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:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours BIO-1500 Principles of Biology I 4 BIO-2331 Anatomy and Physiology I 4 BIO-2341 Anatomy and Physiology II 4 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:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours BIO-1050 Human Biology 3 BIO-105L Human Biology Laboratory 1 SES-2010 Exercise and Movement Anatomy 3
Program Learning Outcomes
This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate proficiency interpreting exercise pre-participation health screenings and performing industry-standard health and fitness assessments.
- Effectively demonstrate and safely teach a variety of exercise modalities.
- Effectively design, implement, supervise, and evaluate exercise prescriptions and programs based on client’s assessment results, needs, goals, and interests.
- Effectively educate, motivate and communicate healthy lifestyle behavior modifications.
- Perform safe and ethical practices in a variety of health and fitness-related settings within industry standards.
- Demonstrate an understanding of planning and administering effective fitness, recreational, sport, and wellness activities and programs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of anatomy, exercise physiology, kinesiology and biomechanics as they relate to human movement, exercise and sport.
Suggested Semester Sequence
| First Semester | Credit 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 Hours | 16-17 | |
| 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 higher 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 Hours | 16-18 | |
| 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 Hours | 15-16 | |
| 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-xxxx | Fitness and Exercise Studies Elective 3 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 61-65 | |
- 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:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SES-2300 | Personal Training Certification Preparation | 3 |
| SES-2320 | Group Fitness Instructor Certification Preparation | 3 |
| SES-2330 | Motor Learning and Development | 3 |
| SES-2350 | Exercise for Special Populations | 3 |
| SES-2360 | Fitness and Sport Management | 3 |
| SES-2380 | Corrective Exercise Training | 3 |
| SES-2390 | Strength Coach Certification Prep | 3 |
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.