Become a Member

What it means for Membership in a Self Regulating Profession

Self regulation means the Government of Alberta has delegated authority to the ASPB to regulate biologists in the Province of Alberta. Under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act Professional Biologists and Biologists in Training have protected titles, meaning only members of ASPB can use these designation titles.

Becoming a Professional Biologist and putting the protected title behind your name means you agree to hold yourself to a higher standard, you will abide by a code of ethics, and you will only practice within your area of competence. It means you will undergo professional development to remain competent in your field, and that you agree to be subject to discipline proceedings in the event a member of the public has concerns about your practice.

Click "About" in the top menu for more information on What is a Professional Biologist and Who are Professional Biologists.

How to Apply

Please visit our How to Apply page for step by step instructions on the application process as well as a summary of the application process and timeline.

Make sure to read through our Registration Handbook, Membership Categories, and visit our FAQ for additional information.

Timelines

(Expanded explanations in "How to Apply")

Stage 1 - Application Submission - uploading/sending all required documentation - determined by Applicant
Stage 2 - Application Review - administrative review of application documents to determine completeness - determined by volume of applications - ranging from 4 to 8 months
Stage 3 - Application Assessment - Registration Committee assessment of applicant and documents for a decision - determined by Fair Registration Practices Act (FRPA) to be within 6 months of a completed application (counted from end of Stage 2) - Currently 1 to 2 months