Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Exercise Science provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Sport Science, Healthy Lifestyles Coaching, or Fitness and Wellness. With a bachelor's degree, students may pursue a career as a fitness specialist or director, strength and conditioning specialist, healthy lifestyles coach, or an exercise physiologist. With a graduate degree, students may pursue careers in a number of fields, including but not limited to physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, exercise physiology, medicine, and physician assistant. Certificates of Completion (CCLs) in Personal Trainer and Personal Trainer Advanced as well as an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Exercise Science: Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance are also available.

Details

Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8121
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Examine human movement using a fundamental understanding of human anatomy and physiology and the relevant scientific concepts of biology, the physical sciences, and psychology.
  • Integrate knowledge of the human body and psychological concepts to promote health and well-being in self and others.
  • Locate and critically evaluate relevant scholarly literature.
  • Use relevant scholarly literature, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, and statistical analysis to inform decision making and solve problems.
  • Interpret foundational assessments of health and human movement.
  • Design basic movement programs.
  • Effectively communicate with diverse audiences and within varied contexts.
  • Collaborate with diverse individuals to achieve common goals.
  • Integrate social and ethical responsibility in decision making and actions.
  • Demonstrate dependability, adaptability, and persistence to set and achieve goals.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Athletic Trainers

$55,990

Community Health Workers

$44,250

Exercise Physiologists

$57,000

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors

$47,070

Health Education Specialists

$51,400

Occupational Therapists

$90,520

Physical Therapists

$94,700

Physician Assistants

$121,490

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
EXS101 Introduction to Exercise Science Critical course Gateway course 3
MA Mathematics Critical course Select a pathway to see specific MA requirement MA 3–6
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences HES100 Recommended SB 3
Transfer Options Transfer Option 0–5
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology SB 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
BIO156 or
BIO181		 Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I Critical course OR One year of high school biology SQ or SQ 0–4
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative Critical course Select a pathway to see specific SQ requirement SQ 4–5
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
GBS221 or
MAT206 or
PSY230 or
SWU225		 Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government Students intending to transfer to NAU should choose MAT206 or PSY230.
PSY230 recommended for all students. 		CS or CS or CS or CS 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative Select a pathway to see specific SG/SQ requirement SG or SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–11
EXS290 or
FON225		 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice or Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies L or None 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 3–4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–7

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
EXS101 Introduction to Exercise Science Critical course Gateway course 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
Transfer Options Transfer Option 0–1

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MA Mathematics Critical course Select a pathway to see specific MA requirement MA 3–6
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences HES100 Recommended SB 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology SB 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative Critical course Select a pathway to see specific SQ requirement SQ 4–5
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–5

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO156 or
BIO181		 Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I Critical course OR One year of high school biology SQ or SQ 0–4
GBS221 or
MAT206 or
PSY230 or
SWU225		 Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government Students intending to transfer to NAU should choose MAT206 or PSY230.
PSY230 recommended for all students. 		CS or CS or CS or CS 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–6

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative Select a pathway to see specific SG/SQ requirement SG or SQ 4
EXS290 or
FON225		 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice or Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies L or None 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=190009).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Exercise Science