Fitness and Health Certificate (CTE)

The Fitness and Health Certificate at Mission College is aimed at helping students who are seeking careers or additional training in the fitness and health industry. It is designed to provide an in-depth study and practical application of the current standards and foundational skills of assessment, fitness testing, program design, implementation and evaluation of fitness and exercise programs as well as nutrition, mental health management and behavior modification techniques. Therefore, in addition to learning theoretical foundational principles of fitness and health, students will also engage in hands-on learning and teaching techniques, which will aid them in being prepared to work in the field. This program also helps to prepare students to sit for nationally recognized fitness and health certification exams from organizations such as: American Council on Exercise (ACE),National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), and National Strength and ConditioningAssociation (NSCA).

Program Level Outcomes:
1. Exhibit an understanding of the impact of training on the major systems of the human body and apply industry best practices to develop safe and effective training programs.

2. Demonstrate the ability to conduct safe, motivational and effective individual and group exercise training programs.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of learned content by successfully passing exams from certifying agencies.

Career/Transfer Opportunities include:
Students will enroll in UC and CSU transferable courses and have the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in the following: personal training, group fitness instructing, health or wellness coaching, weight management consulting, and fitness entrepreneurship. 

Projected Certificate completers:

Year 1 10-15
Year 2: 15-20
Year 3: 20-25 

Students completing the Fitness and Health Certificate will be prepared to:
1. Identify the impact of training on the major systems of the human body and apply industry best practices to develop safe and effective training programs.

2. Demonstrate the ability to conduct safe, motivational and effective individual and group exercise training programs.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of learned content by successfully passing exams from certifying agencies. 

The Kinesiology Department at Mission College was excited to receive approval to expand  its offerings in the fall of 2020 by offering this new certificate. Through the study of Fitness and Health, the student develops both the ability to enhance theoretical knowledge and practical skills for developing safe, motivational and effective training programs according to the needs of clients. We see this certificate as an excellent opportunity for students to become employable prior to earning a four-year degree. We believe this certificate is an opportunity for students to relate Kinesiology and other fields of study to meet their goals including a two and/or four-year degree and provide a pathway to enhance their current career, begin a new one or pursue whatever goals they have for their future. 

This certificate expands upon the AA-T in Kinesiology to provide students and opportunity to gain the ability to begin working in the field prior to earning a four-year degree and/or the ability to be better equipped to work or start a business in the fitness and health industry after completion of the coursework. 

The Fitness and Health Certificate has these requirements:

Required courses: 12.5 units

KIN068 - Sport Psychology OR  KIN079 - Lifetime Fitness 

AND  HOC004 - First Aid and CPR 

AND KIN066 - Exercise Assessment and Program Design

AND KIN067 - Techniques of Fitness Instruction

AND NTR015 - Human Nutrition

Select one (1) of the following elective courses: 3 units

BUS023 - Social Media Marketing OR

BUS051 - Introduction to American Business OR 

KIN069 - Stress Management Through Fitness and Lifestyle OR 

KIN081 - Sport in Society. 

Complete two (2) Kinesiology activity courses: 2 Units   

Total =17.5 Units

The following is a sample three-semester pathway to completing the certificate.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
KIN068	Sport Psychology	3.0	Year1/Semester1
NTR015	Human Nutrition	3.0	Year1/Semester1
Kinesiology activity course	pilates  OR Cardio Cross Training OR any KIN Activity Course	1.0	Year1/Semester1
KIN066	Exercise Assessment and Program Design	3.0	Year1/Semester 2
KIN069	Stress Management Through Fitness and Lifestyle	3.0	Year1/Semester 2
Kinesiology activity course	Yoga OR any KIN Activity Course	1.0	Year 1/Semester2
HOC004	First Aid and CPR	.5	Year2/Semester1
KIN067	Techniques of Fitness Instruction	3.0	Year2/Semester 1

There are currently no similar programs to this Fitness and Health Certificate at Mission College. This certificate is most often awarded to students who want to become a fitness and health entrepreneur, instructor and/or want to enter the workforce while completing a Kinesiology or related degree while working towards transferring to a four-year university. We believe this certificate will offer a valuable opportunity to students who enroll in more of our discipline’s courses, and an incentivize students to pursue this as an educational goal at a four-year institution, expand upon their current career or begin a new one. This certificate does not compete with other degrees or programs at our college and rather works collaboratively with other departments to offer even more depth of options to the students enrolled. The courses required for this certificate are new and will be added to the current offerings in our department. Some of the courses required in this certificate are also required for general education for an AA/AS degree as well as for transfer to a CSU and UC.

Other colleges in the area offer certificates that are less comprehensive than this Fitness and Health Certificate. For example, West Valley College offers a Personal Training or Pilates Instructor certificate, but the breadth of their program is quite limited compared to this Fitness and Health certificate. Ohlone College also offers a Fitness certificate however, just as with West Valley's, this is more limited in scope. Our certificate offers the students a greater opportunity to go beyond just the fitness component of health and rather tap into other important dimensions of health as well as connect with multiple departments on campus including Business and Nutrition.