Justis Dowdy
“I’m ready to start looking for jobs,” said Dowdy, a senior sports management major and member of the men’s basketball team. “I feel prepared and I owe a lot of that to Coach Neal. He’s helped make me a better man.”
Health, fitness & sport science
Devoted to a healthier world.
At Bluffton you will discover a wide range of learning experiences in the education, recreation, wellness and sport management areas.
In preparation for life after Bluffton, you will be encouraged to obtain professional experience through internships, student teaching, coaching and to earn CPR and first aid certification.
There will be ample opportunity for you to participate in intercollegiate and intramural sports as well as other clubs and activities.
Majors |
Minors |
Exercise science major/minor
The exercise science major is a foundation for a number of different opportunities
in fitness and health-related fields including pre-athletic training, pre-chiropractic
training and cardiac rehabilitation. Entry-level exercise science positions can be
found in commercial, agency, corporate, hospital, clinical and recreational settings,
including health clubs and community centers, specialized training centers such as
Para-Olympics and professional sports teams, personal consulting and educational institutions. >>>occupational outlook
All majors are required to perform an internship which provides additional experiences in the field.
EXPLORE COURSES REQUIRED FOR
a major in exercise science
a minor in exercise science
Complete the exercise major in four years by following this guideline for course selection.
Sport management major
Due to the increasing interest and participation in sport and physical fitness, there is a need for qualified leadership in the area of sport management. Graduates will find careers in athletic administration, corporate fitness, sporting goods retail, sports information, YMCA/YWCA and other similar opportunities.
An integral part of the major an internship in a job setting. The sport management major incorporates courses in communication and business to offer concentrations in sport communication and sport organization.
As a summer intern for the parks and recreation department in Green, Ohio, Bethany Behnfeldt helped with adult sports programs and assisted in setting up and tearing down for events. After finishing her academic coursework, she was immediately hired by Green and later promoted to full-time recreation coordinator.
“All the hard work I was doing in the classroom with support from professors just
really paid off when it came to the internship.”
>>> Bethany's story
EXPLORE THE COURSES REQUIRED FOR A
- Major in sport management
Complete the sport management major in four years by following this guideline for course selection.
Sport and recreation leadership major
The sport and recreation leadership program is designed to empower students to succeed and become a leader in the sport or recreation industries. This broad-based curriculum will give you greater flexibility in both areas for future employment opportunities.
As a student you will find yourself directly involved in planning special events, programming activities for youth and adults, creating business and marketing plans and much more. An upper-level internship is required.
Graduates find career opportunities in settings such as resorts, convention and visitor centers, private recreation clubs, non-profit community organizations, municipal parks and recreation departments, sports facilities, outdoor/adventure centers, cruise ships and professional meeting and event planning. >>>occupational outlook
EXPLORE THE COURSES REQUIRED FOR A
Complete the sport and recreation leadership major in four years by following this guideline for course selection.
Strength and conditioning major
The strength and conditioning major has a strong scientific base and experiential learning component for students interested in the field of health, fitness and sport science.
This program is designed for students interested in professional careers as a strength and conditioning specialist or coach who trains athletes for improvement of athletic performance, or a group exercise instructor, personal trainer or health-fitness specialist who works with individuals to improve health and fitness, or a health club manager. The major requires an upper-level internship experience. >>>occupational outlook
This strength and conditioning major hopes that his hard work motivates others to begin leading healthier lifestyles. Even if that involves little steps in eating healthier meals or taking 20 minutes to do some yoga.
"I don’t feel I have to make people look muscular. I just want to have people feeling in shape, feeling good and feeling vibrant.” >>> Ollie's story
EXPLORE THE COURSES REQUIRED FOR A
- Major in strength & conditioning
Complete the strength and conditioning major in four years by following this guideline for course selection.
Minors
Are you interested in health, fitness & sport science but leaning toward a major in another department? Consider a minor in coaching, wellness, exercise science or recreation management.
Persons other than exercise science majors may be interested in a minor in coaching. The minor requires a coaching internship.
- Explore courses for a minor in coaching (includes an internship)
Persons in areas other than the food and nutrition and exercise science majors (which have a wellness concentration for the major), may be interested in a minor in wellness.
- Explore courses for a minor in wellness (not available to food & nutrition majors)
The recreation management minor allows students to develop recreation skills and interests through a variety of avenues and to better understand the importance of leisure in our society.
- Explore courses for a minor in recreation management