FAQs

Forensic and Expert Social Anthropology (FESA) is a specialised branch of social anthropology, providing evidence to legal-administrative processes addressing questions of human social culture and supporting equitable access to justice on the behalf of vulnerable cultural communities.

FESA certification and chartership provides an internationally recognised professional accreditation for social/cultural anthropologists, offering a gateway to employment on the basis of recognised qualifications anywhere in the world. Successful candidates will be entitled to the post-nominals Cert FESA-III and Cert FESA-II for early and mid-career professionals, and Ch FESA-I (Chartered), for the most highly qualified and experienced.

The programme intends to expand into a global network of FESA practitioners, and to promote the professionalisation of FESA practice worldwide. The programme equally intends to establish and grow a mentorship structure for FESA practitioners, whereby social and cultural anthropologists working in similar/adjacent cases are connected across the globe.

As Fellows of the RAI, successful candidates will also have access to print and online access to RAI journals, access to the Anthropology Library’s online resources, and free access to the RAI archives by appointment.

FESA chartership and certification is tailored for social and cultural anthropologists working either fully or partly outside of academia. Eligible applicants to FESA certification may be employees or consultants to NGOs, statutory authorities, government, or the private sector, who are seeking internationally recognised professional accreditation for their specialised training, study, and experience.

FESA certification with the RAI provides certainty to employers, regulators, and legally empowered organisations such as courts and tribunals, indicating that a professional standard of practice has been demonstrated. It offers a gateway to employment on the basis for recognised qualifications anywhere in the world.

Full details of the programme’s requirements for entry can be found in the Practitioner Levels, FESA Curriculum, and RAI FESA Code of Practice.

The programme is organised into three levels, according to practitioners’ career stage, expertise, and qualifications. Applicants should apply for the level that most accurately reflects their level of expertise, and can apply directly to any level (if appropriately qualified) instead of progressing consecutively through all levels. Successful candidates will be entitled to the post-nominals Cert FESA-III and Cert FESA-II for early and mid-career professionals, and Ch FESA-I (Chartered), for the most highly qualified and experienced.

FESA I (Chartered): For highly experienced practitioners who hold a PhD and have experience in court rooms and working with governments and NGOs. Level 1 chartership is conferred by portfolio review, professional reference, and Viva Voce examination.

FESA II: For those who have advanced their skills and who have lead authorship on multiple reports and qualified to MA level. Level 2 certification is conferred by portfolio review, professional reference, practical examination, and either a mapping exercise or written exam.

FESA III. For early career professionals with 2 years’ experience who have begun to develop their skills and qualified to BA (Hons) level. FESA 3 certification is conferred by portfolio review and professional reference.

For full details on what is expected of FESA practitioners at each level, please consult the Practitioner Levels handbook.

An application form should be completed and sent by email to the RAI via fac@therai.org.uk, along with a supporting portfolio of evidence in a password-protected pdf. Please provide the password to access your application form and portfolio in a separate email to fac@therai.org.uk.

The content of your portfolio depends on which level of certification you apply for. Please consult the Practitioner Levels handbook for the full details of what must be included in portfolios at each level.

Applicants must additionally be Fellows (or Student Fellows) of the RAI, and will be asked for their membership number in the application form. Information on joining the RAI can be found here.

The RAI is accepting applications from candidates based in any/all countries. The programme intends to expand into a global network of FESA practitioners, and to promote the professionalisation of FESA practice worldwide.

Please note that as of 2025 the pricing structure for the FESA programme is quoted in AUD $, given that we anticipate many early applicants to apply from Australia, however we graciously accept applications from anywhere in the world. For any queries regarding pricing or using alternative currencies, please get in touch via fac@therai.org.uk.

FESA Level 1 (Chartership): examination fee of AUD $750 (GBP £364)*

FESA Level 2: examination fee of AUD $412 (GBP £200)*

FESA Level 3: registration fee of AUD $150 (GBP £73)*

*Please note that the above fees are standalone fees to cover examination and administration of your application, and are NOT inclusive of RAI Fellowship, which is required for certification/chartership. All FESA practitioners certified or chartered under the RAI FESA programme must retain their fellowship with the RAI for the duration of their chartership/certification, by renewing their fellowship yearly. Applicants will be asked to quote their membership number in their application form. See here for full details of joining the RAI, and here for pricing breakdowns. Alternatively you can get in touch with the RAI Membership Officer: membership@therai.org.uk.

RAI Fellowship is arranged by region, and as of 2025 is payable in USD $, EUR €, or GBP £. We are currently working internally to establish fixed rates in AUD $.

Applicants will be invoiced by the RAI once their application has been received by the Forensic Anthropology Officer. Applicants are asked to make payment by bank transfer in AUD $. Full payment details will be provided on the invoice.

Please note that examination/registration fees are standalone fees and are NOT inclusive of RAI Fellowship, which is required for certification/chartership. All FESA practitioners certified or chartered under the RAI programme must retain their fellowship with the RAI for the duration of their chartership/certification, by renewing their fellowship yearly. See here for full details of joining the RAI, and here for pricing breakdowns. Alternatively you can get in touch with the RAI Membership Officer: membership@therai.org.uk.

Yes, all certified and chartered FESA practitioners and those looking to apply must be a Fellow (or student Fellow) of the RAI. Full information on joining the RAI can be found here.

Once receipt of your application is confirmed by our Forensic Anthropology Officer, you will be invoiced for the price of the level you are applying to (see above for pricing breakdown), and asked to sign a consent form.

Applicants’ referees will be contacted by the RAI to provide a reference for the applicant. Both referees (including your mentor) must be familiar with your work but should not originate from the same institution/organisation as each other. Please ensure that your referees are expecting to be contacted by the RAI to avoid delays at this stage.

Once both references have been obtained, the applicant’s application form and supporting documentation will be shared via a secure link with two independent assessors. For FESA Level 3, the assessors will grant either a pass or fail for certification. For FESA Levels 1 & 2, the assessors will either approve or reject the applicant for sitting the relevant examinations.

Full details of the entire application process from submission to completion can be found in the Examination Procedures document.

Your mentor should be a FESA practitioner (qualified at a higher FESA level than the one you are applying to) or a subject matter expert, an academic supervisor, or an employer (such as a line manager).

Both referees (including your mentor) must be familiar with your work but should not originate from the same institution/organisation as each other. Your referees will be contacted independently by the RAI by email and you should alert them beforehand that a request for a reference will be made.

During the application assessment / exam eligibility (all levels): Applicants’ information and documents including application form, CV, portfolio of evidence, and redacted case studies will be shared with two independent examiners and one independent advisor. All documentation will be shared via a password-protected secure link.

During examination assessment (FESA 1 & 2): Applicants’ information and documents including case studies and expert witness statements will be shared with two independent examiners and one independent advisor. These may be different individuals from those who assessed the candidate’s application documents. All documentation will be shared via a password-protected secure link.

The RAI’s full privacy policy can be found here.