Fitness Technology - Program Overview
Our curriculum provides the basic skills needed for you to develop into a nationally recognized personal trainer. After three terms of courses, you may take the test with the American College for Sports Medicine (ACSM) and achieve national certification. Graduates of the fitness technology program are eligible to take the following (along with other similar certifications):
- The National Personal Trainer certifying examination given by the American Council on Exercise
- Exercise Leader Fitness Instructor certifying examination given by the American College of Sports Medicine
- The Certified Personal Trainer examination offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Our program is designed to prepare you for an entry-level position as a fitness technologist or specialist, with the option to develop additional skills as a personal trainer or aerobics instructor. Our program offers relevant internships, up-to-date curriculum and in-depth advising. We partner with up to 20 local sites for student internships, which means you’ll be highly trained and highly qualified.
Along with a fully equipped Fitness Technology Lab, where you have access to the latest fitness testing equipment, you’ll attend courses such as Fitness Seminar and the Structure and Function of the Human Body. These are fundamental courses that allow you to broaden your knowledge of anatomy and physiology as they relate to general health.
Our PCC Fitness Technology advisory committee, a group of our own faculty, former students and fitness industry experts, assures our program receives constant skills feedback from the industry. Committee members challenge our program by making fitness relevant, keeping current with base pay expectations, and advising us on the curriculum. Many of our graduates go on to create their own fitness centers or manage large facilities like the YMCA or health fitness clubs. Other graduates pursue bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees.
Program Progression
While you may begin the fitness technology program during the fall or spring term, many of the core courses include prerequisites or co-requisites and follow a sequential order. When you achieve third term status, you may enroll, with instructor permission, in the fitness technology practicum. As a practicum student, you must have current first aid and CPR certifications. These certifications must also be current at completion of the program.
Costs
For the costs of tuition and fees, see the college cost calculator. Not included in the calculator is the cost of books. Add about $700 for books if you are in the certificate program and approximately $1100 for books if you are in the degree program.
PCC has a variety of financial aid options and scholarship opportunities available for students.