Requirements at a glance
- Submit an application fee of US $1,200 (written and practical).
- Fulfil the requirements for full membership of your chapter of the ICAK.
- Have a minimum of 3,500 undergraduate professional educational hours, or equivalent.
- Have accumulated a total of 300 hours of instruction by two Certified Teaching Diplomates of the ICAK. Of these, a maximum of 30 credit hours may be earned through attendance at national or international conferences of an ICAK chapter.
- Have three years of Applied Kinesiology practice.
- Be a general member of the ICAK (provisional) chapter in your geographic area for one year, and have attended at least one chapter meeting.
- Have written two original papers or research papers fulfilling the Diplomate paper guidelines of the IBE.
The written and the practical examinations can be taken immediately one after the other. Both parts can be passed or failed separately. If the candidate fails either the written or the practical part, that specific part may be retaken. When both are passed, Diplomate status is granted.
Qualification of academic hours
Academic hours can be comprised of any of the following: teaching hours furnished by a school that leads towards a government-recognised therapeutic profession (Heilpraktiker, physiotherapist or similar), or schools of professional health care that provide an education and diploma that is either accepted by the professional board of the candidate or for reimbursement by at least three insurance companies.
The curriculum must be submitted showing details of contents and duration of the training. Full participation in that teaching must be certified and signed by the school, and proof of board, government and/or insurance recognition must be provided. No other hours can be utilised for credit. All applications must be submitted in the English language.
The 300 hours of AK instruction
Basic curriculum
The 300 hours of AK education must include passing a basic curriculum as defined by the International Education Council (IEC). No more than 200 hours may be accumulated by repeating the basic course. Students in professional schools may have credit for all postgraduate-level AK hours studied before graduation.
Written proof required
All applicants must have written proof of their 300 hours of training from their Diplomate instructors. This is checked by the secretary of the Board of Examiners.
Hours after 1 July 1991
Hours taken after 1 July 1991 must be from a Certified Teaching Diplomate to count toward board eligibility.
Hours prior to 1977
Credit for hours taught by ICAK Diplomates prior to 1977 may be given if the candidate obtains a letter from the instructor(s) stating where and when the hours were taken.
Credit for assisting an instructor
A member can obtain 25 hours per year, for a maximum of two years, for assisting an instructor. These count toward the 300 hours needed to become eligible for the Diplomate examination.
Membership and chapter meeting
To be eligible to take the board, one must have been a member of the ICAK for at least one calendar year (12 months) and have attended at least one chapter meeting of the ICAK.
At the time of application the candidate must be a current member of the ICAK (provisional) chapter in their geographic area, having been a member for at least the calendar year prior to the date of application.
Chapter certification of papers
Papers submitted with the Diplomate examination application must be reviewed by the publications committee of an ICAK chapter. The committee, or its equivalent, completes and signs the IBE Paper Evaluation Form to attest that the paper meets the publication requirements of that chapter and of the IBE, including conformity with the current Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (icmje.org). A concise version is published on this site. The evaluation form must accompany the application and the paper.