Program Information
Learn more about the Exercise Science program.
General Help
Ask general questions at our support center.
Field of Interest
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Exercise Science: Health, Fitness and Sports Performance program 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 entry-level positions such as personal training within health and fitness clubs, wellness centers, and public and private recreation facilities. This curriculum also provides good preparation for transfer to a four-year bachelor program.
Details
Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:
- Field of Interest
- Health Sciences
- Type
- Associate Degree
- Academic Plan
- Exercise Science: Health, Fitness and Sports Performance (DEG)
- Academic Plan Code
- 3059
- Total Credits Required
- 63-74.5
- Catalog Year
- 2021-2022
- Program Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better required for all courses within the program.
What You’ll Learn
This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:
- Explain health and human movement using a fundamental understanding of the relevant scientific concepts of physiology, biomechanics and psychology.
- Locate and critically evaluate relevant scholarly literature.
- Conduct and interpret foundational assessments of health and human movement.
- Design, implement and evaluate evidence based physical activity programs that promote health, improve fitness, and enhance quality of life.
- Apply theories of motivation and behavior change to develop and implement strategies for improving exercise adoption and adherence.
- Explain the role of culture in physical activity and health behaviors.
- Integrate social and ethical responsibility in decision making and actions.
- Adapt instructional techniques to ensure client safety and goal attainment.
- Collaborate with diverse individuals to achieve common goals.
- Communicate verbally, non-verbally and in writing in an articulate, respectful, empathetic and culturally competent manner for diverse audiences and contexts.
- Use relevant scholarly literature and quantitative and qualitative reasoning to inform decision making and solve problems.
- Demonstrate dependability, adaptability and persistence to set and achieve goals.
Career Opportunities
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
$34,486 Show expanded career information for Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
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 Pathway Planner 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 AAA/CPD150, AAA/CPD150AC, CPD104, and AAA115/CPD115. 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
Term 2
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS210 | Assessment and Program Design: Muscular Fitness | 2 | |||
| EXS211 | Assessment and Program Design: Flexibility and Balance | 2 | |||
| EXS212 | Assessment and Program Design: Cardiorespiratory Fitness | 2 | |||
| EXS213 | Assessment and Program Design: Weight Management and Motivation | 2 | |||
| EXS215 | Resistance Training and Recovery Techniques | 3 | |||
| EXS217 | Cardiorespiratory and Flexibility Training | 3 | |||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC | 3 |
Term 3
Term 4
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | SG | 4 | ||
| HES210 | Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness | C, G | 3 | ||
| HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 | ||
| Elective | Elective Course | Recommended for students who intend to transfer: (CHM130 and CHM130LL), OR CHM130AA, OR CHM150, OR (CHM151 and CHM151LL) OR, CHM150AA, OR, CHM151AA, OR BIO202 | 4–5 | ||
| EXS290 | Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice | L | 3 |
Part-time Sequence
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
Term 1
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HES100 | Healthful Living | Critical course | SB | 3 | |
| PED101ST | Strength Training | 1 | |||
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course | FYC | 3 | |
| AAA/CPD115 or AAA/CPD150 or AAA/CPD150AC or CPD104 |
Creating College Success or Strategies for College Success or Educational and Career Planning or Career and Personal Development | 0–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS101 | Introduction to Exercise Science | Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||
| MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156 |
College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions or College Algebra/Functions with Review or College Algebra/Functions with Review | Critical course | MA | 3–6 | |
| PED101++ | PED101 Course selection |
PED101BC, PED101BS, PED101CY, PED101GF, PED101KB, PED101PC, PED101PS, PED101SR, PED101TC, PED101TX, PED101YG, PED101YH, PED101YO, PED101YP, PED101YR, or PED101ZU |
1 |
Term 3
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS125 | Introduction to Exercise Physiology | 3 | |||
| EMT101 or HES106 |
Basic Life Support/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Health Care Providers or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) | OR Current Basic Life Support (BLS) Health Care Provider/Professional Rescuer certification | 0–0.5 | ||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FON241 or FON100 |
Principles of Human Nutrition or Introductory Nutrition | SG or | 3 | ||
| CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment | L | 0–3 |
Term 5
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS210 | Assessment and Program Design: Muscular Fitness | 2 | |||
| EXS211 | Assessment and Program Design: Flexibility and Balance | 2 | |||
| EXS212 | Assessment and Program Design: Cardiorespiratory Fitness | 2 | |||
| EXS213 | Assessment and Program Design: Weight Management and Motivation | 2 |
Term 6
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS215 | Resistance Training and Recovery Techniques | 3 | |||
| EXS217 | Cardiorespiratory and Flexibility Training | 3 |
Term 7
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS239 or (EXS239AA and EXS239AB) or EXS275 or (EXS275AA and EXS275AB) or (EXS239AA and EXS275AB) or (EXS239AB and EXS275AA) |
Practical Applications of Personal Training Skills and Techniques Internship or (Practical Applications of Personal Training Skills and Techniques Internship and Practical Applications of Personal Training Skills and Techniques Internship) or Methods Of Enhancing Physical Performance or (Sport Science Internship) or (Practical Applications of Personal Training Skills and Techniques Internship and Sport Science Internship) or (Practical Applications of Personal Training Skills and Techniques Internship and Sport Science Internship) | 3 | |||
| BIO181 | General Biology (Majors) I | BIO181 OR 1 year of high school biology | SQ | 0–4 | |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | SB | 3 |
Term 8
| 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 L | 3 | ||
| BIO201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | SG | 4 |
Term 9
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXS290 | Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice | L | 3 | ||
| HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 |
Term 10
| Course Number |
Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elective | Elective Course | Recommended for students who intend to transfer: (CHM130 and CHM130LL), OR CHM130AA, OR CHM150, OR (CHM151 and CHM151LL) OR, CHM150AA, OR, CHM151AA, OR BIO202 | 4–5 | ||
| HES210 | Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness | C, G | 3 |
Program Notes
Students can achieve the AGEC-A by completing the following:
An additional course with the Humanities, Arts and Design general studies designation 3
An additional course with the Natural Science general studies designation 4
Recommend BIO202 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4
An additional course with the Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Applications general
studies designation 3
Recommend MAT206 Elements of Statistics 3 OR PSY230 Introduction to Statistics 3
Ready to get started?
Follow one of the options below to get started on your personal career pathway.
Become a Student
Click here for MCC’s easy-to-use Enrollment Steps.
Program Information
Learn more about and find contact information for the Exercise Science program.
General Help
Ask general questions over the phone at 480-461-7400 or via online chat.
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.
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 academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Associate in Applied Science in Exercise Science: Health, Fitness and Sports Performance (http://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm3?id=162088).
Other Versions
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. Other versions of this pathway map from different catalog years are available below: