ACADEMIC

The CKA academic membership is for researchers and academics who want to stay connected to the profession of kinesiology, and participate in promoting and advancing the profession. The academia membership is open to individuals who do not practice kinesiology but:

• Are enrolled in a course of study leading to a master’s or doctoral degree in kinesiology from a post-secondary educational institution in Canada that is recognized by the Board,
  
• are researchers or academics in the field of kinesiology, or
  
• are, or were, employed as a professor/lecturer or faculty member of a post-secondary educational institution in Canada that is recognized by the Board, in a faculty or department that offers courses in kinesiology, human kinetics, and related subjects.
  

Requirements for CKA Membership

A NEW LIST OF STANDARDS IS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2022

CKA has established a new set of competencies to promote as the standards of the profession across Canada. These standards are the competencies deemed necessary to practise kinesiology in our country. This competency list will serve in decision making, such as in membership registration requirements and in continuing education credit requirements. The competency list includes as many university programs as possible in order to maximize access to membership.

These new standards are effective as of January 2022. The CKA mandated its Membership, Standards & Continuing Education Committee to review the competency list, considering the many changes in the university curriculum over the past seven years. 

An initial list of universities was established by consulting with PKAs, visiting the CKO and CCUPEKA websites (membership and accredited sections), and reviewing previous CKA lists. From a total of 92 university programs, 86 were considered; 6 programs were rejected for not having enough credits related to the science of kinesiology.

To the current CKA competency list, additional competencies were added as the analysis of the curriculum was performed, for a total of 54 competencies.

Gathered by visiting university websites, a list of programs related to kinesiology was established. For each program, the following information was recorded:

• Total credits to graduate
  
• Total core credits
  
• Total elective credits
  
• Credit value for one course
  
• List of competencies (as per current CKA competency list)
  

Minimal Requirements

1.  60 credits based on a 3-credit course

      or

     11 credits based on a 0.5-credit course

2.  Must include: 

     Eight mandatory core competency courses

     and 14 elective kinesiology courses

3.  Note: 

     1.  Full-year courses lasting 72 to 80 hours (6.0 credits) may be considered as two courses of 3 credits.

     2.  For Quebec universities, the credit equivalence of most university programs in other provinces is 75%, thus 40 credits, including six mandatory core

          courses.

LIST OF COMPETENCIES

Core studies (eight mandatory courses):

1.  Human anatomy

2.  Physiology (human exercise)

3.  Biomechanics

4.  Psychomotor behaviour/motor control and learning

5.  Research design

6.  Statistics

7.  Exercise programs/prescription

8.  Fitness evaluation/assessment

Elective studies (14 courses):

1.  Adaptive kinesiology

2.  Biochemistry

3.  Biology

4.  Chemistry

5.  Chronic conditions/diseases

6.  Computer science

7.  Ergonomics/human factors

8.  Exercise management/rehabilitation

9.  Exercise physiology/exercise or work

10. Gerontology

11. Health promotion and prevention for different populations

12. Health science

13. Human growth and development

14. Human pathology

15. Individual study (kinesiology)

16. Information integration and judgment and care

17. Instructional/functional measurement/evaluation in kinesiology

18. Laboratory, tutorial, or practicum courses

19. Leadership skills

20. Neurophysiology

21. Nutrition

22. Organic chemistry

23. Philosophy/ethics (kinesiology)

24. Physics

25. Psychology of movement

26. Research project (kinesiology)

27. Kinesiology (scope of practice)

28. Sociology of movement

29. Sports medicine

20. Wellness

This list of competencies has been developed to include the majority of university programs, with the exception of the following, which have not been recognized for lack of scientific rigour. Graduating students of these programs are encouraged to take courses to acquire the scientific competencies required by the new standards before becoming a member.

COMPETENCIES EARNED BEFORE 2000

For competencies earned in programs when the term kinesiology was not widely used (circa 2000), the CKA invites candidates to submit a list of equivalent competencies earned either in their bachelor's degree related to physical activity, physical education, or other program names related to kinesiology or in continuing education activities. For each of the competencies required, you must submit the equivalent course on a transcript or proof of successfully achieving the competency in a continuing education activity after the bachelor's degree. The reliance on science-based competencies is mandatory. A brief course description for each competency will be required. The CKA is no longer accepting applicants who do not have the necessary competencies.

Membership Fees and Schedule

All provincial kinesiology association memberships and their CKA memberships renew December 31, for annual memberships of January - December, regardless of when you join. The renewal period begins in November each year. You must join the provincial kinesiology association in which you work or live. The difference in prices is based on various factors, such as membership base, programs and activities offered. etc.

