Concentration Areas

The study of Exercise Science has specific applications to our knowledge about the need for movement and how the body responds and adapts to physical activity in many professional fields such as Fitness, Physical Therapy, Health Promotion, Personal Training, Recreation, Coaching, Physical Education, and Kinesiology.

Our “core” curriculum consists primarily of study in each of these applied sciences - Physiology, Motor Learning, Assessment, Physics, Research and Statistics, Sports Psychology, and Behavior Facilitation.

Students completing the General Exercise Science Concentration will be prepared for Exercise and Fitness related professional positions. This option is also an excellent selection for students preparing for advance study in fields such as Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Allied Health, or Physical Therapy.

Students will be eligible to sit for a variety of nationally recognized certification exams, including those offered by the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

We believe that Physical Education Teaching is an educational process that uses physical activity as a means to help people acquire skills, fitness, knowledge, and attitudes that contribute to their optimal development and well-being. Further Physical Education contributes to the development of the whole person and is an on-going process that occurs throughout our lifespan. This profession requires specialized training in an intellectual field of study that is dedicated to the betterment of society through service to others.

Students completing the Physical Education Teacher Preparation K-12 will emphasize a lot of hands on course work, many practicum opportunities, and the ability to pass the Colorado Praxis exam - Passing this test will make the student eligible to receive a Teacher Licensure in the State of Colorado.

This course of study prepares students to teach K-12 Physical Education. We offer special opportunities to become involved with recreation, intramural sports and intercollegiate and interscholastic athletics. We also provide a variety of opportunities to work with elementary and secondary school students.

The Recreation Concentration offers two concentration areas to choose from:

• Outdoor Leadership & Wilderness Education
• Recreation Management

Completion of the Recreation concentration prepares graduates to work in positions of leadership in a variety of recreational service agencies. Prospective employers include parks and recreation departments at the city, county, district, and state levels as well as voluntary youth agencies such as the YWCA/YMCA, boys’ and girls’ clubs and scouting.

Other areas of employment include recreation programs in the military, hospital, commercial, and worksite settings as well as hospital and therapeutic settings. Students completing the Recreation Management concentration are eligible to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP). Students who participate in the Outdoor Leadership and Wilderness Education concentration have the opportunity to be certified through the Wilderness Education Association as an outdoor leader.

This process requires the student to take specific outdoor adventure education courses at CSU Pueblo, go on at least five extended trips, be a Wilderness First Responder, and lead at least two trips as a student leader.

Strength & Conditioning

The goal of our Strength & Conditioning program is for our students to learn to develop programs that improve movement efficiency by targeting functional strength, speed, power, plyometrics, flexibility, and agility, which are tailored to specific phases of the year such as in-season and off-season conditioning programs. 

Certified Strength and Conditioning coaches are professionals who practically apply foundational knowledge to assess, motivate, educate, and train athletes for the primary goal of improving sport performance. Strength and Conditioning has a strong scientific base and experiential learning component for students interested in the field of health, fitness and sport science. Our Strength & Conditioning Education program is nationally recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Students completing the Strength and Conditioning coursework will be prepared for exercise and fitness related professional positions. This option is an excellent selection for students that want to choose a career working as a strength and conditioning coach. They may work with athletes from high school to college to professional in a variety of sports. They may also work with law enforcement and other first responders to improve performance, promote wellness, and decrease injury risk.

Students will be eligible to sit for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).