Student ID:__________________________ Student Name:_______________________ Counselor Name:_______________________ Catalog: 2025-2026 San Joaquin Delta College Catalog Program: Fitness Specialist Certificate of Achievement

Fitness Specialist Certificate of Achievement

Upon successful completion of the Fitness Specialist certificate, the student demonstrates skills, knowledge, and training for entry level or higher positions in the fitness industry. The student will be prepared to take the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Certified Personal Trainer Certification exam. The student demonstrates skills, knowledge, and training for employment as a strength and conditioning coach, exercise specialist for a clinical setting, wellness instructor, and personal fitness trainers; to conduct fitness evaluations for individually designed programs that include nutrition, exercise routines, and motivation approaches; and to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program in physical education, exercise science, or kinesiology.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate skills, knowledge, and training for employment as strength and conditioning coaches, exercise specialists for clinical and work settings, wellness coaches, and personal fitness trainers.
  2. Conduct fitness evaluations for individually designed programs that include nutrition, exercise routines, exercise adherence and motivational approaches.
  3. Demonstrate principles of training and conditioning, techniques for measurement of human performance and physical fitness, exercise psychology, professionalism in a health and fitness setting, and methods for establishing healthy nutritional patterns.
  4. Demonstrate skills to motivate, increase adherence, set effective goals, and steps of behavior change.
  5. Demonstrate basic physiology and kinesiology and the physical adaptations of exercise.

Core Requirements

Complete 7 units

Course NameUnits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
PETHEORY 40 Introduction to Kinesiology Units: 3
PETHEORY 42V Theory and Application of Weight Training Units: 3
PETHEORY 69V Internship: PE Theory Units: 1-4

Area A - Activity Requirement

Complete 2 units from at least two different PEACTIV courses selected from:

Course NameUnits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
PEACTIV 10A Beginning Fitness Walking Units: 1
PEACTIV 11A Yoga I Units: 1.5
PEACTIV 12A Individual Conditioning I Units: 1.5
PEACTIV 14A Weight Training I Units: 1.5

Area B - Specialization Requirement

Complete 9 units selected from:

Course NameUnits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
H ED 1 Health Education Units: 3
H ED 31 Emergency Responder Units: 3
PETHEORY 48 Physiology of Fitness and Sport Performance Units: 3
PETHEORY 49 Psychology of Fitness and Sport Performance Units: 3
PETHEORY 50SS Special Studies: Physical Education Units: 1-4
PETHEORY 51 Fitness Assessment Units: 3
PETHEORY 52 Nutrition for Fitness and Sport Performance Units: 3

Minimum Units Required: 18

Complete all courses with a grade of “C” or better.

For more information:

Contact the Health and Fitness Transfer and Career Pathway (TrAC) 

Notes: