Question on "philosophy" of NASM vs. ACSM - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Christina]

Check with ACSM. I had a trainer who had a degree in communications that sent them a letter to allow here to sit for the exam and they did approve her, so there may be some type of loop hole where you don't need a health related degree, unless they changed that in the past few years.

I second this. I asked 4 years ago if I could sit for the HFI (my degree is in psychology) and they told me to mail my transcripts and if they determined that I had taken enough science courses they would let me take it. I decided to pursue the NSCA certification instead and in the meantime they came out with the ACSM CPT certification. After getting my ACSM CPT last spring I emailed them once again and asked them if I could sit for the HFI. They told me "no" and suggested I take the CPT. (I told them I had my CPT but I guess they didn't read my email very closely. I was beginning to get burned out on studying for certs so I didn't argue with them.) Anyway, if you really want the HFI talk to them and see what they say. They may not be as lenient as they were before the CPT but you never know until you talk to them. Good luck!

Christina

[BrianB]

I second this. I asked 4 years ago if I could sit for the HFI (my degree is in psychology) and they told me to mail my transcripts and if they determined that I had taken enough science courses they would let me take it. I decided to pursue the NSCA certification instead and in the meantime they came out with the ACSM CPT certification. After getting my ACSM CPT last spring I emailed them once again and asked them if I could sit for the HFI. They told me "no" and suggested I take the CPT. (I told them I had my CPT but I guess they didn't read my email very closely. I was beginning to get burned out on studying for certs so I didn't argue with them.) Anyway, if you really want the HFI talk to them and see what they say. They may not be as lenient as they were before the CPT but you never know until you talk to them. Good luck!

Christina

I didn't take much science as part of my degree as it is a business degree (Economics). I was considering doing a Masters degree in Exercise Science through California University of Pennsylvania (link is to 1 of 4 "tracks"). I'm wondering if that would make ACSM happy? I'd think I could go all the way up to the clinical certs if I did that. The Masters would only take about a year, and I'd end up getting a NASM cert along the way. California University of Pennsylvania is "regionally accredited", so it's a real degree, not just a worthless piece of paper.

I'll worry about passing ACSM CPT first. If that goes as well as planned, we'll see what we see from there. I'm still working on some sort of justification for all this effort and expense since I can't possibly quit my (very very well paying) day job to do personal training and it is going to be a part time thing at best (for now).

Thanks again to everyone for their feedback. My 3-day workshop is coming up the weekend after this, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm working my way through the "Resources" book right now. Going real slow, taking lots of notes, and watching for KSA material along the way.