Internationally Educated Applicants - Regular

For applicants who have completed all or part of their kinesiology education outside of Canada and are applying less than 5 years after graduation

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Academic Requirements

Minimum of a four-year Bachelor's degree majoring in kinesiology which meets the BCAK's requirements listed below.

*The academic requirements are based on current BCAK standards for competency and equivalency is at the discretion of,and determined by, the BCAK during the review process, and will take into consideration academic coursework completed, course grades, work experience/history, related continuing education and additional training certifications.

Core Courses

Satisfactory completion of the seven (7) specified core courses listed below with a 60% grade or greater/higher. Grades less than 60%, including D and F grades, are not accepted.

  • 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 cannot be used twice to meet the elective course requirements.

and

Elective Courses

Completion of a minimum of sixteen (16) additional elective courses in kinesiology, which meet the following grade and and category requirements.

  1. 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% (D) grades will be accepted towards the total 16 elective courses.
  2. 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.

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 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.

2-Assessment of Your Degree Program and Coursework

Consisting of:

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, or

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.

How to Complete a Criminal Record Check

  • Complete, sign, scan and upload during the application process or return by email the form below (click on the button):

Declaration on Past Criminal Convictions and Regulatory Discipline

5-Proof of English Language Proficiency

Internationally educated applicants who completed their education in a country where the national language is other than English must provide proof of English language Proficiency

Either

  • Proof of English language instruction including:
    • A signed affidavit from your educational institution declaring English as the language of instruction
    • Official course outlines in their original English format as provided by the institution

OR

  • 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

OR

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS, Academic and General Training tests accepted)
    • In person ($320) & Computer delivered ($335)*
      • 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

All English proficiency tests must be written in-person at a testing centre. Online, at-home tests will not be accepted.

*Note: fees posted for testing English proficiency are estimates and may be changed by the testing facility at any time without notice

**If you graduated more than 2, but less than 5 years ago, you are required to provide this additional information:**

6 - Continuing Education since Graduation

Requirement

Applicants graduating >2 but <5 years since graduation require 20 credits per year not including the year of, and the year following graduation.

Details

  • The requirements are based on the number of years since graduation and explained below.
  • Continuing Education 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, in addition to an 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 continuing education 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.
  • Continuing education coursework must be specific to the field of kinesiology and proof should be submitted during the online application process.
  • Applicants submitting proof of continuing education are encouraged to submit supporting documents at the time of application. If not supplied at time of application, you will be informed of the requirement upon completion of the review and subsequently whether the materials satisfy the requirement.

Example of how to calculate your requirement

Degree completion in spring of 2019, application in spring of 2022:
2019 - 0 credits required
2020 - 0 credits required
2021 - 20 credits required
TOTAL CE credits required = 20 credits required, since 2019 (1 credit = 1 full hour of education time unless otherwise approved by the BCAK)

Core Courses Composite Exam Completion

BCAK Core Courses Composite Exam Completion to Demonstrate Mastery of Kinesiology Core Academic Knowledge

  • Applicants completing their undergraduate kinesiology education outside of Canada are required to pass the BCAK Composite Examination. The BCAK will provide study resources on request.
  • Steps 1 through 6 listed above must be completed and approved by the BCAK prior to writing the exam.
  • Effective July 2022 the Composite exam tests all 7 core courses.
  • Exams must be written at an approved invigilation centre in BC.
  • The Core Course Composite Exam can be written a maximum of 3 times (lifetime). Those who do not pass (minimum overall mark of 60% - and minimum of 50% in each core subject) the exam by the third (3rd) attempt must complete approved courses in the subjects when a score of 65% has not been achieved in the applicable exam section.

Below are the steps for booking an exam

  1. Follow the link to the BC invigilation service (Only in-person invigilation services may be selected) and choose a date and invigilation centre. Please ensure that the invigilation centre is able to accommodate online exams, provide continuous monitoring and provide a ‘secure’ computer (i.e., the centre needs to be able to provide you with access to a computer that has restricted access to only the provided exam link). The exam will be emailed to the invigilation centre and the centre must be able to provide a computer terminal for you to complete the exam.
  2. Once your exam date and time are booked with the invigilator, provide the invigilator (service) with the BCAK's contact information or vice versa based on the testing centre's policies, so that contact can be initiated between the centre and BCAK.
  3. We will confirm the invigilator meets the standards set by the BCAK following initial contact and advise you if there are any concerns.
  4. We will send you an exam payment (invoice) link to complete payment of the exam fee.
  5. Upon receipt of payment we will send the exam to the invigilator.
  6. Following completion of an exam sitting, the invigilator will return the exam to the BCAK for grading.
  7. BCAK will mark the exam questions and report the results to you. This process can take 5 to 7 business days following receipt of the exam from the invigilator.

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