Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer Program

This fast-paced program prepares students for employment as fitness instructors or personal trainers in entry-level to mid-management positions in health and fitness clubs, athletic clubs, strength training gyms, corporate fitness centers, YMCAs and recreation organizations. The curriculum is designed to help students prepare for the American College of Sports Medicine Health/Fitness Instructor, American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer and the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer certification exams. Ninety-nine hours of industry-based, internship or cooperative work experience is required for program completion.

Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer AAS graduates will:

• Be prepared for employment as personal trainers and group exercise instructors in fitness and recreation facilities as well as entrepreneurial pursuits.
• Be prepared for the ACSM, NSCA, and ACE certification exams.
• Demonstrate proficiency at fitness testing and program design
• Demonstrate clinical skills to be able to work with special needs populations.

Personal Trainer

Prepare for employment as a fitness instructor and personal trainer in health and fitness clubs, strength training gyms, corporate fitness centers, athletic clubs and recreation organizations with this fast-paced program. Learn exercise science, anatomy and physiology, nutrition for sports and weight loss, strength training, risk management and professional skills, fitness testing and evaluation.

Apply skills in fitness internships and sports training as you prepare for the American College of Sports Medicine Health/Fitness Instructor certification and the American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer certification.

Group Exercise Instructor

Students will learn the skills necessary to teach a variety of safe and effective group exercise classes. Courses in the program will cover theoretical and practical teaching skills and will include anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, class format, cueing techniques and choreography so that the student can successfully teach a variety of class formats. Also taught are fundamentals of resistance training, stretching, injury prevention and exercise safety guidelines. This coursework gives students both the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to take a national group exercise instructor certification exam.

Any developmental coursework a student may be required to complete may increase the program length.

Degrees and Certificates	Length of Program	Admission Dates
Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer AAS	108 Credits 2 years	Fall, winter, spring, summer
Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer Certificate of Proficiency	74 Credits 1 year	Fall, winter, spring, summer
Fitness Specialist/Group Exercise Instructor Certificate of Completion	39 Credits	Fall, winter, spring

Brochure

Download the program's brochure in PDF format. (opens a new window.)