Resources and FAQS

• Application Fee: is $1,000 for non-ERP programs.  Current ERP programs receive a reduced rate of $500.  All application fees are non-refundable. 
  • If an institution chooses to defer to the next accreditation cycle, the fee will be due each year.
    
• Annual Fee: is $1,000 per accredited program (beginning October 1, 2022). 
• Accreditation Fee: is $5,000, and is to be paid with submission of completed self-study.
  • The accreditation fee includes review of self-study, all travel costs, and honorarium for peer reviewers.
  • If there are multiple programs at the same institution seeking CASCE accreditation, the CASCE will work with the institution to discount the additional program accreditation fees.  
• Late Fees: apply to any program with outstanding fees of more than 30 days.  Additionally, the program will be placed on administrative probation.

• Standard II.A. indicates the PD must be a full-time employee of the sponsoring institution, have full faculty status and have administrative release/reassigned workload equivalent to similar allied health programs in the institution.  
• Standard II.B. states that the FEC must be a full-time employee of the sponsoring institution and have released/reassigned workload to meet the institutional responsibilities for overseeing the field experience.
• The Standards do not specifically state that these two roles must be held by different individuals, however, if the same individual held both roles, the program would need to show that the individual had released/reassigned time for both the Program Director role and the Field Experience Coordinator role.  If the person was assigned released/reassigned roles like other Program Directors at the institution (Standard II.A.7 and II.A.9) that would leave very little workload for teaching responsibilities.
• It would be the responsibility of the institution to show that the academic workload for this faculty member was consistent with other faculty members and institutional policy.  
• In addition, the program would need to provide justification for Standard II.D. regarding having sufficient faculty to meet the needs of the program.

• The degree must be related to strength and conditioning.  Examples include, but are not limited to:
  • Exercise Science
  • Kinesiology
  • Sports Science
  • Health Science
  • Physical Education
• Programs that have specific questions regarding the degree at their institution and whether it qualifies to meet the CASCE accreditation standards should send written communication to the CASCE for clarification.
• The concentration (or equivalent) must have Strength and Conditioning in the title.

Yes. However, we highly recommend using the digital application, which can be saved and shared with others in your program to help complete. If you wish instead to download the application, you may find it here: CASCE Application[pdf].

• Until 2030 the requirements to sit for the CSCS exam are a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.  There is currently no specific degree required to sit for the examination.
• It has not yet been determined by the Certification Committee if graduates of non-CASCE accredited programs of related professions (CAATE, CAPTE, ACOTE) will be eligible for the exam.   That decision will be made closer to the 2030 deadline.

In May 2017, the NSCA conducted a survey of strength and conditioning coaches and discovered that 87% of respondents were in favor of requiring that candidates hold a degree from an accredited strength and conditioning program prior to employment. The requirement is a concerted effort to elevate and advance the strength and conditioning profession.

Targeted to take effect beginning in 2030 – to be eligible to take the CSCS examination, candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from a program accredited by an NSCA-approved accrediting agency. This degree will have specific requirements that focus on strength and conditioning. The current degree requirement for the CSCS exam will remain in place until December 31, 2029.

The current degree requirement is: “Candidates must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or currently be enrolled as a college senior at an accredited institution.” This means that currently, as long as the college or university is accredited, a bachelor’s degree in any field of study is acceptable. The NSCA Education and Certification Committees and the Board of Directors (in consideration of the membership and their constituencies), feel that this requirement needs to evolve to include degree requirements that are specific to the profession, to create a higher standard and ensure that future CSCS professionals have a strong foundation of strength and conditioning knowledge.

A bachelor’s degree from a program accredited by an NSCA-approved accrediting agency, in a strength and conditioning related field. This means that the degree must be related to the academic and experiential needs of the strength and conditioning profession. This change will align the CSCS with other allied healthcare professions, such as medical doctors, nurses, physical therapists and athletic trainers. Accreditation Standards will require the program to be a bachelor’s degree or higher with a concentration or equivalent titled “strength and conditioning”.

The change to the degree requirement is targeted to go into effect in 2030. There will be a structured roll-out of the accreditation process so that all colleges and universities that wish to participate will have ample time to engage in the accreditation process. This is why the extended timeline has been established. It is anticipated that the first programs will be accredited in 2022.

Until 2030, the requirements to sit for the CSCS exam will continue to be a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. If you take the CSCS exam before 2030, any bachelor’s degree will qualify.

It has not yet been determined by the Certification Committee if graduates of non-CASCE accredited programs of related professions (CAATE, CAPTE, ACOTE) will be eligible for the exam. That decision will be made closer to the 2030 deadline.