In Short
The Strength Training and Conditioning concentration provides students with the knowledge and skills to become strength training and conditioning coaches focusing on athlete health, injury prevention, and the improvement of human performance.
- You'll gain the knowledge necessary to pass nationally recognized strength and conditioning certification exams
- You'll learn the skills and abilities to be successful working with recreational to professional athletes in a commercial setting or with collegiate or professional teams
- You will be prepared to complete a graduate program in the field should you choose to do so.
Program Overview
We challenge our students academically to ensure that they are well prepared to succeed in their future career paths. Students that persist in the major graduate with the skills and experience to shine professionally and/or in graduate programs. Since 2017, retention rates for first-time, full-time, first year students in the strength and conditioning concentration who persisted to the following academic year has been 60% overall and 50% in the major.
Watch the video below to learn about Taylor Crout's experience as an exercise science major in the strength training and conditioning concentration.
The high quality and knowledge of the professors, along with the small class sizes, and the family-like atmosphere of the department were highlights of the Exercise and Sports Science program. The doors that have opened and the opportunities I've been afforded both personally and professionally directly circle back to my time at Fitchburg State.
Experiential Opportunities
Internships
Study Abroad
Curriculum and Other Information
- BS, Strength Training and Conditioning Concentration, Exercise Science - Program information from the University Catalog.
- Four-Year Plans of Study - Required and elective courses for program completion.
The Exercise and Sports Science Department’s mission is to prepare graduates for professional careers and advanced graduate studies in fields such as: physical therapy, occupational therapy, strength and conditioning, cardiac rehabilitation, fitness management, and wellness. This is accomplished through a combination of interactive classroom and unique hands-on laboratory experiences and internships. We support all University students working towards an accessible liberal arts education by providing the foundations for personal wellness.
Vision
The Exercise and Sports Science Department will be nationally recognized for its excellence in teaching and learning in the areas of clinical exercise physiology, fitness management, and strength and conditioning. We will be known for our commitment to transforming lives through education, experiential learning, and dedication to public service.
Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the Exercise and Sports Science program, students will:
- Design exercise programs for health, fitness, and athletic performance: Students will display knowledge of program design by including all relevant components of fitness, correctly identifying any/all risk factors for their client, and appropriately modifying the training load and cycles.
- Effectively perform health-related and performance-related exercise testing: Students will display knowledge of exercises tests by safely setting up and executing tests without errors, collecting appropriate physiological data at given time points, and performing calculations in order to interpret the data correctly.
- Demonstrate effective verbal communication: Students will demonstrate effective professional presentation skills and communicate clearly and appropriately with clients and patients in mock and actual professional settings.
- Demonstrate effective written communication: Students will organize written work in such a way that it integrates discipline -specific terminology; identifies and evaluates scholarly sources; properly uses citations; and communicates, organizes, and synthesizes information from sources with clarity and depth.
- Demonstrate quantitative reasoning: Students will represent information in mathematical form, explain information presented in mathematical form, and make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on the quantitative analysis of data.
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Trainer
- Strength and Conditioning Coach