IFA offers four separate Master Instructor programs, Master Group Fitness & Personal Trainer, Master Sports Nutritionist, Master Senior Fitness Instructor and our newest Master Aqua Fitness Instructor. The IFA standard certifications are prerequisites for these advanced level certifications.
An essay is required to be submitted according to the requirements below. The cost for either advanced certification is $300 and payable prior to essay submittal. The fee is non-refundable. If your essay is rejected, you will be advised on the areas that need further attention and expected to resubmit your essay.
An essay of between 1000 to 2000 words is required for either advanced certification.
The word limits excludes cover page, title, headings, figure captions, figure legends, figure descriptions, footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies. However, this will also mean that they may not be read.
The following are the mandatory requirements that all essays must fulfill. Failure to meet any of these requirements may mean failure of the essay. The requirements are as follows:
While there is not hard and fast rules pertaining to the choice of essay topics, the topic chosen should have enough width for a critical discussion and with sufficient information to sustain the length of the required essay. However, the topic should not be too broad that in depth discussion and analysis is not likely. For example, an essay surveying the different types of weight training methodologies is likely to result in a shallow and wide discussion, which is not a suitable topic as it will usually fail to demonstrate critical thinking and reasoning. On the other hand, an essay comparing two or three training methodologies will be better suited.
At the end of the two year period of your standard IFA certification, you will simply renew your certification by exam testing and repay the normal fee as you did for the standard certification initially. However, instead of receiving the standard certification, you will automatically be upgraded to the Master level as indicated on your new certification identification. Every two years simply renew as usual, you will hold Master Level as long as your standard certification is current. If it lapses, when you eventually renew, you will continue to maintain the Master level. You will not be required to apply for the Master's level again.