Academic Requirements
Degree Requirement
a) A four-year degree in kinesiology from a post-secondary educational institution in Canada where the degree and institution meet the standard set by the Board, or
b) Educational qualifications from a post-secondary educational institution in Canada or another country that are deemed by the Board to be substantively equivalent to the requirements in (a)*, or
c) Educational qualifications that are in part equivalent to a four-year degree in kinesiology*, in addition to successful completion of an examination, and work experience, acceptable to the BCAK.
*Educational (Degree) Equivalency is at the discretion of, and determined by, the BCAK during the review process and takes into consideration; academic coursework, course grades, clinical work experience, additional non-formal practice education, certifications and other relevant information.
Academic course and grade requirements for membership are based on Units 1 to 3 of the BCAK's Essential Competencies of Practice. The required core courses cannot be used to also meet the elective course requirements.
Core Course Requirement
Satisfactory completion of the seven (7) specified core courses listed below with a grade of 60% or higher. (Grades of less than 60% are not accepted for core courses. If no percentage grade is provided, BCAK will review equivalency from the granting institution).
- Human Anatomy
- Human Physiology
- Human Motor Control & Learning
- Biomechanics of Human Movement
- Exercise Physiology
- Advanced Exercise Prescription
- Research Methods
*The courses completed must include the specified course content.
and
Elective Course Requirement
Completion of a minimum of sixteen (16) additional elective courses in kinesiology, which meet the following grade and and category requirements.
- Elective course grade requirements - A passing grade is required for all 16 elective courses, with 14 of the 16 elective courses having a grade not less 60%. A maximum of 2 course grades between 55% and 59% grades will be accepted towards the total 16 elective courses.
- Categories
- Special Populations, Disease Processes and Health Conditions - minimum one (1) course
- Professional Practice, Assessment and Interventions - minimum seven (7) courses
- Kinesiology Theory - Physiologic Processes and General Health - minimum five (5) courses
- Foundational Sciences - a maximum of three (3) courses can be applied to meet the minimum sixteen (16) electives, if the minimum is not achieved through the other combined categories. No minimum category requirement.
Full details on the elective categories and subtopics can be found here.
Applicants missing more than 3 academic course requirements will have their membership application declined and will be required to reapply under the current application requirements outlined on this page.
Support Documentation and Other Requirements
Supporting Documents
Applicants must provide the following documentation.
1-Proof of Kinesiology Degree Completion
Submit one of the following during the online application process for each kinesiology related degree you have completed, or directly to the BCAK office by email if your application has already been submitted
- A legible, high quality image of your Degree certificate(s) submitted in the correct orientation showing all signatures and seals
OR - A proof of graduation or pending graduation letter which includes:
- Your name
- Your student number
- Degree program and any sub-category you were/are enrolled in
- Confirmation you have applied for, and been approved, to graduate if you have not already done so
- Date of degree conferral
- A list of courses in progress that impact eligibility to graduate, if you have not yet graduated
NOTE: Any courses in progress must show as completed on any official transcripts the BCAK office receives, otherwise you will need to order new transcripts once the final grades for the courses in progress are available. Application review will not commence until all courses are completed and supported with final, official transcripts.
2-Assessment of Your Degree Program and Coursework
Consisting of:
- A comprehensive International Credit Evaluation Service (ICES) report
OR - Course by course WES report, with ICAP package for each international degree
AND - Professionally Translated (if not provided in English) and Notarized official transcripts (if these are included within the credit evaluation report, separate submission is not required).
(Contact office for additional information on when notarized copies are acceptable BEFORE requesting these documents)
By: Email to office@bcak.bc.ca, or Physical Mail - refer to contact information page
NOTE 1: If percent grades are provided, the review committee will assess marks on percent grades, rather than letter grade equivalents - in these cases a 'C-' starts at 60%.
NOTE 2: Applicants who have completed multiple degrees, or attended multiple post-secondary institutions, are required to submit documentation for each kinesiology related degree/diploma.
