Health Physics Society Membership

The membership of the Society consists of Full Members, Early Career Members, Associate Members, Fellow Members, Student Members, Members Emeritus, Life Members, Section Members, and Affiliate Members. These types of memberships are discussed below. Click here for information on membership dues. To apply for an individual membership click here. To apply for an Affiliate membership click here. A membership renewal form is available here. A list of member benefits is available here.

Full Members

Full Members are persons who (1) are currently engaged in the practice, science, or technology of radiation safety and (2) meet at least one of the following combinations of education and/or experience:

  1. Active certification by the American Board of Health Physics.
  2. Registration by the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists.
  3. Master's or higher degree in a creditable area of education.
  4. Bachelor's degree in a creditable area of education and one full year of relevant experience.
  5. Associate's degree in a creditable area of education and three full years of relevant experience.
  6. Five full years of relevant experience.

Creditable areas of education include a course of study at an accredited college or university in the area of radiological protection; radiological health; environmental sciences; natural, biological, or physical sciences; or engineering.

Relevant experience is work involving the practice, science, or technology of radiological protection. This may include experience as a health physics technician, health physicist, scientist, or engineer.

Early Career Members

The Early Career Members are persons who are young professionals and new members. This category offers full voting member benefits at a discounted membership rate for three years.

Associate Members

Associate Members are persons who lack the necessary qualifications for election as Full Members but who have sufficient interest in radiation safety to apply for membership. The membership includes the benefits of a Full Member except an Associate Member may not hold office or vote.

Fellow Members

Fellow Members are Senior Members (50 years of age or older by 1 March of the year the person is to be selected and who, except under unusual circumstances, have been members of the Society during the preceding five years) who have been honored with election of this class of membership as a result of significant administrative, educational, and/or scientific contributions to the profession of health physics.

Privileges accruing to this class of membership shall not be less than the privileges enjoyed by Full Members. Nominations for this class of membership may be made by any Full or Fellow Member of the Society. Three letters from existing Fellow Members must accompany this nomination. These must be received by the Awards Committee chairperson by 1 March of each year.

Student Members

Student Members are students who are engaged in full-time study in a field allied with one or more health physics disciplines. The membership includes the same privileges as an Associate Member. Proof of status as a student must be demonstrated each year.

Members Emeritus

Members Emeritus are former Full Members who have (1) reached the age of 60 or ceased to function professionally in the field of radiation protection because of permanent disability, (2) retired from active employment, and (3) held membership in the Society at least 10 consecutive years prior to reaching the age of 60 or becoming permanently disabled.

Emeritus status may be obtained upon request to the Executive Director and payment of dues established for the class. Privileges accruing to this class of membership shall not be less than the privileges enjoyed by a Full Member.

Life Members

Life Members are persons who have been designated by the Awards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors as persons worthy of Life Membership in the Society. There is no dues requirement and privileges accruing to this class of membership shall not be less than privileges enjoyed by a Full Member.

Section Members

Section Members are persons who are already HPS members (in one of the other categories on this page) and have an interest in the subject area of one of the sections of the Society. In the Membership Directory, a Section Member's listing will include the names of the sections in which that person is a member. 

Affiliate Members

Affiliates are organizations whose interests in the general field of radiation safety are such as to warrant a formal working relationship with the Society. There shall be no voting rights for this class of members.