Answer to Question #519 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

What are the requirements for substituting professional experience for a BS degree to take the CHP exam? I have over 20 years in the field but no degree. Thanks.

A

Approximately three years ago, the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) revised its policies on substituting professional experience for a BS degree. This revision deleted the substitution of professional experience for a degree so that all candidates now must have a relevant BS degree. Any candidate without a degree who had passed Part I prior to this policy change, but who was still within the seven-year "window" to take Part II, was "grandfathered" under the revision through the end of the seven-year period.

The current policy (as of 11/3/2000) is: ACADEMICS. As a minimum, the applicant must submit evidence (for example, official college transcripts or certified translations of official transcripts) of earning a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a physical science, engineering, or in a biological science or mathematics with a minor in a physical science or engineering. In lieu of a minor in physical science or engineering, a candidate for certification may submit evidence of credit from an accredited college or university for course work in physical sciences or engineering equivalent to 20 semester hours. This policy revision is no doubt controversial and will remain so. Several sitting Board members have indicated their intentions to revisit this issue in the 2001 Summer Board meeting in Cleveland. Other allied certification boards such as ABIH and ABSP do require relevant degrees and have recently trended to become more restrictive on what types of degrees are considered relevant.

Ed Maher, CHP