Fitness and Health Promotion

Program Overview

The Fitness and Health Promotion program will prepare you for a meaningful career that goes beyond the walls of a gym, with a focus on supporting a diverse range of populations, including clients of all ages, abilities and body shapes. Fitness and health promotion professionals are invested in providing clients with a full-range of services – from research and design to implementation and execution of programs, facilities and activities. Offering a program of study that both balances and connects theory with practice, graduates enter the workforce with a broad skill set that includes influencing human behaviour for positive change as well as a base in entrepreneurship for those interested in running their own business.

You will participate in hands-on learning experiences in state-of-the-art lab facilities practising the skills that you will apply during your work-integrated-learning opportunities. Courses focus on health promotion, behaviour change, business practices, and exercise science including exercise physiology, functional anatomy, injury management, and exercise prescription. The Fitness and Health Promotion program will prepare you for an exciting and engaging career in a dynamic field that will positively influence the lives of your clients.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)

Note: this program has additional recommended requirements. Please visit the Admission Requirements tab for further information.

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Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CAD)
Year one international: $13,322 (CAD)

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Semester 1 Courses

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Exercise Science

Behaviour Change

Field Placement

Technology recommendations

To help students succeed in programs with remote learning requirements, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified minimum technology recommendations. While these are not program requirements, these suggestions will help ensure students have the right tools to support a quality remote learning experience.

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Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
May 2021	Open	Open
September 2021	Open	Open
January 2022	Open
May 2022	Open

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Wellness coach
Fitness facility supervisor
Fitness and wellness writer
Strength and conditioning coach
Physical fitness coordinator
Fitness class manager
Health and wellness programmer
Active aging coordinator
Personal trainer
Youth activity programmer

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Program Details

This program is based on theory and practical experiences that will make your textbooks come alive.

Classroom lectures and learning activities prepare you for hands-on labs. Independent and collaborative projects prepare you to work with a variety of health-care professionals and wellness practitioners. To enable you to be successful when writing your certification exams, you will develop core competencies in:

Functional anatomy
Exercise physiology
Exercise prescription
Entrepreneurial marketing
Behaviour change
Nutrition

Program Learning Outcomes

Conduct assessments of fitness, well-being, and lifestyle for clients and effectively communicate assessment results.
Prescribe appropriate physical activity, fitness, active living, and lifestyle programs to enhance health, fitness, and well-being of clients.
Utilize appropriate interviewing and counselling skills to promote or enhance health, fitness, active living, and well-being of clients.
Collaborate with individuals in the selection and adoption of strategies that will enable them to take control of and improve their health, fitness and well-being.
Develop, implement, and evaluate activities, programs, and events which respond to identified needs and interests of clients and maximize the benefits of health, fitness, and well-being.
Train individuals and instruct groups in exercise and physical activities.
Contribute to community health promotion strategies.
Assist in the development of business plans for health and fitness programs, activities, and facilities.
Implement strategies and plans for ongoing personal and professional growth and development.
Develop and implement risk management strategies for health and fitness programs, activities, and facilities.
Interact effectively with clients, staff, allied health professionals, and volunteers in health and fitness programs, activities, and facilities.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)

January and May Starts

This program is offered in a consecutive format (16 months) for both January and May starts. This means that if you begin classes in January, you will complete semester 2 in May, semester 3 in September and semester 4 in January; if you begin class in May, you will complete semester 2 in September, semester 3 in January and semester 4 in May.

Courses

The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyCampus.

Semester 4

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change. Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the 2020-21 program of study may be modified to accommodate program delivery changes. Students should refer to their timetable for the most up-to-date course information.

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Wellness coach
Fitness facility supervisor
Fitness and wellness writer
Strength and conditioning coach
Physical fitness coordinator
Fitness class manager
Health and wellness programmer
Active aging coordinator
Personal trainer
Youth activity programmer

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Corporate wellness centres
Hospitals and clinics
Entrepreneurial opportunities
Municipal and community recreation services
Senior centres, long-term care facilities
Specialized training studios
Spas, resorts, cruise ships
Sporting organizations

Field Placement

Your learning experience is complemented by two field placements working alongside successful fitness professionals to enrich your knowledge, practice your skills, and strengthen your abilities. The second placement will extend into May.

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:

Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ESPC verification partner.
Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:

A clear and current Criminal Reference Check (CRC) with Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS). If you cannot provide a clear CRC with VSS, you may not be accepted for placement by a field placement agency. CRCs with VSS must be obtained from your local police station. You may be required to obtain additional CRCs with VSS to meet field placement agency requirements
Current Level C CPR from a recognized provider
Current standard first aid certification from a recognized provider
Entry immunization form completed by a health-care provider

Links:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Qualified Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Technology Recommendations

To help students have the best remote learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for each program based on course needs and software requirements. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.

Processor: i3
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version)
Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Camera: Webcam/built-in camera
Internet connection

Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk or the school office.

Fitness and Health Promotion

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Technology recommendations

Intakes and Availability

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

Program Learning Outcomes

Admission Requirements

Recommended

January and May Starts

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Field Placement

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Technology Recommendations

Helpful Resources

Durham College Viewbook

2021-22 Program Guide

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]