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The Health Fitness Management program is a major designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to flourish in both the physical fitness and business aspects of the health fitness management industry. Graduates pursue a variety of career choices, including personal training, strength and conditioning, corporate wellness, clinical exercise, facility management, and sports operations.
School/Division
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Campus Locations
Main Campus - Alfred, NY
Major
Health Fitness Management (BS)
Minor
none offered
The mission of the Health Fitness Management major at Alfred University is to provide you with the knowledge, standards, behavior models, code of ethics, and skills needed as a fitness and wellness professional. Combining health and sciences studies with a basic business background, you'll be prepared for careers in a variety of health or fitness settings.
The coursework and field experiences are designed so that graduates of the Health Fitness Management program will have fulfilled educational requirements for certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
As the healthcare, sport operations and performance, fitness, and physical wellness industries continue to expand, the demand for these specialized professionals has never been higher. Students who wish to seek graduate studies in kinesiology, biomechanics, exercise science/physiology, sports management, healthcare administration, and even physician’s assistant and physical therapy can tailor their education at Alfred University to meet the necessary pre-requisite courses, while providing them a means for post-graduate careers.
Courses for the Health Fitness Management major are listed in out digital Undergraduate Catalog.
In addition to completing the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences general education requirements as well as the College's First Year Experience Program or Transfer Student Program, students must also complete the coursework requirements for the BS in Health Fitness Management, the Alfred University requirements for Physical Education and Global Perspective Requirements, and enough electives to reach at least 120 credit hours.
A program run through our Exercise Prescription class for senior-level students, Saxon Fit provides an experiential learning opportunity, fusing classroom concepts with hands-on, independent application. Senior-level students work with Alfred University faculty and staff members to achieve individual physical fitness and wellness goals through individualized personal training.
Students meet with their clients to obtain baseline information before developing a vetted program that runs for several weeks before conducting post testing to determine effectiveness and improvement. This program has already generated immense interest and students leave with a sense of accomplishment and understanding of how to apply classroom information.
As a community service and health/wellness promotional ideal, students in Health Promotion Program Design create weekly "Health and Wellness Tips" which are shared with the campus community via the University's internal daily electronic newsletter, Alfred today.
The task allows students to provide sound information about all things health and wellness. The students also learn how to reach broad populations while making information visually desirable and easy to access.
Each Fall semester, students enrolled in the Health Fitness Management Field Experience course (HFMT 305) are tasked with earning observation hours with industry professionals and assisting in aspects pertaining to the daily operation of the profession.
The 2020 cohort paired with the Hornell YMCA again in the Fall of 2018. They put together a proper warm-up and stretching routine with a skills competition for ages that included a teaching module, a reinforcement and skills practice and, finally, a competition in that skill. A variety of skills, such as passing (football), shooting (soccer and basketball), hand-eye coordination, along with stretching and recovery were put to the test in a "free-range" atmosphere.
The community activity was paired with the existing program "Parents Night Out" to increase attendance and sports exposure. Overall, it was a great event and kept the students active and engaged while allowing for free play after the initial program. Our students were able to gain valuable experience in community pairing and small/large group child/adolescent coaching.
The 2019 cohort worked with the Hornell YMCA on program development in hopes of engaging current patrons and enticing current non-members to consider the importance of physical activity in their daily lives.
Their program, Age Avengers, brought together multiple generations from caregivers to children, to promote the joy and importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Through initial development to meetings with YMCA staff, the students created and conducted the program on November 10th, with the hope that the Hornell YMCA will continue this program on a monthly basis.
The Health Fitness Management program at Alfred University is recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Education Recognition Program (ERP), underscoring that the HFM program meets academic standards in line with NSCA certifications.
Students graduating as health and fitness managers may pursue careers in corporate wellness, public and private fitness and wellness, or special population fitness and wellness. Students will also be prepared for a variety of health-related graduate studies, ranging from Physical Therapy to Exercise Science.
Students interested in pursuing a career in health and fitness management should consider double majoring or minoring in one of the following related fields:
