CSEP

CSEP Professional Development Credits

Continue to expand your knowledge and maintain your certification with Gold Standard Professional Development! 

CSEP Certified Personal Trainers® (CSEP-CPT) and CSEP Certified Exercise Physiologists® (CSEP-CEP) are required to continue their professional development and earn Professional Development Credits (PDCs) to maintain their certification. From academic courses to conferences and online webinars there are a range of opportunities for you to enhance your knowledge and expertise in the field.

Continued professional development ensures CSEP certified members have the knowledge to put the latest evidence informed research to practice. Certified members are encouraged to select a variety of quality professional development opportunities in the areas of health and performance related fitness applications for apparently healthy and clinical populations to earn their PDCs.

CSEP offers numerous in-person and online professional development opportunities on a range of topics throughout the year for you. Additionally, certified members can use the CSEP Professional Development chart (see below) to categorize and identify the number of credits they they earn for each for each of their professional development activities is worth. 

CSEP PDC Accreditation for your Event:  

Promote your event directly to CSEP Certified members by submitting an Accreditation request.  Once approved, our CSEP-PDC brand guidelines and downloadable files will provide you with the necessary tools to promote your event to an even wider audience.  Click here to submit a request. 

 

CSEP Certified Personal Trainer® (CSEP-CPT)
As a CSEP-CPT you need to collect 20 Professional Development Credits every two years by March 31 of even ending years (i.e. 2016, 2018, 2020). It is important that you keep and track your own PD activity records (i.e. certificate or receipt) in case you are selected for the Professional Development Credit Audit. If you are one of the members randomly selected for audit you will be contacted with submission directions by December of 2018.
CSEP Certified Exercise Physiologist® (CSEP-CEP)

As a CSEP-CEP you are need to collect 30 PDCs every two years by March 31 of odd ending years (i.e. 2017, 2019, 2021). It is important that you keep and track your own PD activity records (i.e. certificate or receipt) in case you are selected for the Professional Development Credit Audit. If you are one of the members randomly selected for audit you will be contacted with submission directions by December of 2017.

 

CSEP Professional Development Credit Chart


Category
Details
Description
Credits
Conferences & Seminars 
C-1 Multi‐day CSEP National Annual Conference or CSEP Professional Development Days  Conference must include multiple speakers with graduate level education or training and topics must be based on peer reviewed evidence, research, or best practice. 15 credits per day conference attendance, no maximum
C-2    Multi-day Annual Conference by a CSEP regional affiliate.* Conference must include multiple speakers with graduate level education or training and topics must be based on peer reviewed evidence, research, or best practice.
 12.5 credits per day conference attendance, no maximum 
C-3   Multi-day Annual Conference by a gold standard national organization such as ESSA, ECSS, CEPA or ACSM  Conference must include multiple speakers with graduate level education or training and topics must be based on peer reviewed evidence, research, or best practice.

