Your Mentor or Supporter should help you decide which title to apply for. The Chartership Officer is also available to provide advice, and discuss any questions you may have.

Chartered Geologist

Chartered Geologist is appropriate for Fellows who have a Master's level degree in Geology or a related Earth sciences subject (or equivalent experience), and are practising professional geoscientists for whom geoscientific knowledge is an essential element for their work.

Chartered Scientist

Chartered Scientist is appropriate for Fellows practising as professional scientists where scientific knowledge is essential for their work. As a Fellow of the Society, those Fellows who usually opt for the CSci title include:

• those with sciences Master's-level degrees (or equivalent experience) now working in an aspect of Earth sciences; or
• those with geoscience Master's-level degrees (or equivalent experience) but whose work is now in wider science areas.

Retrospective Award for Chartership

The Society also allows a Fellow gaining one title to apply retrospectively for the other without the need for a second interview if this is completed within two years of the first award.

20+ years' professional experience route to Chartership

The Society wishes to encourage Fellows with more than 20 years of professional experience to take up the professional titles in order to act as role models to colleagues within their sector of work and provide a role as a supporter or mentor to others applying for Chartership.

It also recognises that these senior geoscientists/scientists may find it difficult to produce detailed documentary evidence of their early professional work.

European Geologist route to Chartership

European Geologists (EurGeol) who are not Fellows of the Society may also apply for CGeol using this modified route, having first become a Fellow.

Reciprocal route

Professional Members of AAPG, AIPG, and IGI may be eligible to apply for Chartered Geologist (CGeol) status through the reciprocal route. For more details, please visit our 'Already Chartered?' web page.

The eligibility requirements for Chartered Geologist and Chartered Scientist are outlined in the table below.

Chartered Geologist	Chartered Scientist
You must be a Fellow of the Geological Society.
You must hold a recognised Master's level degree or equivalent qualification in Earth sciences, or be able to demonstrate equivalent Master's level experience. Fellows without a geoscience degree are eligible for validation but they must be able to demonstrate professional experience practising in Earth sciences.	You must hold a recognised Master's level degree or equivalent qualification in science, or be able to demonstrate equivalent Master's level experience.
You need to have a sufficient number of years of relevant post-graduate experience in the profession and practice of geology (CGeol) or science (CSci) to be able to demonstrate competency in all of the criteria applicable to the Chartership for which you are applying. The Geological Society no longer specifies the number of years' experience needed to apply for Chartership. The length of time you will need will depend on a number of factors, including your exposure to new and different work experiences, coupled with the rate at which you assimilate the knowledge to become competent, as well as your motivation. However, as a very general guide, the Society has found that most successful applicants have had at least 4 to 5 years' relevant post-graduation work experience to gain the necessary level of competency. Those applicants that have a degree accredited by the Geological Society and/or have participated in an accredited company training scheme are typically able to become Chartered a year earlier than those who do not.

Master's level equivalence

If you do not hold a Master's level degree, you must submit a 'Master's Level Equivalence Report' (MLER). Please see the guidance notes.

To read the full eligibility requirements and criteria for validation as a Chartered Geologist and Chartered Scientist, please see:

Regulation R/FP/2: Criteria and Procedure for Validation as a Chartered Geologist

Regulation R/FP/11: Criteria and Procedure for Validation as a Chartered Scientist

Candidates applying via the 20+ years' professional experience route who do not have a Master's level degree are not required to provide an MLER.

Any candidates who wish to confirm their eligibility ahead of submitting a Chartership application can provide their MLER to the Chartership Office for review and approval.

The Fellowship of the Society encompasses a very broad range of geoscience/science, covering a wide cross-section of geoscience themes , specialist groups and areas of expertise . The primary areas of expertise are shown in the list below.

• Academic Research and Teaching
• Contaminated Land
• Engineering Geology and Geotechnics
• Geoenvironment and Waste Management
• Geophysics
• Ground/Site Investigations
• Hydrogeology
• IT and Data Management
• Mining, Quarrying and Mineral Exploration
• Natural Hazards
• Oil and Gas
• and many others

An essential part of the Chartership application is for you to select the general area of geosciences/science for which you are claiming competency. This specialism is then assessed against the required criteria at interview. Please select from the dropdown list in the application form, or contact us if you need further advice about how best to align your skills.

