Kinesiology - Exercise/Fitness Management
Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Exercise and Fitness Management
Combine your interest in fitness and wellness with your desire to help others in the University of Central Oklahoma’s Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management track.
Today, health and wellness are inextricably linked. Going beyond diets and fads, physical activity impacts the body’s systems and even affects productivity on the job. This increasingly detailed relationship forms the backbone of wellness initiatives in corporate, recreational, community and medical environments. This multidisciplinary program brings together scientific, business and fitness sides to help you spearhead and oversee wellness initiatives from start to finish in a number of contexts and gets you on the path to certification.
About | Curriculum | Careers | Accreditation | Program Application | Learn More
About the B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise and Fitness Management
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies examines the broader aspects of health and wellness—including as a lifestyle and tool for managing stress and diet and their link with physical activity. Through a comprehensive curriculum and engaging experiences, we graduate qualified professionals ready to step up to the challenge and advance the health and wellness field.
Along with internship and practicum assignments, you’ll have the opportunity to put your knowledge into action through UCO’s Center for Active Living and Learning and by highlighting your research and achievements at our Kinesiology and Health Studies Symposium, held in the fall and spring semesters.
While this degree program considers all aspects of developing, implementing and promoting health and wellness programs, its core is rooted in kinesiology—a field analyzing the effects of physical activity on the body that combines principles of anatomy, physiology and human movement. At the same time, exercise science is closely related, providing additional insight into the relationship between the body and physical movement. As a third factor, leadership and management skills are essential for getting wellness initiatives off the ground and increasing awareness at community and organizational levels.
Considering these competencies, the bachelor’s in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management helps foster your passion through a mix of courses in chemistry, computer science, management, health and physical education. During the program, you’ll learn to:
- Identify and explain the body’s physiological response to exercise and adaptations resulting from exercise training;
- Mechanically analyze a movement skill and make recommendations to maintain or improve performance;
- Develop and teach an exercise session (e.g., warm-up, cardiorespiratory, muscular strength/endurance, cool down and flexibility);
- Assess health-related fitness components (e.g., cardiorespiratory, muscular strength/endurance, flexibility and body comp);
- Assess skill-related performance components (e.g., balance, coordination, speed, agility and power);
- Create and implement appropriate exercise prescriptions for apparently healthy adults and for special populations;
- Design exercise programming and develop plans to promote, implement, monitor and evaluate the programs designed; and,
- Design budgets, job descriptions/postings and bid specifications for program administration.
Curriculum for the B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise and Fitness Management
Students enrolling in the B.S. in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management track take a minimum of 124 credit hours, including 75 credit hours toward your major.
For fulfilling requirements, the B.S. in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management program is divided into two key parts.
Required Core (24 Credit Hours)
You’ll begin to understand the role of fitness and wellness in relation to exercise and medical contexts. This sequence goes over health promotion and disease prevention tactics, first aid techniques, human growth and development over the lifespan, the role and impact of leisure in society and designing and implementing fitness and recreational plans, from leading initiatives to the administrative, management and legal aspects.
Required Theory (47 Credit Hours)
You’ll continue to explore all the ways health, wellness and fitness overlap while participating in practicum assignments and an internship leading you toward certification.
During this more specialized group of courses, you’ll broaden what you know about nutrition, consider the scientific relationship between movement and the body’s processes, understand how to prevent athletic injuries, learn how to assess physical fitness and see what’s involved in managing fitness facilities and wellness programming. With more of a scientific angle, these courses introduce you to topics in osteology, myology, physiology and the laws of motion in relation to musculoskeletal action.
Careers in Exercise and Fitness Management
The corporate world has started acknowledging the correlation between a healthy workforce and productivity, and in turn, company-level wellness plans help address employees’ quality of life and lower insurance premiums. Along with similar wellness- and fitness-focused efforts in health care, education and community agencies, this shift has resulted in increased demand for qualified program leaders and directors, as well as employees overseeing classes and working with individuals one on one.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 15% greater demand for fitness-related occupations over the next decade, including 39% growth for fitness trainers and instructors and 17% more positions for health education specialists and community health workers. Giving you a multifaceted edge to enter the field, the bachelor’s in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management equips you with the skill set for:
- Exercise physiology;
- Personal training;
- Performance enhancement and management;
- Strength and conditioning coaching;
- Group fitness instruction;
- Health club or fitness center management; and,
- Consultation.
To start connecting with future and existing fitness and wellness industry professionals, consider joining the following organizations:
- Oklahoma Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance;
- Central States American College of Sports Medicine;
- Exercise Science Club - UCO - Facebook; and,
- Exercise Science Club - UCO - Twitter.
Accreditation
Majors in the kinesiology, exercise and fitness management program are accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences, part of the Commission Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. This accreditation is renewed every year. The accreditation process helps ensure students receive an educational experience based on the standards of the field.
Program Application
After taking the required pre-kinesiology courses, students must apply for the exercise and fitness management program. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in pre-requisite courses to apply. Students will be notified eight to 10 weeks after application submission.
To apply for admission to the exercise and fitness management program, candidates must complete the following steps:
- Complete or be currently enrolled in the following courses:
- HTLH 1112: Healthy Life Skills
- KINS 2643: Introduction to Kinesiology Studies
- KINS 3403: Principles in Leadership Development
- KINS 4900: Practicum in Kinesiology and Health Studies
- HLTH 3223: Applied Anatomy OR BIO 2504 Human Anatomy
- PHED 3333: Mechanical Principles and Analysis of Movement
- PHED 3503: Physiology of Exercise
- CHEM 1014: Introduction to Chemistry OR CHEM 1112: General Chemistry
- CHEM 1014L: Introduction to Chemistry Lab OR CHEM 1112L: General Chemistry Lab
- Complete online application to the program (Application Form) during the semester
Learn More About UCO’s B.S. in Kinesiology, Exercise and Fitness Management
You have the passion—build upon what interests you to enter an exciting and expanding industry with UCO’s Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, exercise and fitness management. For additional information, contact the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies today at 405-974-5230.
