Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance prepares students for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) personal trainer certifications. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for employment in positions such as personal training within health and fitness clubs, wellness centers, and public and private recreation facilities. The curriculum includes the foundational courses required for the Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Personal Training coupled with advanced hands-on courses required for the CCL in Personal Training: Advanced that foster the development of critical thinking, leadership, and communication skills important for developing, implementing and leading exercise programs. This curriculum also provides a good foundation for transfer to a four-year bachelor program. Students who complete this AAS also qualify for the CCL in Personal Training and Personal Training: Advanced. An Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Exercise Science is also available for students interested in continuing their studies in this field.

Details

Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3059
Total credits required
62-74.5
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Apply a fundamental understanding of the relevant scientific concepts of human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and psychology.
  2. Locate and evaluate relevant scholarly literature.
  3. Conduct advanced evidence-based assessments of health and human movement.
  4. Design evidence-based physical activity programs tailored to client goals and needs.
  5. Implement evidence-based physical activity programs tailored to client goals and needs.
  6. Apply theories of motivation and behavior change to develop and implement basic strategies for improving exercise adoption and adherence.
  7. Adapt instructional techniques to ensure client safety and goal attainment.
  8. Apply industry standards of care to mitigate risk and ensure the safety of clients.
  9. Communicate through a variety of written and spoken modalities within diverse contexts.
  10. Demonstrate industry-accepted professional, ethical, and business standards.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors

$35,881

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
EMT101 or
WED106		 Basic Life Support/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Health Care Providers or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) OR Current CPR/AED 0–0.5
EXS101 Introduction to Exercise Science Critical course Gateway course 3
EXS125 Introduction to Exercise Physiology 3
EXS146 Introduction to Exercise Testing 1
EXS215 Resistance Training and Recovery Techniques 3
EXS217 Cardiorespiratory and Flexibility Training 3
PED101RT or
PED101ST		 Resistance Training for Improved Sports Performance or Strength Training 1
RE Restricted Electives 1
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
EXS246 Advanced Exercise Testing 2
EXS255 Program Design: Muscular Fitness and Performance 3
EXS257 Program Design: Cardiorespiratory Fitness 3
FON100 or
FON241		 Introductory Nutrition or Principles of Human Nutrition None or SG in combo w/ FON241LL 3
MAT14+ or
MAT15+		 College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions Critical course OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA or MA 3–6
PED101++ PED101 Course selection PED101BC, PED101BS, PED101CY, PED101GF, PED101KB, PED101LD, PED101PC, PED101PS, PED101SR, PED101TC, PED101TX, PED101YG, PED101YH, PED101YO, PED101YP, PED101YR, or PED101ZU 1

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO181++ General Biology (Majors) I OR One (1) year of high school biology SQ 0–4
CRE101++ College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
HES100 Healthful Living Critical course SB 3
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology SB 3
EXS270 or
(EXS270AA and
EXS270AB) or
EXS275 or
(EXS275AA and
EXS275AB) or
(EXS270AA and
EXS275AB) or
(EXS270AB and
EXS275AA)		 Exercise Science Internship or (Exercise Science Internship and Exercise Science Internship) or Sport Science Internship or (Sport Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) or (Exercise Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) or (Exercise Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO160 or
BIO201++		 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I SQ or SG 4
EXS290 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice L 3
HES210 Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness C, G 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3

Restricted Electives

Complete one (1) credit from one of the following course options not already selected in the Required Courses area. Choose a course that best aligns with your academic and professional goals. Consult with an academic, faculty, or program advisor as needed.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EXS+++++ Any EXS Exercise Science course 1
FON+++++ Any FON Food and Nutrition course 1
HES+++++ Any HES Health Science course 1
PED+++++ Any PED Physical Education course 1
IFS110 Critical Research for College Success 1

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
EXS101 Introduction to Exercise Science Critical course Gateway course 3
PED101RT or
PED101ST		 Resistance Training for Improved Sports Performance or Strength Training 1
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
EXS125 Introduction to Exercise Physiology 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EMT101 or
WED106		 Basic Life Support/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Health Care Providers or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) OR Current CPR/AED 0–0.5
EXS146 Introduction to Exercise Testing 1
FON100 or
FON241		 Introductory Nutrition or Principles of Human Nutrition None or SG in combo w/ FON241LL 3
MAT14+ or
MAT15+		 College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions Critical course OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA or MA 3–6

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EXS215 Resistance Training and Recovery Techniques 3
EXS217 Cardiorespiratory and Flexibility Training 3
RE Restricted Electives 1

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101++ College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
EXS246 Advanced Exercise Testing 2
EXS255 Program Design: Muscular Fitness and Performance 3
PED101++ PED101 Course selection PED101BC, PED101BS, PED101CY, PED101GF, PED101KB, PED101LD, PED101PC, PED101PS, PED101SR, PED101TC, PED101TX, PED101YG, PED101YH, PED101YO, PED101YP, PED101YR, or PED101ZU 1

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EXS257 Program Design: Cardiorespiratory Fitness 3
EXS270 or
(EXS270AA and
EXS270AB) or
EXS275 or
(EXS275AA and
EXS275AB) or
(EXS270AA and
EXS275AB) or
(EXS270AB and
EXS275AA)		 Exercise Science Internship or (Exercise Science Internship and Exercise Science Internship) or Sport Science Internship or (Sport Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) or (Exercise Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) or (Exercise Science Internship and Sport Science Internship) 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
HES100 Healthful Living Critical course SB 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EXS290 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice L 3
HES210 Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness C, G 3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO181++ General Biology (Majors) I OR One (1) year of high school biology SQ 0–4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology SB 3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO160 or
BIO201++		 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or Human Anatomy and Physiology I SQ or SG 4

Restricted Electives

Complete one (1) credit from one of the following course options not already selected in the Required Courses area. Choose a course that best aligns with your academic and professional goals. Consult with an academic, faculty, or program advisor as needed.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EXS+++++ Any EXS Exercise Science course 1
FON+++++ Any FON Food and Nutrition course 1
HES+++++ Any HES Health Science course 1
PED+++++ Any PED Physical Education course 1
IFS110 Critical Research for College Success 1
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=178664).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.