Please note you are applying to become Chartered as a Geologist or Scientist but only for the specialism in which you practise and are competent (as nominated in your application form) and not geoscience or science as a whole. Should you start working outside your area of competence you will need to be supervised by a competent person or gain competency in that area through additional training. Because you must demonstrate competency in any of each specialism nominated in your application, the Society recommends recording a maximum of two specialisms.

Although the interview may focus strongly on meeting competency in the designated specialism (criteria I, ii and vii for CGeol, and criteria A and D for CSci), the other professional competencies are equally important and must be addressed within your application. These will also be discussed and assessed in the interview.

You need one Supporter who is a Chartered Geologist or Chartered Scientist, matching your application. Other professional qualifications may be accepted, but must be agreed in advance with the Chartership Officer.

Your Supporter should have current, first-hand knowledge of your professional experience over the last three years.

If your Supporter does not meet both criteria, please provide a second Supporter so that both criteria are covered. Although the Society does not hold a formal list of Mentors, our LinkedIn Mentors group will help you to make contacts who can support you.

Things to consider

Remember that validation as a Chartered Geologist or Chartered Scientist is based on your geological or scientific competencies, and not on your ability to do your job.

Your Supporter should be more than just a referee. They should be able to advise you on the preparation and focus of your application. Therefore, involve your Supporter early and discuss your application with them.

Your Supporter's statement will address each of the competency criteria, and you should ensure they have seen the entire application prior to submission.

The Society holds validation interviews four times a year via online interviews, usually in March, May/June, September and November. Interviews dates will be confirmed with you once the assessors have reviewed your application.

Application submission deadline	Interviews will be held before	Election date
01 June 2024	06 September 2024	25 September 2024
01 August 2024	01 November 2024	27 November 2024
01 January 2025	04 April 2025	23 April 2025
01 March 2025	06 June 2025	25 June 2025
01 June 2025	05 September 2025	24 September 2025
01 August 2025	07 November 2025	26 November 2025

Due to application processing demands, numbers are capped at 50 candidates per review round.

Remaining available slots are indicated at the top of the online application form and are updated as the deadline approaches. Submissions will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If your application documents do not meet all the requirements as set out by the declarations made by you within your online form, we reserve the right to postpone your application to a later date.

Your completed application forms and all supporting documentation must be sent in full using our online Chartership application form on or before the corresponding application deadline date.

After your interview, you will be notified of the outcome by email, immediately after the Council meeting, which is the Election date.

The Geological Society requires all Fellows to encourage and assist in the development of a safe, diverse and inclusive workforce through our Code of Conduct. We are firmly committed to improving access and opportunities in the geosciences, and in 2014 signed the Science Council's Declaration on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. In 2023, the Chartership regulations for Chartered Geologist (criterion (v)) were updated to reflect current professional practice with regards to EDIA.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, age or other diversity characteristic. We encourage candidates applying for Chartership to let us know of any accessibility requirements that should be taken into account during the assessment of their application. This could include a disability, physical or mental health condition, or anything that means extra support or reasonable adjustments might be required.

Similarly, those who are fulfilling the role of a Chartership Assessor are also welcome to advise us of any considerations necessary to delivering their role for the Geological Society. This is requested so that everyone receives the same opportunities during the review process. Any information given regarding personal access requirements will be used to inform access during the review and interview process. All information will be kept confidential.

Please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to discuss any access needs, reasonable adjustments or additional application support that may be required at any point during the Chartership process.

1. What standards must I meet?

You must be a Fellow of the Society (pay your fees and adhere to the Code of Conduct); and be able to demonstrate through your application and interview that you meet the Chartership competency criteria.

To remain on the register, you must demonstrate you are maintaining or advancing your skills and knowledge through continuing professional development (CPD) and you must continue to pay your fee.

