In a rapidly changing, increasingly complex business environment, employers and investors are demanding that those charged with governance and risk management responsibilities have the skills and expertise to promote excellence in corporate accountability, conduct and administration. This can only be achieved by a genuine governance professional.

CSA’s professional designation is an indication of your commitment to professional excellence. Our postnominals demonstrate that you have:

• an in-depth understanding of how to meet governance, risk and compliance requirements, including the Corporations Act, ASX Listing Rules and key governance guidelines
• the expertise to be a highly regarded adviser to management and the board, or a valuable member of the board
• the ability to act as a proactive member of the senior management team
• met the standards of education and conduct of the only global association for governance professionals, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).

The designation Chartered Secretary is recognised in more than 70 countries.

• Benefits of Associate or Fellow membership 
• Qualifying for Associate or Fellow membership
• How to apply for Associate or Fellow membership

Benefits of Associate or Fellow membership

Being an Associate or Fellow Member of CSA gives you access to a broad range of services, support and information.

Some of the key benefits are:

• knowing that you are a Member of the peak professional body providing independent and expert commentary on issues affecting governance and legislation in Australia
• access to a widely respected influencer of thinking on governance and risk management, as well as the preferred provider of lifelong learning in this field — CSA is the centre of excellence in the provision of relevant and up-to-date public training and tailored in-house learning
• access to the industry’s leading professional development programs — relevant, practical and presented by expert industry practitioners, these training programs ensure Members are at the forefront of issues affecting governance, administration and risk management
• unique networking opportunities that provide a forum for sharing experiences and ideas, both informally and via professional development events
• professional credibility associated with the internationally recognised postnominals of ACIS or FCIS 
• CSA's monthly journal — Keeping good companies. This publication draws on the expertise of highly respected writers and governance professionals to give Members deep insights into a broad range of issues. These include corporations, employment, environmental, competition, consumer, insurance, superannuation and taxation law, as well as accounting and administration issues, company secretarial practice, general management issues, and governance and risk management trends
• access to significant discounts for CSA's professional development courses and conferences, which include annual Corporate Updates and CSA's annual National Conference, which is the preeminent national event for governance and risk management professionals
• access to technical resources via the Member-only sections of www.CSAust.com (such as the Useful Practitioner Document service) — an invaluable, first-point-of-call for any aspiring governance professional who wishes to keep up to date on the latest developments in best practice governance and risk management
• access to products and services through the Member benefits program. 

Qualifying for Associate or Fellow membership

In applying for membership of CSA you are automatically applying for membership of ICSA on its Australian register.

The criteria below must be satisfied before you can become a Chartered Secretary. You must first be an Australian resident in order to apply for membership of CSA.

For those who do not hold permanent residency for Australia at this time, you may apply for Certificated membership. Once residency is obtained, you may then apply to become a Chartered Secretary.

1  Education

You need to have:

• successfully completed the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance 

or

• successfully completed six (6) single subjects from the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance or successfully completed five (5) single subjects for the Graduate Diploma in Company Secretarial Practice.
  The above is in reference to those who did not meet the entry criteria for these courses by holding a degree or higher.

2  Experience

There are two levels of membership in this category: Associate (ACIS) and Fellow (FCIS). Fellowship is the higher level denoting greater experience and levels of responsibility.

Election as an Associate

Election as an Associate requires at least six years' or periods totalling at least six years’, relevant experience* in one or more positions that are relevant to the area of governance.

*The six-year qualifying period may be reduced by up to three years, where a person has:

• a degree from a university that the Council considers of suitable academic standing
• a diploma or other certificate that is nationally recognised as being equivalent to a degree from such a university
• a professional qualification that the Council recognises as justifying the reduction or
• completed any other professional development that the Council decides justifies a reduction.

Election as a Fellow

Election as Fellow requires at least eight years' or periods totalling at least eight years’, relevant experience**, and for three of the last ten years, must have been as:

• a secretary or assistant secretary
• a senior executive or in an administrative position that, in the Council’s opinion, has at least the same status as a secretary or assistant secretary
• a senior academic in a university, or other higher or further education body
• a member in public practice
• or alternatively, must have completed any other professional development that the Council decides on.

**The eight-year qualifying period may be reduced by up to three years, where a person has:

• a degree from a university that the Council considers of suitable academic standing
• a diploma or other certificate that is nationally recognised as being equivalent to a degree from such a university
• a professional qualification that the Council recognises as justifying the reduction or
• completed any other professional development that the Council decides justifies a reduction.

Those that do not meet the criteria for Associate or Fellow

Those students who complete the educational requirement for membership but do not meet the criteria for Associate or Fellow are entitled to apply to become a Graduate. Upon election, they may class themselves as a Graduate of the Institute and use the postnominals Grad.ICSA. However, they must not describe themselves as a Chartered Secretary. Graduates must apply within ten years to become either an Associate or Fellow. A Graduate is not a Member of ICSA until membership has been advanced to Associate or Fellow.

3 Character and good standing

Members are required to be of good character and agree to abide by the Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct.

How to apply for Associate or Fellow membership

For those who have yet to meet the educational criteria for Associate or Fellow membership, you will need to complete the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance or all of the individual subjects of this course.

CSA highly recommends that those who are studying join the  CSA Affiliates program as the benefits will greatly assist with your study.

When you have completed your studies and your results have been confirmed (approximately 8-10 weeks after your last exam), you will be invited to apply for election to membership. Once elected, you will be entitled to use the designation Chartered Secretary and the postnominals ACIS or FCIS. If you have not met the workplace experience criteria, you will be entitled to use the postnominals Grad.ICSA but will not be entitled to use the designation Chartered Secretary.

If you have completed the academic requirement for Associate or Fellow membership and have misplaced your membership invitation package, you may download the relevant application form and inserted information here.

If you would like a quick assessment of whether you are eligible for entry into the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance, please contact our Education department on 1800 251 849 (toll-free) or (02) 9223 5744 or email education@CSAust.com.

If you have any questions regarding Associate or Fellow membership, please contact our Membership Marketing Coordinator on 1800 251 849 (toll-free) or (02) 9223 5744 or email membership@CSAust.com.