Program Overview
This one-year program prepares students for employment in the health and fitness industry and provides a basis for professional advancement. Courses are offered at San Diego City College. The program is endorsed by fitness industry leaders and potential employers.

Program Description
Students in this program train to be group exercise leaders and personal trainers. Students learn the principles of exercise and physical conditioning, techniques of leading individual and group exercise classes, appropriate methods to establishing healthy behavior and the designing of personalized exercise prescriptions. They will be able to develop safe, effective exercise plans for a variety of clients.

Program Benefits

• Complete certificate program for Fitness Specialist in only one year. If you begin the program in the fall, you can expect the entire program to be 2 semesters long, however, it is possible to complete the program in 3 semesters.
• Affordable. Each class is 2 units.
• Prepares candidates for American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Council on Exercise (ACE), and other national certification exams.
• Offers field internships.
• Approved by the State of California.
• Associate Degree option.

The Fitness Specialist Program Is Ideal for:

• Personal trainers, fitness center and health club employees, group exercise instructors
• Strength conditioning instructors
• Aquatic instructors
• People with an interest in sports medicine, training, exercise, fitness
• Individuals who want an affordable, fast-track program to employment in the fitness world
• Individuals who need preparation for a professional certification

Courses
PHYE 242, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286 and 287.
*Must complete all nine courses with a "C" or better to get certification.

Courses offered in the fall semester: PHYE 280, 281, 283 and 284.
*It is important to take PHYE 280 with PHYE 283 in the same semester because PHYE 283 is a lab.

Courses offered in the spring semester: PHYE 242, 282, 285, 286 and 287.

Click here to see course descriptions.

Internship
In the spring semester, students who have completed PHY 280, 281 and 283 with a "C" or better are eligible for the internship class (PHYE 287). This internship course has three components:

1). A 1.5 hour workshop focusing on careers.
2). Assisting a college professor teach a physical fitness course on the San Diego City College campus for 3 hours per week during the first 8 weeks of the internship.
3). Intern at a community fitness facility for 6 hours per week.