2. What are the benefits of becoming Chartered?

In the Society's vision for its membership it seeks to provide a spiritual home for all geoscientists, from which we can nurture the collaborative outlook that is known to be so essential in advancing knowledge, achieving solutions and encouraging the next generation.

Chartership is relevant to all geoscientists, regardless of their role. We all have a responsibility to foster a collective attitude to communicating the importance and societal relevance of Earth sciences. Chartership status benefits to you include:

• Be publicly recognised for your professional excellence
• Improved career prospects and employability
• Higher earning potential
• Be the one that stands out
• Become a leader within your field
• Greater influence within own organisation and industry
• International recognition of competence and commitment
• Demonstrate your ethical credentials
• Enhanced status and skills leading to higher self-esteem

A key attribute of a Chartership qualification is the difference between an academic qualification and a professional qualification. In court cases, for example, acting as an expert witness role, an academic qualification is not recognised as a professional qualification.

3. I am already an expert in my field. What skills will I be able to evidence by being Chartered?

Being a professional geoscientist indicates to clients, regulators, employers and the general public that the holder is a competent person at a high professional level and is not just about your level of specialist geosciences or scientific knowledge. It shows you have:

• built on your academic achievements and developed professional skills
• gained in-depth knowledge and critical awareness of your chosen area of the sciences
• developed strong scientific and transferable skills and are committed to improving them and developing your career
• contributed to the success of your organisation, business or institution
• shown personal and professional integrity
• contributed to the profession and are committed to advancing excellence in Earth sciences

4. Is my area of expertise included?

Chartered status is highly relevant to anyone across the breadth of geoscience specialisms where their expertise is underpinned by a geological knowledge base. As research areas diversify, these are accommodated under this geoscience umbrella term and the Society has recently reviewed its list of specialisms to ensure there is a place for all under its roof.

The central factor for someone gaining Chartership is to demonstrate that they meet the competency criteria, which is not necessarily the same thing as being 'good at your day job'.

For those in academia, Chartership facilitates the means to demonstrate wider achievements such as teaching, management, reviewing, conference organisation, and services to society and knowledge transfer, including offering academic expertise to the media. Chartership is a stamp of excellence that can be readily recognisable to the wider public who may not otherwise be familiar with academic scoring measures, and to demonstrate professional expertise.

We recognise that people's careers evolve and may shift in their specialism over time. By demonstrating their competencies for Chartership and having this wider awareness of professionalism, holders of this professional qualification are recognised in their capacity for judging their own knowledge limits and where they are qualified or suitably experienced to practice. This is governed through the adherence by Chartered Fellows to the Society's Code of Conduct and, in turn, those of other subsequently gained professional accreditations for which Chartership was a pre-requisite. Chartership status therefore provides an assurance to the wider public and so on of the holder's capacity to practice whilst facilitating the ongoing growth of the holder's career.

5. How long does it take to prepare a Chartership application?

You can start an online application and take as long as you need to complete it. Most people fill in their application over several sessions, a section at a time. After the submission deadline has closed, it typically takes ~14 weeks for: the initial document checks to be completed; the two assessors to review your application; the interview to take place; and Chartership elections to be made via the Council meeting. The dates are advertised on the web page.

We have a cap of 50 applications per round so we recommend that you aim to submit well ahead of the deadline. Our online application portal is updated to advise how many slots are left for the next round.

6. Why does the Geological Society have Chartership interviews?

Since Chartership is a mark of excellence and a public recognition of professional standards and integrity, it is essential that these standards are of real and tangible value, both within the geoscience community and the perception of Earth scientists by those outside of the profession. Undertaking a peer-reviewed interview contributes to this commitment to professional and ethical conduct, which builds public trust and confidence of professional geoscientists in both an academic and commercial or industrial setting.

In addition, with the increase in prevalence of the use of Artificial Intelligence, validating the application via an interview safeguards the professional integrity of the application and review process.

