With over 100 years' experience, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) is the leading qualifying body for company secretaries, senior administrators and corporate governance professionals.
ICSA offers a varied and challenging professional qualification for those wishing to work at a senior level in business, the not-for-profit or public sectors. Covering corporate governance, company law, financial accounting, strategic management and company secretarial practice, the ICSA International Qualifying Scheme provides candidates a wide range of organisational, regulatory and financial knowledge.
On qualification, and completion of relevant work experience, candidates are known as Chartered Secretaries and work in positions ranging from company secretaries in listed companies to local government accountants. Typical responsibilities include advising on:
- Company, charity and public sector governance
- board, shareholder and trustee meetings
- property issues
- compliance with legal, regulatory and listing requirements
- the preparation of reports and circulars to shareholders / trustees
- training and inducting non-executives / trustees
- management of employee benefits such as pensions and employee share schemes
- insurance issues
- the negotiation of contracts
- risk management
- contact with regulatory and external bodies
Wherever they work, Chartered Secretaries possess the skills, vision and values to take their organisations forward.
The Professional Qualification:
The ICSA International Qualifying Scheme is unique in offering broad based, postgraduate training in corporate governance, law, finance, administration, company secretaryship and management. No other professional body in the business area offers the breadth of knowledge which the ICSA's qualification provides.
Part 1 consists of modules in: Corporate Law, Financial Accounting, Strategic and Operations Management and Management Accounting.
Part 2 consists of modules in: Corporate Governance, Corporate Secretaryship, Corporate Administration and Corporate Financial Management.
Graduates with related degrees such as Accountancy are eligible for exemptions from some Part 1 modules.
The qualification is usually studied part time while the candidate works in a relevant position. Candidates may study on their own using the ICSA Study Texts or they can opt for additional tuition from a college or university. Assessment is by three hour examination for each module.