Specialist Credential Prerequisites
All FEA Certified Professionals automatically qualify to earn the title of FEA Specialist and are highly encouraged to specialize.
FEA encourages anyone who’s interested to pursue our specialist programs, as we believe that health and fitness professionals with a broad education can better serve special populations in our communities. In order to be eligible for an official designation as an FEA Specialist, however, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- Hold a current professional certification in health education, fitness, wellness, or allied health that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 17024)
- Hold a current license as a healthcare professional
NCCA-Accredited Certifications: Fitness
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Certified Group Fitness Instructor
- Certified Health Coach
- Certified Medical Exercise Specialist
Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE)
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Exercise Fitness Specialist
Action Certification
- Certified Personal Trainer
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Certified Exercise Physiologist
- Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)
- Certified Group Fitness Instructor (AFAA-CGFI)
Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa)
- Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC)
International Fitness Professionals Association (IFPA)
- Personal Fitness Training Certification
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
- Certified Personal Trainer
National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT)
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Certified Group Exercise Instructor
- Certified Indoor Cycling Instructor
- Certified Strength Training Specialist
- Certified Yoga Instructor – Vinyasa Flow
National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)
- National Certified Personal Trainer
- Certified Strength Coach
National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)
- Personal Fitness Trainer
National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Certified Group Exercise Instructor
National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
- Certified Personal Fitness Trainer
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
- Personal Trainer
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
- Tactical Strength and Conditioning-Facilitator
Pilates Method Alliance (PMA)
- PMA Certified Pilates Teacher
PTA Global (PTAG)
- Personal Trainer
World Instructor Training School (WITS)
- Personal Trainer Certification
NCCA-Accredited Certifications: Healthcare
American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)
- Certified Cardiac Rehabilitation Professional
American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- Certified Medical Assistant
American Clinical Board of Nutrition (ACBN)
- Diplomat American Clinical Board of Nutrition
Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS)
- Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM)
- Certified Dietary Manager
Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)
- Dietitian Technician, Registered
- Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist
Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI)
- Professional in Human Resources
- Senior Professional in Human Resources
- Global Professional in Human Resources
- Associate Professional in Human Resources
- Professional in Human Resources, International
- Senior Professional in Human Resources, International
- California Certification
National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification (NATA BOC)
- Entry-Level Athletic Trainer Certification
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
- Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Occupational Therapist Registered
National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE)
- Certified Diabetes Educator
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)
- Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.
- Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing
- Certified Health Education Specialist
- Master Certified Health Education Specialist
Medical and Allied Health Professional Licensure
- Medical Doctor (MD)
- Pharmacist (RPh)
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)
- Physician Assistant (PA)
- Physical Therapist (PT)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Licensed Nurses (LPN, LVN)
- Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
- Medical and Nursing Specialties (multiple)
- Naturopathic Doctor (ND)
Other Accepted Credentials
Teachers with specific State-issued Certification or License
- Physical Education Teachers
- Adaptive Physical Education Teachers
- Health Education Teachers
CrossFit
- Certified CrossFit Trainer Level 1
National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
- NBC-Health & Wellness Coach
Don’t see your credential? You may petition FEA to accept it as a prerequisite requirement to become a specialist by writing to learn@fea.group