7. Where is the best place to start?

The best place to start is finding a mentor or supporter, who can provide some steer and guidance as you prepare your application. We recognise that, sometimes, this is not straightforward and have a dedicated LinkedIn Mentors group where you can reach out to find a mentor. We also encourage candidates to find support within their Regional Groups or Specialist Group, and through our Early Careers Network.

We would also recommend that you familiarise yourself with the Chartership criteria and consider how your career portfolio and CPD records will be used to evidence how you meet the criteria.

8. Can I see any example application documents that meet the Chartership standard, for reference?

We encourage you to develop your application alongside your supporter or mentor, in such a way that it reflects your own career progression towards fulfilling the requirements for Chartership. No one career is the same and the range of specialisms and experience held by candidates is very wide-ranging.

In addition, due to GDPR, we cannot share application documents submitted by previous candidates. Equally, the types of documents which can be used to evidence how you meet the Chartership criteria are extremely wide ranging and, even in a redacted format, having a limited number of examples can then be counter-productive.

Other Chartership talks, organised by groups within the Society, are sometimes recorded. These may include recently Chartered Fellows sharing their experiences including how they approached preparing their documents. Check out the following:

• EGGS Early Careers Group meeting
• Hydrogroup Early Careers meeting

9. Do I need to have an accredited degree to apply for Chartership?

No. Our accredited degrees provide an established benchmark of quality, although it does not preclude someone from applying for Chartership with a different degree. We just undertake a few more checks on its credentials in relation to the UK QAA standards, as part of the eligibility checks. If your qualifications are not degrees accredited by the Society, you are welcome to contact us ahead of applying to check your eligibility.

10. I don't have a Supporter who is (a) also Chartered in the qualification I am applying for and (b) has known me for at least three years. What are my options?

We ask candidates to have a Supporter with (i) the same qualification as the one they are applying for so that the Supporter has first hand experience in understanding the Chartership criteria to be met and can provide the right guidance to the candidate. Supporters should also have (ii) known the candidate professionally for at least three years.

However, we recognise that some candidates may struggle with this e.g. works for a small company with no other Chartered colleagues, has been with their employer for less than three years, or is self-employed. In these cases we recommend that candidates aim to have more than one Supporter if the two criteria cannot be met by one individual.

Typically, Supporters might expect to be a candidate's current or previous line manager, or other senior colleague. Alternatively, a Supporters could be a client or other project partner/ stakeholder that a candidate has worked with on a substantial project.

We recognise that it can be daunting for candidates to ask busy senior colleagues for their time to fulfil this role. We encourage all Chartered Fellows to be receptive to such requests in order to facilitate the professional development of other geoscientists and, in doing so, support the quality and value of Chartered status, both for geoscientists and the wider public.

If you are having any difficulties in obtaining a Supporter for your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] so we can help you with this.

11. What documents do I need to submit with my application?

You need to submit:

• Professional report
• CPD records
• Supporting documents

The online form includes applicant details, competency area selection, education record, and employment/experience history. In the Competency Overview section, each criterion is addressed in turn to describe how you fulfil the requirements.

12. Which three years of CPD records should I include?

We ask for a minimum of three years of records to be submitted with your Chartership application. However, that does not mean you cannot include more. We recommend that you provide records current to the time of submitting your Chartership application. If you apply part way through a year, e.g. 1 June deadline, we recommend that you either:

• Submit three whole years plus a part-year record, if you are recording your CPD in calendar years; or
• Submit annual records on an annual cycle that aligns with your submission date.

13. How will I be updated about the progress of my application?

There are several stages to the review process:

• Our team carries out compliance checks shortly after the applications have been submitted and will send out acknowledgement or compliance emails within a week or two of the application deadline.
• You may receive a request for additional information in the following weeks if the assessors need this to make their decision about whether your application is ready to proceed to interview stage.
• We aim to provide all candidates with at least one week's notice of their interview date.
• You will hear the outcome of your application the day after the election date stated on the web page.

At the moment, our system is not automated, so these updates are made on an individual basis. In addition, our Chartership assessors are experienced volunteers who are carrying out this role for the Society. As such, please be patient and we will do everything we can to facilitate the smooth running of the review schedule.

