TCIA Tree Care Academy courses, the CTSP and the Crew Leader Qualification

This page describes one trade association's training as its own pages state it. It is not an endorsement and not advice on which course to take. The association is a trade body, and nothing on its pages says an employer or a regulator must accept its certificates. Prices are as printed on October 8, 2026 and the association sets them.

The Tree Care Academy courses

The association's Tree Care Academy page says its courses teach and test the skills and core knowledge tree care employees need, and that employers can use them to verify that OSHA and ANSI Z133 training was done. It says the programs are trademarked and that only people or firms whose employees hold valid certificates may advertise affiliation. The course pages describe each one as online learning blended with on-the-job skill demonstrations, ending in a certificate. Many titles are also in Spanish.

Course	Topics listed, price (member / non-member) and CEUs
Ground Operations 1: Fundamentals	Ground worker duties, assisting the climber, emergency response basics, vehicles, ladders, hand tools. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 2 and 2.
Ground Operations 2: Chipper Specialist	Chipper types and hook up, operation, maintenance, the winch. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 1.75 and 1.75.
Ground Operations 3: Chain Saw Specialist	General saw safety, preparing saws, operation, cutting. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 1.75 and 1.75.
Ground Operations 4: Tree Rigging and Removal	Rigging operations and tree removal. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 4.75 and 4.75.
Tree Climber Specialist 1: Fundamentals	Climbing basics, equipment and ropes, knots and hitches, tie in and anchor points, ascent, work positioning, climbing spikes. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 6.5 and 6.5.
Tree Climber Specialist 2: Aerial Work	Climbing techniques, an introduction to the stationary rope system, working on a spar. Price US$80.50 / US$126.50. CEUs: 5 and 5.
Tree Climber Specialist 3: Climbing Aerial Rescue	Rescue rules and standards, emergency response, protocol, hazards, techniques, first aid and working with EMS. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 2 and 2.
Tree Climber Specialist 4: Rigging Operations Aloft	Rigging fundamentals, understanding forces, rigging from below, balance rigging, techniques, mechanical advantage. Price US$80.50 / US$126.50. CEUs: 5.75 and 5.75.
Aerial Lift Operations 1: Fundamentals	Hazards, pre-trip inspection, positioning and set up, operation, starting and running a saw from the lift, lowering the boom. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 2 and 2.
Aerial Lift Operations 2: Aerial Lift Rescue	Emergency response, rescue protocol, precautions, techniques, first aid. Price US$57.50 / US$103.50. CEUs: 1.25 and 1.25.
Tree Care Specialist	Tree biology, plant ID, soil, CODIT, pruning, lightning protection, support systems, planting, risk assessment. Price US$143.75 / US$224.25. CEUs: 16.75 ISA and 1.5 CTSP.
Plant Health Care Technician	Monitoring and diagnosis, disease controls, pesticide application guidelines, abiotic disorders, insects, soil health. Price US$149.50 / US$229.99. CEUs: 16.5 ISA and 2.25 CTSP.
Crew Leader Specialist	Quality control, crew morale, delegating, resolving conflicts, client communication, training and evaluating, safety and production. Price US$126.50 / US$206.99. CEUs: 7.25 and 7.25.

The Ground Operations page says its checklist can record that an employee learned the skills needed to count as qualified under OSHA and ANSI Z133.1, and that it is best paired with on-the-job training. The Tree Climber Specialist page calls the certificate a portable industry credential. The Crew Leader Specialist page says its certificate is valid for three years. The page for Aerial Lift Operations says use of that training meets the requirements for the association's accreditation.

The Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP)

The association's CTSP page says no other credential in the industry is held by an individual for safety in this way, and that there are more than 3,000 CTSPs in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Membership in the association is not required.

Eligibility. One of three: three years in tree care field work with at least one year carrying safety duties; six months of arboriculture field work plus a year in a professional safety job elsewhere; or a two- or four-year degree in a related field with an internship that gave field experience.
Process. Enroll, wait for the application review, register, work through a study guide, attend a virtual workshop, then take the online proctored exam within five days after the workshop. The page says exam results are held until the study guide course is complete.
Cost. US$648 for members and US$874 for non-members, covering enrollment, study guide, workshop and exam. A retake is US$60, and up to two retakes are allowed within 12 months of enrollment.
Keeping it. 30 CEUs in each three-year period and a renewal fee every three years. The page says a lapsed credential is void and the study and exam are taken again, though an appeal to the CTSP Council is possible. The renewal rule is also in the guide to keeping a credential current.

Crew Leader Qualification

The association's Crew Leader Qualification page describes an online course plus a one-day virtual workshop run by a qualified trainer. The online part has seven required discussion posts and two graded video demonstrations. A passing mark of 80 percent on a proctored final exam, taken within two weeks of the workshop, earns the certificate.

Item	What the page says
Price	US$500 for members, US$600 for non-members
Entry requirements	None
Time	About a month for the online course before the workshop
Retake	Two allowed, US$57 each
Expiry	The certificate does not expire, and no ongoing CEUs are needed
Credits	16.25 ISA and CTSP CEUs
Crew Leader Specialist first	Not needed, says the page

Trainers and the apprenticeship page

The association's education page says the trainer qualification course trains people to teach the Tree Care Academy courses and the electrical hazards program, and that the CTSP is its prerequisite. It sets a course transfer policy: free for member companies, US$30 for non-members, and no transfer once a certificate has been issued.

The association's Arborist Apprenticeship Program page lists registering with the US Department of Labor, three years of 5,400 to 6,000 hours, and 440 hours of related instruction as the requirements of a registered apprenticeship. The official apprenticeship terms are in the guide to apprenticeships by country. The electrical course has its own guide: the Electrical Hazards Awareness Program.