In universities across the country, kinesiology programs continue to expand and evolve as they address some of society’s greatest concerns, with larger departments often enrolling well over 2,000 majors. Kinesiology, the academic discipline that studies physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life, has emerged in recent years as the undergraduate degree of choice for many students seeking careers in a variety of allied health/medical fields, as well as in more traditional areas such as fitness, health promotion, physical education, recreation, and sport (American Kinesiology Association).

The exercise science concentration may be one of the fastest-growing emphases in Kinesiology major in the California State University System. The exercise science concentration or program option is distinct because it prepares students to enter clinical professional programs in areas such as clinical exercise physiology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, or for students to go on to become biomechanists and exercise physiologists.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is one of the two major organizations within the exercise science field. For more than 35 years, the NSCA has been the leader in building stronger professionals within the strength and conditioning industry.

Many exercise science concentration undergraduate students and Department of Kinesiology graduate students plan to take the certification for the strength and conditioning from the NSCA or/and become strength and conditioning trainers for universities.

The exercise science/health promotion concentration in the Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Kinesiology has met the criteria recommended as an approved NSCA Education Recognition Program (ERP) as one of the few educationally recognized programs in the country. The exercise science/health promotion concentration applied for the NSCA recognition, which consisted of curriculum, course and syllabus reviews.

Department of Kinesiology teaches all of the content areas and covers all the material necessary for all of the NSCA’s certifications.  Some of the courses that department provides are exercise physiology, structural kinesiology, psychology of sport and exercise, evaluation techniques, motor development/learning, strength and conditioning, fitness testing and exercise prescription.  Upon graduation, our students should be able to take and pass any of the NSCA certifications and be recognized worldwide with that certification.

The recognition from the NSCA is able to help Department of Kinesiology prepare students to enter that industry in fitness and strength conditioning and also has benefits for students, such as access to certifications and discounts. The recognition is valid for a three-year period expiring March 31, 2020.