Contact information
Chris Repka, Program Director
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- chris.repka@nau.edu
- 928-523-3415
About
Students who pursue this degree graduate ready to work with a diverse range of clients to achieve their health and fitness goals, incorporating skills in stress management, behavior change, fitness assessment, and exercise program design. One of the unique things about our particular program is the incorporation of health coaching, stress management, and behavior change skills in addition to courses in health risk appraisal, fitness assessment, applied movement analysis, and exercise program design.
Is a certification exam required in order to complete the program?
NAU's Fitness Wellness program requires students to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist (EP) exam. This is a nationally accredited certification exam for students who have completed a four-year degree in the applied or clinical exercise sciences through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCAA). It is also the program-approved certification. Students are required to sit for this exam to complete the program. Students are not required to pass this exam in order to graduate, although they are certainly prepared and encouraged to do so.
What other certification exams does this degree prepare me to take?
Although students in the Fitness Wellness program are required to take the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist – exam, other nationally accredited certifications that Fitness Wellness students can take include:
Am I required to do an internship to complete this program? If so, what are my options?
Yes, all students must complete a 9-credit internship during the last semester of the program. The great majority of our existing internship sites are with local fitness facilities, but there are also sites providing wellness and health promotion services. Additionally, we have placed numerous students in the Phoenix metropolitan area and in sites nationwide. New sites are added every semester, both locally and remotely. The purpose of the internship experience is to reinforce the learning outcome concepts, experiences, and skills from the Fitness Wellness academic coursework. One of your Fitness Wellness faculty members will support you in identifying and securing an internship placement.
What can I do with this degree? Accordion Closed
Students who graduate from our program are prepared to work in:
- Fitness and health club facilities
- Collegiate and professional sports performance
- Health/medical facilities
- Spa/resort fitness
- Worksite wellness departments
- Corporate fitness
- Independent contracting
- Personal training businesses
Meet a Fitness Wellness student Accordion Closed
Meet Macyn Helmsing, an NAU fitness wellness student. She says, "Exercise has helped me so much, and I’m really passionate about it. Choosing this major just made sense because I want to share the life-changing benefits, both physical and mental, of staying active." Learn more about Macyn in this blog.
FAQs Accordion Closed
Is a certification exam required in order to complete the program?
NAU's Fitness Wellness program requires students to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist (EP) exam. This is a nationally accredited certification exam for students who have completed a four-year degree in the applied or clinical exercise sciences through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCAA). It is also the program-approved certification. Students are required to sit for this exam to complete the program. Students are not required to pass this exam in order to graduate, although they are certainly prepared and encouraged to do so.
What other certification exams does this degree prepare me to take?
Although students in the Fitness Wellness program are required to take the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist – exam, other nationally accredited certifications that Fitness Wellness students can take include:
- American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer or Health Coach Certification
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer or Health Fitness Specialist
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Personal Trainer or Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer
Am I required to do an internship to complete this program? If so, what are my options?
Yes, all students must complete a 9-credit internship during the last semester of the program. The great majority of our existing internship sites are with local fitness facilities, but there are also sites providing wellness and health promotion services. Additionally, we have placed numerous students in the Phoenix metropolitan area and in sites nationwide. New sites are added every semester, both locally and remotely. The purpose of the internship experience is to reinforce the learning outcome concepts, experiences, and skills from the Fitness Wellness academic coursework. One of your Fitness Wellness faculty members will support you in identifying and securing an internship placement.
Program accreditation Accordion Closed
The NAU Fitness Wellness program is proudly accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES) to ensure students are adequately prepared to become exercise professionals. This credential demonstrates to employers that graduates of the NAU Fitness Wellness program have successfully completed a nationally recognized rigorous curriculum.
Accreditation by the CoAES requires NAU Fitness Wellness faculty to gather data on key program outcomes to ensure that students are well-prepared to enter the competitive job market. In the most recent academic year, 2024-2025, of the 79 students who took the American College of Sports Medicine Exam, 44 passed. This is a 55.7% pass rate, with the average score of 564 (550 is a passing score). Over the past 5 years, 331 students sat for this exam, with 210 passing (a 63.4% pass rate)
Accreditation by the CoAES requires NAU Fitness Wellness faculty to gather data on key program outcomes to ensure that students are well-prepared to enter the competitive job market. In the most recent academic year, 2024-2025, of the 79 students who took the American College of Sports Medicine Exam, 44 passed. This is a 55.7% pass rate, with the average score of 564 (550 is a passing score). Over the past 5 years, 331 students sat for this exam, with 210 passing (a 63.4% pass rate)