Land, Property and the Built Environment. These are the three basic market groupings which we have divided into 17 areas of specialisation, called 'Faculties'.
The faculties represent the key market sectors within which surveyors practice. Some of these markets are mature, with a high recognition of the RICS brand; others less so.
What we do
The faculties’ primary role is to develop technical standards, generating professional guidance & information.
In addition to this, they are responsible for setting and maintaining the APC/ATC competencies, which make up the APC/ATC pathways for the practice area groupings of Built Environment, Land and Property. You can access and manage your own settings by following this link to My RICS.
The faculties also provide technical advice to all the other areas within the RICS organisation.
They contribute to the RICS public policy agenda, developing and maintaining strategic alliances with other professional bodies and industry organisations/groupings.
All but one of the faculties are also responsible for maintaining alternative designations, e.g. chartered quantity surveyor; chartered facilities management surveyor.
Joining a Faculty
As an RICS member, you are entitled to join up to four faculties as part of your annual subscription.
If you wish to use an alternative designation attached to a specific faculty, you must be a member of that faculty to maintain the entitlement to an alternative designation.
If you wish to attain the alternative designation you must complete the requirements set by the appropriate faculty board from time to time.
You can join a Faculty and/or change your faculty choices at anytime by contacting the RICS Contact Centre, or online in the My RICS zone.
Benefits of joining
The specific benefits of belonging to a faculty can vary, but generally are as follows:
Governance
Each faculty is governed by a Faculty Board consisting of elected, appointed and nominated members of the profession.
Each Board is presided over by a chairman and vice-chairman, elected from the ranks of the board members.
Faculty boards set the strategic direction of each faculty by way of a rolling, three-year business plan.
Staff work in partnership with the Faculty Boards in delivering the various business plans to specific budgets.
Most of the faculties also have a faculty executive and various project groups which are responsible for the development of products and services.
In some instances, standing committees are also in place.
