By Daily Press staff
Responding to the boom in employment of personal trainers, Santa Monica College has announced the launch of the new Online Professional Certificate in Personal Fitness Training, with classes starting on May 29.
The interactive, comprehensive web-based certificate program with an optional field internship elective course — offered through SMC’s Continuing and Community Education Program — will allow students from around the world to fit courses into their work and home schedules.
The course is designed to train students in careers at medically-based fitness facilities, community wellness programs, personal training studios, physical therapy clinics, corporate fitness centers, and private and commercial health clubs.
“More people are turning to personal fitness trainers to design exercise programs and serve as guides to combat obesity and obtain health lifestyles,” said Ken Baldwin, coordi-nator of the online personal fitness training program. "Students will learn how to apply their client's health history, goals and abilities integrating exercise science curriculum and training techniques into a systematic model that teaches students to progress their clients through different training levels and phases."
The certificate program will include courses in anatomy and kinesiology, exercise physiology, fitness assessment techniques, designing exercise prescriptions, business administration for personal trainers, and the optional internship course.
For a basic certificate, five core courses are required; an additional three courses are needed for the advanced certificate. The cost for each certificate program is $199.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, overall employment for personal trainers is expected to increase 44 percent from 2002 to 2012.
The program is offered in partnership with the American Council on Exercise. Students graduating from the program will be eligible to receive a preferred discount on the ACE Personal Training Certification Exam and study materials. Current ACE-certified professionals who complete courses in the SMC program will be eligible for ACE continuing education credits toward recertification.
For information, contact SMC’s Office of Continuing and Community Education at 310-434-3400 or visit www.efs.pageout.net. Elks welcome community for Memorial Day
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 23, 2006. Read the original PDF.