels / Highers

  • NVQ / SVQ level 3
  • FdSc

  • BSc / BSc (Hons)

  • HNC / HND
  • MChem / MSci

  • MSc

  • PhD / DPhil

Experience
(may depend on qualification)
  • 1 year +
  • 2–3 years
  • 4–5 years

Membership
  • Affiliate
  • Associate
  • Member or Fellow
Jobs
  • Newly qualified apprentice in laboratory & associated technical activities

  • Laboratory technician

  • Process technician

  • Teaching laboratory technician

  • Junior analytical chemist / analyst 
  • Senior / experienced laboratory technician

  • Senior process technician

  • Senior / experienced teaching laboratory technician

  • Analytical chemist / analyst

  • Laboratory chemist / scientist

  • Early career teacher
  • Senior or specialist laboratory chemist / scientist / technologist

  • Experienced laboratory chemist / scientist

  • Principal scientist

  • Senior / experienced analyst

  • Technical manager / team leader

  • Plant manager

  • Research and development chemist / scientist

  • Postdoctoral scientist

  • Lecturer / teacher

  • Senior lecturer / professor

  • Consultant

Careers support

Contact the Professional Qualifications Team

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