what qualifications would i need to be an apple genius?

Start here:

http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/index.html

Individual job postings should give you an idea of the qualifications. As there is no offiical Apple participation in this user-to-user technical support forum, this probably isn't a very good place to go looking for information. Go into your local Apple Store and ask. Use the contact information on the jobs page.

As an addition to Meg's advice, you can also go to the Apple Training Page though that is primarily for certifications.