Frequently Asked Questions

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A few reasons:

• anticipated changes required under a self-registration model for AEPs
• ongoing concerns with ‘compulsory membership’
• lack of engagement by ESSA at the ES      level
• complaints around restrictive membership policy for non-accreditation applicants.

A full member would have a university degree with a major (1 year fulltime at Bachelor¹ level or above) in exercise and sports science. An example could be someone with an engineering or science undergraduate degree with a PhD in sports science, or someone with a Bachelor in the health sciences majoring in exercise and sports science.

¹ AQF Level 7 or above

8 units or subjects would usually equate to 1 year.

Any subject/unit that falls in the exercise and sports science sub-discipline areas, except for subjects in the core areas such as anatomy, physiology or physics. Examples would be exercise physiology, exercise prescription, sport and exercise psychology, biomechanics, motor control and learning, etc.

Exercise science is a membership category but would become a qualification from 1 January 2014 under the proposed new structure.

These are currently under review. However, they would be similar to the current exercise science    requirements, including knowledge and skills across the broad exercise science sub-discipline areas, and relevant industry experience.

No, qualifications and accreditations can be accessed independently of membership from 1 January 2014 under the proposed new structure.

Exercise science is the recognition that you have a Bachelor degree¹ and meet a range of specific graduate attributes and knowledge and skills across all of the exercise and sports science sub-disciplines.

^{1 AQF Level 7 or above}

Yes. However, exercise scientist is a generic term. It allows you to work in a number of occupational areas, including fitness, corporate health, public health, research, sports coaching, and diagnostic investigations.

If you are a full member: $20.00

If you are not a full member: $245.00

ESSA is offering discounts for accreditation/qualification as a member benefit to our loyal members.

No, only AEPs who are members would have access to the ‘Find an AEP’ search function. ESSA would consider search functions for sports scientists and exercise scientists in the future.

An ES qualification requires the underpinning knowledge and skills for all levels of accreditation, including AEP and ASp. Thus an AEP would be recognised as having ES qualifications also.

Membership is now optional for a number of reasons:

• professional self-regulation should not require membership to access accreditation
• members and employers have been concerned about ‘compulsory membership’ to access accreditation.

ESSA has invested heavily in the development and progression of AEPs for a number of years and continues to do so. These costs, as well as the administrative costs of being a self-regulating health profession, mean that the accreditation services currently provided to AEPs cost significantly more than those provided at the ES or ASp level. Examples of costs include reporting, compliance and lobbying to groups such as Medicare, DVA and private health funds.

ES is a qualification to work with apparently healthy populations, so ESs would not be able to access Medicare provider numbers. In some states there may be provisions for ES-qualified individuals to work in specific programs funded by WorkCover/WorkSafe, although not in the capacity of an Allied Health Professional.

You would have access to:

• lobbying for the profession
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• promotion  and representation of the industry
• Activate online
• PD course discounts
• Online access to EBSCO database

You would have access to:

• lobbying for the profession
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• promotion  and representation of the industry
• special interest groups
• voting rights
• Activate online and hard copy
• PD course discounts
• online search function if you are also an AEP
• general member discounts
• insurance discount
• Online access to EBSCO database
• the post-nominal ESSAM

You would have access to

• lobbying for the qualification
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• the post-nominal ES
• Online access to EBSCO database

• the maintenance of registration standards, including:
• resumption of practice
• English literacy standards
• annual CPD requirements of 10 points per calendar year for 2014 and 2015, and 20 points per year thereafter.

You would have access to:

• lobbying for the accreditation
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• membership and representation through Allied Health Professions Australia, the National Rural Health Alliance, and the National Aged Care Alliance
• the post-nominal AEP
• access to the AEP logo
• Online access to EBSCO database

• the maintenance of registration standards, including:
• resumption of practice
• English literacy standards
• annual CPD requirements of 20 points per calendar year.

You would have access to:

• lobbying for the accreditation
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• the post-nominal ASp
• access to the ASp logo
• Online access to EBSCO database

• the maintenance of registration standards, including:
• resumption of practice
• English literacy standards
• annual CPD requirements

Yes and you would have access to:

• assessment to meet ES criteria and apparently healthy practicum hours
• eligible for full membership at a student rate
• lobbying for the qualification
• ethics and disciplinary processes
• the post-nominal ES
• Online access to EBSCO database

• The maintenance of registration standards, including:
• resumption of practice
• English literacy standards
• annual CPD requirements of 10 points  per calendar year for 2014 and 2015, and 20 points per year thereafter.

A)     These are member benefits. AEPs and ASps who have paid for membership would have access to these benefits. The Corporations Act 2001 only allows members to vote at AGMs.

No, AEPs would only need to complete 20 points in total.

ESSA has not required ESs (current full members) to do CPD in the past. Thus we have instigated a 2-year transition period. From 2016, to maintain an ES qualification would require completion of 20 CPD points per year, to be aligned with AEPs and ASps.

No, you must hold, at minimum, a university degree with at least 1 year FTE of exercise and sports science units.

Membership and accreditation/qualification are independent streams within ESSA.

There are four categories of membership:

• Student
• Full
• Associate
• Fellow/Life

There are three categories of qualification/accreditation

• Exercise scientist
• accredited exercise physiologist
• accredited sports scientist

You can access discounted fees for accreditation/qualification if you are a full member.

ESSA would be working hard to communicate the changes and minimise any confusion.

ESSA would be communicating our new structure to Fitness Australia and expects the changes to provide greater recognition of the role of ESs in the fitness industry. However, for a number of years already, ESSA ES members have not been required to complete a Certificate 4 in Fitness for recognition by Fitness Australia’s registration scheme.

When you renew in January 2014, you would have three options to choose from:

• to renew as a full member only
• to be ES qualified
• to be a full member with ES qualifications

Note: if you have completed or do complete a NUCAP-accredited EP course prior to 1 January 2014, you can also apply to become an AEP within 2 years of completion of the course.

When you renew in January 2014, you would have four options to choose from:

• to renew as a full member only
• to renew as an AEP (and ES)
• to be ES qualified only
• to be a full member with AEP and ES qualifications

When you renew in January 2014, you will have four options to choose from:

• to renew as a full member only
• to renew as an ASp (and ES)
• to be ES qualified only
• to be a full member with ASp and ES qualifications

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