Fitness Professional - Certificate
Overview
See Department website and program contacts here
The Fitness Professional certificate is designed for students seeking careers in fitness training, wellness, and health promotion. The curriculum combines foundational health and exercise knowledge with practical training skills to prepare students for employment in fitness and wellness environments.
Coursework includes topics such as nutrition, exercise techniques, fitness assessment, program design, and training instruction. Students develop practical skills used to guide, instruct, and motivate clients in pursuing health and fitness goals through exercise and lifestyle changes.
The Fitness Professional program is workforce-focused and prepares students for careers in fitness centers, health clubs, corporate wellness programs, and private training environments. Students completing the program earn First Aid and CPR certifications and may prepare for a national fitness trainer certification exam.
Students are encouraged to work with an advisor to ensure appropriate course selection and program planning based on their educational background and career goals.
Refer to the tabs above for additional information about:
- Education Plan – provides a sample term-by-term sequence of courses
- Career Info – includes information on potential occupations, employment trends, and earnings
Program Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this certification program, students will be able to:
- Identify, analyze and apply behavior modification strategies to promote health and fitness to clients
- Apply advanced exercise principles in order to create responsive, adaptive, and personalized exercise programs for a diverse population
- Describe national standards of professional practice including ethical business practices, confidentiality, adherence to legal requirements and professionalism as they relate to the fitness professional
- Administer and analyze various fitness assessments including cardiovascular endurance, power, speed, body composition, anthropomorphic measurements, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility
- Identify and implement widely-accepted procedures and protocols for emergency cardiac care, airway obstruction, automated exterfinal defibrillator and basic first aid
Education Plan
This sample Education Plan illustrates one possible course sequence. Students should consult an advisor to create a personalized plan.
General education courses (such as math, writing, health, etc.) can be taken during any term, or before starting the program.
| First Quarter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HPE170 | Structure and Function of the Human Body | 3 |
| MTH065 or MTH058 | Beginning Algebra II (or higher) or Quantitative Reasoning I | 4-6 |
| PE131 | Introduction to Exercise and Sports Science | 3 |
| HE252 | First Aid: Responding to Emergencies | 3 |
| Credits | 13-15 | |
| Second Quarter | ||
| Winter | ||
| HPE172 | Exercise Science | 3 |
| HPE260 | Prevention and Care of Exercise-Related Injuries | 3 |
| COMM111Z | Public Speaking | 4 |
| WR121Z | Composition I | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Quarter | ||
| Spring | ||
| HE204 | Nutrition for Health | 3 |
| HPE174 | Fitness Assessment and Programming | 3 |
| PE280B or PE280A | Coop Ed-Physical Education or Co-op Education - Physical Educ | 2 |
| PSY201Z | Introduction to Psychology I | 4 |
| Health/PE electives | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 41-43 | |
- 1
Students must complete either MTH058 or MTH065 in order to earn the Fitness Professional Certificate. Students seeking to transfer to a Bachelor's degree program should take a 100-level or higher math course.
Awarding Requirements
The following requirement(s) must be fulfilled to be awarded the Fitness Professional certificate:
- All program core courses must be completed within five (5) years of starting the program.