3 - Proof of Course Content
Provide course outlines/descriptions/syllabi in English for all relevant courses. This can be completed by:
- Official Course Outlines, or
- PDF course descriptions obtained through your educational institution's website
NOTE 1: Course outlines must be submitted for the 7 core and 16 elective courses (please assemble all course outlines into one document prior to submitting)
4-Proof of Good Moral Character
Submission of a criminal record check (CRC) clearance letter and declaration on past criminal convictions and regulatory discipline
- A Criminal Record Check clearance letter obtained through the BC Criminal Record Review Program (CRRP) - note the BCAK does not accept CRCs from other jurisdictions or local police departments.
- Complete, sign in ink, scan and upload during the application process or return by email the form below (click on the button):
5-Proof of English Language Proficiency
Applicants educated outside of Canada who have completed their education in a language other than English must provide proof of English language Proficiency.
The BCAK will accept:
Proof of English language instruction in the form of:
- A signed affidavit from your educational institution declaring English as the language of instruction, and
- Official course outlines in their original English format as provided by the institution.
Otherwise, an English language test is required: we accept results from CEPIP or IELTS (note TOEFL is no longer accepted as of March 1, 2024).
Tests Accepted
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General Test required. The exam must be taken in Canada** (not a foreign country) - please check the CELPIP website for exam fees in Canada. The CELPIP-General official score report PDF must be submitted with your application. Minimum Level 7 for reading, writing, speaking and listening.
OR
International English Language Testing System (IELTS, Academic and General Training tests accepted)
Required scores
- Listening - Minimum score of 7
- Writing - Minimum score of 7
- Reading - Minimum score of 7
- Speaking - Minimum score of 6.5
- Overall - Minimum score of 7
Please check the the IELTS website for exam fees in Canada*
**All English proficiency tests must be written in-person at a testing centre in Canada. Online, at-home tests will not be accepted.
Note: For applicants who applied before March 1, 2024, they can provide their TOEFL results (minimum requirements listed below):
Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- IBT (internet based test) (~$200 depending on center)
- Listening - Minimum score of 20
- Writing - Minimum score of 20
- Reading - Minimum score of 20
- Speaking - Minimum score of 20
- Overall - Minimum score of 80
- Paper delivered
- Listening - Minimum score of 20
- Writing - Minimum score of 20
- Reading - Minimum score of 20
- Overall - Minimum score of 60
6 - Continuing Professional Development since Graduation
Requirement
Applicants who have graduated more than 2 years since graduation must provide proof of continuing professional development based on the BCAK CPD table for the 5 years preceding BCAK application. Applicants must demonstrate completion of 20 CPD credits per year not including the year of, and the year following graduation, if graduated less than 5 years ago.
Details
- The requirement is based on the number of years since graduation as detailed at the bottom of this section.
- CPD support documents are required for applicants who graduated more than 2 years prior to their application date.
- If a Master's or Ph.D. degree in Kinesiology have been completed within the past 5 years, following completion of the undergraduate kinesiology degree, the educational coursework can be applied to meet the continuing education requirements provided the courses are not used to meet the primary academic requirements.
- Proof of CPD must be in the form of course receipts or certificates of achievement issued by the course/education provider(s) and include the date the coursework was completed, the number of contact hours and the course details.
- CPD activities must be within the scope of kinesiology practice. Proof should be submitted online through the application portal during the online application process. If not supplied at time of application, you will be informed of the requirement upon completion of the review and subsequently advised whether the materials satisfy the requirement.
Example of how to calculate your requirement
Degree completion in spring of 2020, application in spring of 2023:
2020 - 0 credits required
2021 - 0 credits required
2022 - 20 credits required
TOTAL CE credits required = 20 credits required since 2020 (Credit allocations are detailed on the CPD table)
Core Course Composite Exam
As indicated in the academic degree requirements, applicants who are deemed to have completed a degree that is only partially equivalent to a recognized 4-year degree in kinesiology in Canada and/or have not completed the required work experience acceptable to the BCAK if they have graduated more than 5 years prior are required to satisfactorily complete the BCAK's Core Course Composite Examination, or alternatively, satisfactorily complete the seven (7) core courses at a a Post-Secondary institution in Canada recognized by the BCAK.
Applicants missing more than 3 academic course requirements are ineligible to write the composite exam, will have their membership application declined, and will be required to reapply under the current BCAK membership application requirements.
Prior to being permitted to write an exam, applicants must meet all other requirements previously indicated.
Examination details, policies, procedures and booking information are available on the Exam Information page.