This is the current membership fee schedule by province:

British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists — Click for fee schedule

Alberta Kinesiology Association — Click for fee schedule

Kinesiology Association of Saskatchewan — $121.20

Manitoba Kinesiology Association — $50

Ontario Kinesiology Association — Click for fee schedule

Federations des Kinesiologues du Quebec — Click for fee schedule

Kinesiology Association of Nova Scotia — $50

New Brunswick Kinesiology Association — $102.43

Newfoundland and Labrador Kinesiology Association — $56

Kinesiology PEI — $103

In addition to the membership fee, the Canadian Kinesiology Alliance charges fee of $45.00. Beginning in 2024, all provinces will be collecting the CKA fee along with membership fees.

Other membership fees:

• Academic affiliation — $85
  
• Territories affiliation — $85
  
• Students in SK, MB, NS, NL — Free
  

Professional insurance for Kinesiologists

As a condition of becoming and continuing as a practising member/affiliate, every member/affiliate must have and maintain professional liability insurance covering the scope of practice of kinesiology as defined by the CKA and the PKAs. The insurance may be held through the CKA national insurance program from PROLINK or your employer. You must submit your mandatory professional liability Insurance within 10 days, otherwise we will have to invalidate your membership. Attach your PROLINK insurance certificate or your workplace professional liability certificate.

1. National Insurance Program by PROLINK

The national insurance program through PROLINK is offered at significantly low rates thanks to reaching over 5,000 members in this program. For example, professional liability insurance begins at $59/yr.  Professional liability Insurance can be purchased directly from PROLINK during your renewal process. Once purchased, all insurance documents will be emailed to you by PROLINK, and your certificate of insurance will be automatically uploaded to your CKA profile to be validated.

Should you have any questions, please contact Nelcia Pereira by email at cka@prolink.insure. 

You will need your membership number.

2. Workplace Professional Liability Insurance

If you have insurance through your employer – that is, you are already covered by professional liability insurance, covering your acts as a Kinesiologist, under the term Kinesiologist – you must attach your proof of insurability (or evidence of employment at an institution [e.g., hospital]) and the signed consent form provided in the registration process. These two documents will be requested upon accession/renewal. If you have coverage through your employer, you must verify that the policy covers the full scope of practice for kinesiology as defined by the CKA and the PKAs and meets the requirements outlined below. If you carry professional liability insurance through your employer, you agree that you will not provide kinesiology services external to the business operations of the employer – thus, no private practice.

Note: The CKA does not accept professional liability insurance outside of the CKA national insurance program/PROLINK unless the policy includes an endorsement (rider) that covers the entire scope of practice of kinesiology as defined by a kinesiology governing body, identifies you as the insured person, and the policy is consistent with CKA insurance requirements.

To be approved by the CKA, your workplace professional insurance must include the following:

1. Policy wording covering the entire scope of practice for kinesiology as defined by the CKA/PKA.
   
2. Limits of liability are of not less than $2,000,000/loss and $3,000,000/policy term.
   
3. Policy coverage includes errors and omissions made by the insured member/employee.
   
4. Policy wording does not restrict coverage to working with healthy or uninjured persons whether in these specific terms or others synonymous with good health.
   
5. If you carry professional liability insurance through your employer, you confirm by having signed this document that you will not provide kinesiology services external to the business operations of the employer – thus, no private practice.
   
6. You confirm having signed that you have reviewed the coverage provided under the policy and confirm it meets all the listed requirements.

Learn More About Insurance Requirements

Process for applicants outside of Canada

Since membership with the CKA depends on the province in which a Kinesiologist is practising, an application from outside of Canada should first decide in which province they are interested in practising and then follow the instructions for the chosen province. You must work or live in the province in which you would like to practise.

1. Ontario (OKA)

Ontario is the only legislated province; thus, one must be recognized by the College of Kinesiology of Ontario. Visit www.coko.ca.

The provincial kinesiology association is the OKA. Visit: www.oka.on.ca/site/home.

2. Quebec (FKQ)

For diplomas obtained outside of Canada, a comparative evaluation for studies done outside Quebec, issued by the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion, is required. http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/working-quebec/comparative-evaluation/index.html

3. British Columbia (BCAK)

The first step is a foreign credential evaluation (www.bcit.ca/ices) with a full breakdown of courses and grades, because schools outside of Canada often don't have full programs in kinesiology.

It is required to have completed four core subjects: anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and motor control/learning. Foreign-trained applicants must write and pass a competency exam covering these subjects. 

Also assessed is English language proficiency (some provinces where medical services are provided in French might assess French language proficiency). Full details can be found here. See pathways 2b and 2c. https://bcak.bc.ca/kinesiologists/pathways/pathway-2/

4. Other Provinces

The following are required:

Official final transcript (translated and notarized into English or French).

Full course descriptions for each course on the transcript (again notarized and translated).

TOEFL or equivalent if the country of origin does not have English as a first language.

Courses would then be evaluated based on descriptions of known equivalents from Canadian universities to see if the applicant had taken similar courses to qualify.