 12.5 credits per day conference attendance, no maximum

C-4   Multi-day, evidence based conference not associated with any of the organizations listed above. Conference must include multiple speakers with graduate level education or training and topics must be based on peer reviewed evidence, research, or best practice.
 7.5 credits per day conference attendance, no maximum
Workshops, Online and Distance Learning 
W-1    Workshops offered by active CSEP-CEPs and CSEP-CPTs    Content must be specific to physical activity/exercise science, fitness, and associated lifestyle applications for:  clinical populations, high performance, health promotion/general population.
 2 credits for every hour of attendance to a maximum of 20 credits per two year cycle
W-2    Workshops offered by ACSM-RCEPs, ACSM-CESs, or NSCA-CSCSs    Content must be specific to physical activity/exercise science, fitness, and associated lifestyle applications for:  clinical populations, high performance, health promotion/general population.
 1 credit for every hour of attendance to a maximum of 20 credits per two year cycle
W-3 Workshops  offered by a physician, nurse navigator, physical therapist, occupational therapist or other health professional requiring a graduate level of education Content may or may not be specific to physical activity/exercise science, fitness, and associated lifestyle. If not, then there must be a visible connection between the course material and CSEP mandates. 1 credits for every hour of attendance to a maximum of 15 credits per two year cycle
W-4 Fitness / exercise instructor training courses
 Becoming a group exercise leader/instructor, e.g. cycle or Pilates, etc. -­‐ skills that would assist the CSEP-­‐CEP or CSEP-­‐CPT in the delivery of their fitness services.
  7.5 credits per certification, credential, skill, or course completed to a maximum of 20 credits  
W-5 Seminars / workshops / webinars offered by local, private, club or commercial fitness consulting and/or fitness certification agencies
Offered by other fitness or allied health practitioners not associated with CSEP, ACSM, or NSCA.
 1 credit for every hour of presenting, teaching, or attendance to a maximum of 17.5 credits in a two year cycle
W-6  Online or distance courses offered by CSEP. Includes CSEP Advanced Module Series webinars and Online Learning.     Full attendance and completion of online modules directed at clinical or high performance populations designed and offered by CSEP.  *Where applicable, a passing grade may be required.   2 credits per hour - no maximum. 
Academic and Aligned Courses
A-1 Post certification pursuits -­ university degree, academic courses or college diploma courses  Delivered by an accredited college or university -‐ the content of these courses must be specific to physical activity/exercise science, fitness and associated lifestyle applications 10 credits per course per semester  -­ no maximum
A-2    Post certification pursuits -­non-diploma or non-­degree  courses/continuing educational opportunities delivered by a university or other recognized post­secondary institution
Usually delivered through distance education, continuing education -­ the content must be specific to physical activity/exercise science and associated lifestyle fitness applications
 		 7.5 credits for taking a course -­ no maximum
A-3    Post certification pursuits -­ online or distance courses put on by organizations or companies Usually delivered through distance education or continuing education by publishing companies such as Human Kinetics -­ the content must be specific to physical activity/exercise science and associated lifestyle fitness applications 5 credits for taking a course to a maximum of 15 credits
Publications and Grants
P-1     Peer-reviewed publications (research journal articles, chapters in books, position statements, etc.) that are reviewed by experts (Ph.D.) in the related area
Authoring or co-­authoring a peer reviewed journal article (APNM, Med Sci Sports Exerc, etc.), a chapter in a book, or a book -­ the content must be specific to physical  activity/exercise science and associated lifestyle fitness applications
15 credits per article, book chapter or book in a two year cycle
P-2    Peer-­reviewed research grants Physical activity/exercise science research (NSERC, CIHR, CFI, CAHR, CFLRI, etc 10 credits for submitting a research grant to a maximum of one grant per cycle/5 credits for being awarded the research grant to a maximum of one grant per cycle
P-3    Non peer-­reviewed commercial fitness publications   Newsletters, magazines, trade publications, books -­ the content must be specific to physical activity/exercise science and associated lifestyle fitness applications 5 credits per article, book chapter or book in a two year cycle -­ no maximum
P-4    Proof of passing the test questions related to featured articles that appear in scientific professional journals for fitness practitioners Usually delivered by recognized professional fitness associations that have both research and practitioner branches (CSEP, ACSM, NSCA, etc. 1 credits per featured article to a maximum of 12 articles in a two year cycle
Teaching / Assisting
T-1 Assisting or Teaching at a workshop or seminar offered by active CSEP­CEPs and CSEP-‐CPTs The content of these courses must be specific to physical activity/exercise science, fitness and associated lifestyle applications 2 credits for every hour of teaching to a maximum of 20 credits per two year cycle
T-2    Teaching a CSEP‐CEP workshop/module/course Teaching 10 credits per course to a maximum of 10 credits in a two year cycle
T-3    Assisting at a CSEP‐CEP workshop/module/course Assisting 5 credits per course to a maximum of 10 credits in a two year cycle
T-4    Teaching a CSEP‐CPT workshop/module/course Teaching 10 credits per course to a maximum of 10 credits in a two year cycle
T-5     Assisting at a CSEP­‐CPT workshop/module/course Assisting 5 credits per course to a maximum of 10 credits in a two year cycle
T-6  Teaching or assisting in a seminar or workshop lead by a non­‐CSEP member or fitness certification agency    Offered by other fitness or allied health practitioners not associated with CSEP, ACSM, or NSCA.  0.5 credits for every hour of presenting, teaching, or attendance to a maximum of 5 credits in a two year cycle
T-7 Teaching or assisting in a seminar or workshop associated with ACSM‐RCEPs or CESs or NSCA­‐CSCS Offered by other fitness professionals aligned with ACSM, or NSCA 1 credit for every hour of presenting, teaching, or attendance to a maximum of 10 credits in a two year cycle
CSEP COMMITTEE WORK
V-1

Chair of a CSEP Committee

 20 credits per term served
V-2    CSEP Committee Member 
10 credits per term served 
V-3   CSEP Sub-Committee Member
5 credits per term served 
V-4    CSEP Task Force 
20 credits per term served 
As of April 1, 2017

* As of April 1, 2017, recognized CSEP regional affiliates include: SKESA, OSHF, FNB and MFC. 

 It is the responsibility of CSEP-CPT / CSEP-CEP members to collect and track their own professional development activities and credits.