51吃瓜

51吃瓜 (FSC) is proud to flex a brand-new degree opportunity designed for students aspiring to enter a variety of exercise professions and its related fields.

The Exercise Professions Track, offered within the Theresa Santmann School of Health Sciences鈥� Health Promotion and Wellness Program, was carefully sculpted to meet the unique academic needs of students interested in pursuing several growing career paths, especially in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and athletic training.

鈥淲e examined the prerequisites needed to ensure students were well-prepared for professional advancements in these in-demand health fields as well as the related graduate programs,鈥� said Jack Thomas, PhD, chair of FSC's Nutrition Science and Health Promotion Wellness Department. "Led by experienced professors who hold advanced degrees in health, physical therapy, and exercise sciences, we are excited to now offer this excellent, streamlined option to our health promotion and wellness students,鈥� Thomas added of the new track, which welcomed its first cohort of 25 students this fall.

鈥淎s a health promotion and wellness major who wants to go into physical therapy鈥� the most rewarding thing about this program is not having to take extra courses that may not be as beneficial to my future career,鈥� said Laurenda Petit-Frere, 鈥�28. 鈥淚鈥檓 on a more direct path and I鈥檓 excited to see what I can do to contribute to the workforce as a professional and leader in exercise science.鈥�

The program also offers a valuable, well-rounded approach that prepares students to work with a diverse population, shares Assistant Professor Derek Hanson, DPT. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just exercise, and I think that's another strength of this degree track,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople face a variety of challenges in their wellness journeys, and what I think our program does better than just a standard exercise science program is expose you to some other domains that affect health. For example, we discuss addiction, health ethics, and mental health. So, it looks at health and wellness very holistically.鈥�

In addition, the new track allows students flexibility for pre-professional experiences through potential internship opportunities in physical therapy, occupational therapy, exercise facilities, or athletic training. This includes in the areas of injury prevention, clinical evaluation and diagnosis, rehabilitation, and reconditioning of illnesses and injuries in a physically active population.

鈥淭his modified track can lead to a variety of rewarding careers,鈥� said Thomas.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupational outlook for physical therapists is growing 鈥渕uch faster than average,鈥� with an 11% increase projected in employment from 2024 to 2034. Occupational therapists and athletic trainers hold similar projections--14% and 11% increases respectively. The average growth rate for all occupations is 3%.

For Diego Acevedo, 鈥�27, a health promotion and wellness major, pursuing the Exercise Professions Track 鈥渋s a great way to build a strong foundation for my future in the health field,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his program offers a lot of great opportunities and really helps you find what you're passionate about. The most enjoyable part has been meeting people who share similar goals and interests as me and I really like that the content in this program connects directly to my future career in physical therapy,鈥� he added. 鈥淓verything we learn feels both meaningful and relevant, and I genuinely love what we鈥檙e studying. I鈥檝e always been passionate about helping people feel stronger and live healthier lives and I鈥檓 eager to apply what I鈥檝e learned and excited to start my career.鈥�

For more information please visit the Health Promotion and Wellness Program webpage. 

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