Personal trainers are fitness professionals who develop and lead clients through exercise routines to help them meet fitness and weight loss goals. Learn about associate's degree programs that may help prepare for a career as a personal trainer.
What Degrees Do Personal Trainers Obtain?
If you'd like to become a personal trainer, earning an associate's degree could help you achieve your goal. While no specific degrees are available in personal training, you can earn a degree in either kinesiology or exercise science. In a kinesiology program, you'll study the science of movement, while in an exercise science program you'll study methods of fitness training and proper nutrition. Both programs will provide you with knowledge and skills that will benefit you in a career as a personal trainer.
An associate's degree generally takes two years to complete. While kinesiology and exercise science degrees are usually completed in an on-campus setting, distance learning options are available. You'll complete the same coursework in a distance learning program as you would in an on-campus program, but the times that you complete the coursework may be more flexible, and you won't be required to travel to campus for each class. Whether your associate's degree is earned through an on-campus or distance learning program, you may be able to transfer your credits to a 4-year program if you choose to earn a bachelor's degree at a later time.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Program Fields</b></td><td> Kinesiology, exercise science</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Motor development, diet planning, exercise psychology, sports injury management, conditioning</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Continuing Education</b></td><td> Bachelor's degrees are available and may allow you to transfer your credits</td></tr>
<tr><td><b> Median Salary (2020)</b> </td><td> $40,510 (<i>for all fitness trainers & instructors</i>) </td></tr>
<tr><td><b> Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td> 15% growth (<i>for all fitness trainers & instructors</i>) </td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatClassesWillITake">What Classes Will I Take?</h3><p>In an associate's degree program, you'll be required to complete both general education classes and classes that are specific to your area of emphasis. The main focus of the classes you take will be on the relationship between the human body and exercise. Examples of those classes include these:
</p><ul><li>Kinesiology
</li><li>Conditioning
</li><li>Motor development
</li><li>Anatomy and physiology
</li></ul><p>You'll also take classes in a variety of other subjects that will be important to your development as a personal trainer. These include classes that train you on how to deal with sports injuries and how to plan a nutritious diet, along with classes in exercise psychology. In addition to coursework, some programs may require that you display a personal level of physical fitness.
</p><h3 id="section---HowWillMyDegreeHelpMe">How Will My Degree Help Me?</h3><p>Earning an associate's degree will help you in multiple ways. An associate's degree will prepare you to enter a 4-year degree program, which will lead to a bachelor's degree. Earning a higher degree will provide you with more career options. If you don't choose to move on to a 4-year program, having an associate's degree still puts you at an advantage over those with no degree. With an associate's degree, you'll be able to get into a career as a personal trainer at a gym or exercise facility, with the ability to advance as you gain more experience.</p>