14. How is my Chartership competency assessed?

To be awarded Chartered status, all candidates are assessed against each of the Chartership competency criteria and should achieve 'Competence' level for all criteria.

Further information about the scoring levels is available in our guidance notes section (Pre-Application Competence Checklist (CCV1) for CGeol and Competence Report Guidance for CSci).

The online form includes applicant details, competency area selection, education record, and employment/experience history.

In the Competency Overview section, address each criterion in turn to describe how you fulfil the requirements (maximum 3,000 characters for each). Please cross-reference to the Professional Report and Supporting Documents. To learn more about the competency requirements for both CGeol and CSci refer to the guidance notes and regulations.

We recommend you work offline whilst drafting these sections, before updating the online form.

You will need to download the template below, then upload the completed document into the online form.

The Professional Report should detail your professional development and focus on the relevant Chartership competency criteria being applied for. You should describe how and when you gained the necessary experience and skills to demonstrate you have the competencies needed to become Chartered. Think of this as an expanded CV which shows how you have developed the different competencies over time as you have gained professional experience.

You should cross-reference this against both the competency criteria, as well as the Supporting Documents in order to back up your evidence. Each part of the professional report should be signed off by the relevant person to confirm your statements. It is your responsibility to explain what is involved to those who are not familiar with the process.

Please note the Professional Report should not exceed 2,000 words. The assessors will not review beyond this limit.

Download templates

• Chartered Geologist: Professional Report (AD2) (Word document)
• Chartered Scientist: Professional Report (AD2) (Word document)

20+ years route

• Chartered Geologist: Career Account (AD2) (Word document)
• Chartered Scientist: Career Account (AD2) (Word document)

A record of CPD activities for at least the last three years must be included with your application in the CPD section of the application.

Please use the Society's definitions of the various CPD categories, which are illustrated on the 'CPD Mind Map'. Your record must illustrate your aims and objectives for your professional development each year by using the Plan-Act-Reflect cycle.

The record may be produced using the Society's online system, although a company scheme record or your own spreadsheet is acceptable provided it meets the above criteria. Note that all CPD must demonstrate learning. It is not intended to capture routine day-to-day professional practice activity. Minimum hours and more details about our CPD scheme can be found under the CPD scheme details .

Please provide your Supporter details in the application form (including their Chartership designation). Once you have completed your application online you will receive a copy of your application along with instructions for your Supporter to complete the online Supporter's statement form. Please send this to your Supporter so that they can submit their statement directly to the Society.

You are able to include details for more than one Supporter if needed.

Please make sure that the Supporter has read your completed application. They should support you throughout the application process and review each part of your application before it is submitted.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the Supporter statement is sent to the Society as close to the submission date as possible.

The deadline for the supporter statement submission is 14 days after the application submission deadline.

Your supporting documents should be uploaded to the online form. It is essential that you take great care in the selection and presentation of your Supporting Documents (SD) as follows:

• There is a maximum of six SDs.
• Please provide a maximum of 30 pages for each SD, including photos, maps and diagrams
• SDs should be short and must focus on your geoscience/science Chartership competency criteria to support the statements made in your Professional Report.
• Provide a cover sheet for each SD to confirm which material was written or produced by you. You should also highlight how the SD demonstrates the Chartership competencies.
• Remove non-relevant material, such as large appendices.
• Please provide documents in PDF format.

Please note:

• Large company reports prepared by a team are difficult to demonstrate your contribution and how this relates to the Chartership criteria.
• You must show what your part was in any project and how (perhaps by only submitting selected parts).
• Company reports are written for the client and so may contain information not relevant to your application and often contain confidential information. If possible, try to submit something you have done yourself, which may be relevant to your application.
• If too many, too long or unfocused documents are submitted, the assessors will return the application and your Chartership validation may be delayed.

Further guidance about SDs, with suggestions from our experienced Chartership assessors is available here.

The 20+ years route

SDs are not required for applicants with 20+ years' professional experience, although submission of a piece of work may be useful to start the interview discussions.