The Sport and Exercise Studies program is designed to prepare students for career opportunities as a Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, Fitness Coordinator, Group Fitness Instructor, Strength Coach or Health and Wellness Coach. The core curriculum includes Teaching Exercise Techniques, Advanced Training Concepts, Sport Injury Care, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Health and Wellness Coaching, Exercise Testing, Exercise Prescription and Program Design, and practicum field experience. The program prepares students to take  national  accredited certification exams for personal  trainers, strength coaches, group fitness instructors, and health and wellness coaches. Graduates of the program may transfer to a four-year institution to continue their studies in exercise science or other fitness-related fields.

Program contact: Learn more

Learn more about how certificate credits apply to the related degree.

Program Admission Requirements

Application may be submitted to the Health Careers Enrollment Center after meeting the following requirements:

  • High School Diploma/GED equivalency/approved CCP student
  • ENG-0995 Applied College Literacies or appropriate score on English Placement Test.
  • Eligibility for MATH-1190 or higher (MATH-1410 Elementary Probability and Statistics I or MATH-1530 College Algebra are highly recommended for students transferring to a four year college/university.)
  • GPA required: 2.0 Admissions Requirement, 2.0 overall

    Other Information

  • Students may need to complete a criminal background check depending on their chosen practicum site.
  • Students may need to complete additional requirements depending on their chosen practicum site.
  • Students in the Sport & Exercise Studies (SES) program must achieve a grade of "C" or better in all SES courses in order to remain in good academic standing and progress through the program.
  • The following courses are recommended for students transferring to a four-year college/university: 
    BIO-1500Principles of Biology I4
    BIO-2331Anatomy and Physiology I4
    BIO-2341Anatomy and Physiology II4
    Select one of the following:3-4
    Elementary Probability and Statistics I
    College Algebra
  • The following courses are recommended for students not transferring to a four-year college/university:
    BIO-1050Human Biology3
    BIO-105LHuman Biology Laboratory1
    SES-2010Exercise and Movement Anatomy3

Program Learning Outcomes

This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes: 

  1. Demonstrate proficiency interpreting exercise pre-participation health screenings and performing industry-standard health and fitness assessments.
  2. Effectively demonstrate and safely teach a variety of exercise modalities.
  3. Effectively design, implement, supervise, and evaluate exercise prescriptions and programs based on client’s assessment results, needs, goals, and interests.  
  4. Effectively educate, motivate and communicate healthy lifestyle behavior modifications.
  5. Perform safe and ethical practices in a variety of health and fitness-related settings within industry standards.
  6. Demonstrate an understanding of planning and administering effective fitness, recreational, sport, and wellness activities and programs. 
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of anatomy, exercise physiology, kinesiology and biomechanics as they relate to human movement, exercise and sport.

Suggested Semester Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
First SemesterCredit Hours
HLTH-1100 Personal Health Education 3
SES-1001 Introduction to Sport and Exercise Studies 3 2
SES-1040 Teaching Exercise Training Techniques 3 3
Select one of the following: 4
Human Biology
and Human Biology Laboratory
Principles of Biology I 1
Select one of the following: 3
College Composition I
Honors College Composition I
Select one of the following: 1-2
Personal Fitness
Personal Strength Development
Weight Training
 Credit Hours16-17
Second Semester
SES-2000 Essentials of Sports Injury Care 3 3
SES-2310 Advanced Training Concepts and Techniques 3 3
Select one of the following: 3-4
Algebraic and Quantitative Reasoning (or any Ohio Transfer 36 Mathematics course)
Elementary Probability and Statistics I (Recommended for Transfer) 2
College Algebra (Recommended for Transfer) 2
Select one of the following: 3-4
Anatomy and Physiology I
Exercise and Movement Anatomy 3
Select one of the following: 3
General Psychology
Honors General Psychology
Select one of the following: 1
Standard First Aid and Personal Safety
CPR-AED for Healthcare Professionals
 Credit Hours16-18
Third Semester
SES-2100 Sport and Exercise Physiology 3 3
SES-2410 Exercise Testing and Prescription 3 3
Select one of the following: 3
Fitness and Wellness Coaching 3
Health and Wellness Coach Certification Prep 3, 4
Select one of the following: 3-4
Anatomy and Physiology II
SES-xxxx
Fitness and Exercise Studies Elective
Select one of the following: 3
College Composition II
Honors College Composition II
Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Honors Speech Communication
 Credit Hours15-16
Fourth Semester
Select one of the following: 3
Sports Nutrition
Basic Nutrition 5
SES-2130 Kinesiology: Fundamentals of Human Movement 3 3
SES-2420 Advanced Exercise Testing and Prescription 3 3
SES-2840 Practicum: Sport and Exercise Studies 3 2
SES-xxxxFitness and Exercise Studies Elective 3 3
 Credit Hours14
 Total Credit Hours61-65
1

BIO-1100 Introduction to Biological Chemistry or CHEM-1010 Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry and CHEM-1020 Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry will be accepted for BIO-1500 Principles of Biology I.

2

Highly recommend MATH-1410 Elementary Probability and Statistics I or  MATH-1530 College Algebra for students planning to transfer to a four-year college/university.  Students planning to transfer should see a counselor to determine best math selection for intended program of study at their four year school.  MATH-1100 Math Explorations or MATH-1240 Contemporary Mathematics taken prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to meet the Mathematics requirement.

3

Must achieve a grade of "C" or higher in all SES courses in order to remain in good standing and progress through the program.

4

Highly recommend SES 2500 for students looking to gain eligibility for the National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) credential.

5

Highly recommend DIET-1200 for students planning to transfer to a 4-year college/university.

Technical Electives

Select from the following courses to fulfill Sport and Exercise Studies elective:

SES-2300Personal Training Certification Preparation3
SES-2320Group Fitness Instructor Certification Preparation3
SES-2330Motor Learning and Development3
SES-2350Exercise for Special Populations3
SES-2360Fitness and Sport Management3
SES-2380Corrective Exercise Training 3
SES-2390Strength Coach Certification Prep3

MATH-1140, MATH-1141, MATH-1200, MATH-1270, and MATH-1280 can no longer count towards fulfilling the college-level mathematics requirement.  These courses were re-classified as developmental mathematics by the state of Ohio in 2016.  Tri-C established a 5-year transitioning window for students who had completed these courses prior to 2016 to apply them towards meeting graduation requirements, which expired in Summer 2021. It is highly recommended to see a counselor to determine the appropriate math required for your current major.