Professional Designations

HISTORY OF CGSA’S PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS:

• In 1987 the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) introduced the Master Superintendent® (MS™) accreditation program and in 1994 an exam was developed to go along with the MS™ Program.
• In 1998 the National Occupational Standards (NOS) was developed. These standards encompassed nine responsibilities of the superintendent, identified 52 competencies that a superintendent should possess and outlined 159 behaviours and skills required to perform the professional responsibilities of a superintendent at the highest level.
• In 2001 the NOS was approved and accepted by the membership.
• In 2006 an updated Master Superintendent® program and a new Accredited Golf Superintendent™ program was launched.
• In 2011 the eligibility criteria of both the Master Superintendent® program and a new Accredited Golf Superintendent™ program were revised and in July the AGS® exam was made available to Assistant Superintendent members that met the criteria.
• In 2019 the Board of Directors approved the recommendation by the Professional Development and Accreditation Committee to alter the Master Superintendent® exam criteria.  The amendments that have been implemented are the number of questions moving to 150, with a time limit of 3 hours.  Successful exam participants must reach an overall average on the exam of 70%. For a copy of the updated criteria, please click here.
• In 2025 the CGSA Board of Directors has approved a recommendation from the Professional Development and Research Committee regarding the CGSA Master Superintendent (MS) Designation. The previous time limit to proceed has been removed, while the requirement to hold the Accredited Golf Superintendent™ (AGS®) designation remains in place (pdf copy).
  Please click here for a copy of the new Application.

For more information on applying for any of these designations including the eligibility, please see the information below.

MASTER SUPERINTENDENT (MS) - Eligibility

• Effective October 5, 2025, the eligibility criteria to write the Master Superintendent® Exam are as follows:

  Eligibility Criteria

  To apply, candidates must:

  1. Be a CGSA member in one of the following categories:
  • Superintendent, or
  • Golf Course Management
  2. Hold the Accredited Golf Superintendent™ (AGS®) designation.
  3. Successfully complete the Master Superintendent® Exam, which:
  • Is 3 hours in duration
  • Contains 9 sections and 150 questions
  • Requires a minimum score of 50% in each section
  • Requires an overall grade of 70% to pass

• Master Superintendent (MS) Application Form
• Program Credit Values
• MS Exam Breakdown
• Recommended Readings
• MS Guidelines and Terms of Use
• Master Superintendent (MS) Renewal Application Form

ACCREDITED GOLF SUPERINTENDENT (AGS)

• Three (3) consecutive years experience as a Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent;
• Achieve fifty (50) Continuing Education Credits (CEC) within the three (3) previous years;
• Must be a CGSA Member in good standing in either the Golf Superintendent or Golf Course Management categories when you submit your application; and
• Complete the exam with the established passing grade (exam is two (2) hours in length with one hundred (100) questions) and achieve an overall mark of 70% and a minimum grade of 50% in each section).
• Accredited Golf Superintendent Application (AGS) Form
• Program Credit Values
• Dacum Chart
• AGS Exam Breakdown
• Recommended Readings
• AGS Guidelines & Terms of Use
• Accredited Golf Superintendent (AGS) Renewal Form

ACCREDITED ASSISTANT GOLF SUPERINTENDENT (AAGS)

• Three (3) years experience as an CGSA Assistant Superintendent member;
• Achieve fifty (50) Continuing Education Credits (CEC) within the three (3) previous years;
• Must be a CGSA Member in good standing in either the Golf Superintendent, Golf Course Management or Assistant Superintendent categories when you submit your application
• Accredited Golf Superintendent/Assistant (AAGS) Application Form
• Program Credit Value
• Dacum Chart
• AGS Exam Breakdown
• Recommended Readings
• Guidelines & Terms of Use 
• Accredited Golf Superintendent/Assistant (AAGS) Renewal Form

If you have any questions, or require more information please contact , Lori Micucci