How to apply for professional registration
The Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) has been awarded Licensed Body Status by the Science Council. This means that members of RCPod can apply to become:
- a Chartered Scientist (CSci)
- a Registered Scientist (RSci) or
- a Registered Science Technician (RSciTech).
Applying for Professional Registration (Chartered Scientist)
Information on becoming a Chartered Scientist and how to complete the online application is contained in the following documents:
To apply to become professionally registered, see the CAP Manual (For Applicants)
When you are ready to start your application go to the Science Council portal.
Educational requirements
Candidates for CSci must be able to demonstrate that their knowledge is at an M-Level equivalence either through experiential learning or by having completed an M-Level course. This is because Chartered Scientist is set at the same high level as other chartered titles such as Chartered Mathematician and Chartered Engineer, with the exemplifying educational standard being at M-Level.
Application Criteria
The applicant must meet the following criteria:
- HCPC Registered Podiatrist
- Member of the College of Podiatry holding the MCPod or Fellowship (FRCPodM or FRCPodS)
- BSc(Hons) Podiatry / Podiatric Medicine or the D.Pod.M or BMedSci Podiatry
- a minimum of four years in full-time podiatry-related employment
- Master’s degree in Podiatry (or a cognate discipline) or a doctoral degree or if not the holder of a Master’s degree the candidate will during the application process select the M-Level equivalence route.
Any member wishing to apply for Chartered Scientist status who does not hold an M-Level qualification can still make an application and will complete the M-Level equivalence part of the application of which further details are provided below.
CSci Equivalence Report Information
CSci Equivalence Report (Additional Information)
Applying for Professional Registration - Registered Scientist (RSci)
Application criteria
The applicant must meet the following criteria:
- HCPC Registered Podiatrist
- Member of the Royal College of Podiatry holding the MRCPod or Fellowship (FRCPodM or FRCPodS)
- BSc(Hons) Podiatry / Podiatric Medicine or the D.Pod.M or BMedSci Podiatry or if not the holder of a degree the candidate will during the aplication process select the Rsci equivalence route.
- a minimum of two years in full-time podiatry-related employment
The following documents are provided to support applicants through the online application process:
- Becoming a Registered Scientist and the Application Process
- RSci Equivalence Report (The RSci equivalence report questions are taken from Ofqual Level 5)
- CAP Manual (For Applicants)
Applying for Professional Registration - Registered ScienceTechnician (RSciTech)
Application criteria
The applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Member of the Royal College of Podiatry
- A level 3 qualification or equivalent*
- A minimum of one year in full-time podiatry-related employment
*Equivalent refers to the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Education) descriptors.
The following documents are provided to support applicants through the application process:
- Registered Science Technician Application Information
- RSciTech Equivalence Report (The RSciTech equivalence report questions are taken from Ofqual Level 3)
- CAP Manual (For Applicants)
How to select the correct award for you
If you are not sure which professional award is right for you, try out the Science Council's quiz:
Which professional award is right for me?
Renewal of Professional Registration
As with HCPC Registration, professionally registered members are required to renew their registration each year and to confirm that they have engaged in CPD activity. The 2024 renewal fee which is paid annually is:
- Chartered Scientist: £51.35
- Registered Scientist: £22.90
- Registered Science Technician: £17.22
To ensure that our members are actively carrying out CPD a small number of our professionally registered members are required to be audited each year. New professionally registered members are exempt from being audited in the first year of their professional registration. Login and go to the Members area for more information on professional registration. Here you will find some information on CPD and HCPC regulated CPD.