Continue to expand your knowledge and maintain your certification with Gold Standard Professional Development!
CSEP Certified Personal Trainers® (CSEP-CPT) and CSEP Clinical 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. 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.
Conferences & Seminars
Conferences & Seminars
| Category | Details | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Workshops, Online and Distance Learning
| Category | Details | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| W-7 | Listening to the CSEP Podcast | Proof of having listened to the Podcast by entering the code word hidden in the episode | 1.5 credits per proven episode, no maximum |
Academic and Aligned Courses
Academic and Aligned Courses
| Category | Details | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| A-4 | Obtaining a CSEP Specialization | Completion of CSEP specialization requirements including examination. | 12 credits per CSEP specialization obtained in a two year cycle. No maximum. |
Publications and Grants
Publications and Grants
| Category | Details | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Teaching / Assisting
| Category | Details | Description | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Assisting or Teaching at a workshop or seminar offered by active CSEP-CEPs 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 led 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 | |
| T-8 | Appearing as a guest on the CSEP Podcast | Providing relevant information to further educating CSEP members and other listeners | 2 credits per podcast episode (equivalent to approximately 1 hour of recording time) |
CSEP Committee Work
CSEP Committee Work
| Category | Details | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
It is the responsibility of CSEP-CPT / CSEP-CEP members to collect and track their own professional development activities and credits.