Fitness & Sport Management
Encourage Healthy Living
What jobs can you do with a
fitness and sport management degree?
Prepare for a career you can live every day as a:
Personal trainer
Health club manager
Wellness coach
PT technician
This degree is also a great option for Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Occupational Therapy.
What's the Difference at DWU?
- Learn about the functions of the human body and how to help increase performance.
- Pair your major with a business degree to prepare for a career in gym management or strike out on your own as a personal trainer.
- Graduate with limitless opportunities in the health and wellness field. Businesses, insurance companies and corporations need individuals with your skills to promote healthy living.
- Explore the many opportunities our pre-health majors like Pre-med and Pre-health and Pre-physical therapy can offer you.
Fitness and Sport Management Courses
Combine class time with hands-on learning and you’ll be ready for a career in health and fitness programs, exercise and more.
ATN 320 Human Nutrition
3 Hours
This course is a comprehensive investigation concerning the basics of nutrition, common eating disorders and methods of weight control, including an examination of the common techniques of body composition analysis.
BUS 155 Survey of Accounting
3 Hours
This course is an introduction to basic concepts of financial and managerial accounting. Students will learn about the basics of different forms of business, financial statements, and accounting for transactions using a financial statement framework. From a managerial perspective: internal control, budgeting, and forecasting are discussed.
BUS 220 Principles of Management
3 Hours
This course provides a foundational understanding of the fundamental concepts and theories essential for effective organizational leadership and decision-making. Students will explore topics such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling within various organizational contexts. This course equips learners with the essential skills and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of modern management and develop strategies for achieving organizational goals in dynamic and diverse environments.
BUS 263 Business Law I
3 Hours
Students will discuss the general principles of contracts, torts and property as applied to business relationships. Prerequisites: Sophomore status.
BUS 321 Organizational Behavior
3 Hours
In this course students will develop their communication, teamwork, analytical, and presentation skills. This course is designed to offer insights into individual and group behavior, deepen understanding of organizational structures and cultures. Students formulate interview questions based on course content, interview business leaders, synthesize the information, present their learnings in class, and reflect on the learned content. Prerequisites: BUS 220 or instructor permission
DMD 330 Communication and Social Strategy
3 Hours
Students reflect and examine important concepts and principles of communication as it relates to social media, digital and content strategy. Students will develop essential social marketing skills and design intentional social media strategies to better understand, grow and engage with a specific audience in mind.
ENT 224 The Entrepreneurial Mindset
3 Hours
Students will practice concepts of entrepreneurial leadership with emphasis on self-awareness, team effectiveness, and leadership. Students will practice concepts related to intrapreneurship (corporate entrepreneurship), including growth mindset, visual thinking, psychological safety, prototyping, design thinking, and market research.
HLT 100 Introduction to Healthcare
1 Hours
This course provides students beginning education in healthcare related fields with the fundamentals they need to develop their personal and professional skills, to be exposed to various healthcare professions in order to better understand their chosen career path and succeed in the world of health care. Students will be exposed to topics related to today’s health care system such as health care economics, legal and ethical principles, as well as providing important context for the personal, professional and workplace skills that are required in healthcare. Students will also be exposed to a variety of careers in health care and detailed profiles of the most in-demand professions.
HLT 306 First Aid
1 Hours
This course is designed to teach the student first aid skills. Credit is granted only upon successful completion of the course, or by verified certification from an approved agency, and successful completion of a challenge test of skills evaluated by a faculty member certified by an approved agency to provide training. The course is set as a lecture/lab combination.
HLT 307 Emergency Cardiac Care
1 Hours
This course is designed to teach the student advanced emergencies cardiac skills such as airway management, one and two-person CPR, AED, and oxygen administration. Credit is granted only upon successful completion of the course, or by verified certification from an approved agency, and successful completion of a challenge test of skills evaluated by a faculty member certified by an approved agency to provide training. The course is set as a lecture/lab combination.
PSY 237 Developmental Psychology
3 Hours
This course is a sequential study of the individual from conception to death. Students will study research regarding human physical, cognitive and social-emotional development, along with implications for parents, teachers and counselors.
SPM 241 Sport and Society
3 Hours
Students will be introduced to perspectives on careers and opportunities in, and the business of sport. The influence of sport upon the individual participant and society is emphasized.
SPM 341 Sports Administration
3 Hours
The study of the theories, principles and practices of sports administration and group interaction in sport-oriented settings. The structure of interscholastic athletics, collegiate athletics, and professional sports will be discussed in depth and the course includes some practical experience in sports administration through special events at the university and in the community.
SPM 363 Sports Policy
3 Hours
This course is designed to introduce students in the sports management program to a range of political/legal, economic and ethical issues related to sports management and to selected analytical techniques which can be used to gain a fuller understanding of these and other issues which may arise in a sports career context.
SPM 382 Sport Facility and Event Management
3 Hours
Sport Facility and Event Management focuses on planning, financing, marketing, implementation and evaluation of a broad range of sport facilities and events including sport, recreation, leisure, health and fitness.
SPX 140 Introduction to Sport, Exercise and Wellness
2 Hours
This is an introductory course for Sport, Exercise and Wellness majors. The course introduces students to the concepts, theories and principles related to all aspects of sport, exercise, health and wellness. This course is intended for those who desire to obtain a career pathway in strength and conditioning, personal training and/or related fields.
SPX 211 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries
2 Hours
This course is designed to improve the professional competency of people who work with athletic teams. Appropriate instructional methods and effective healthcare for athletes based upon sound physiological and psychological principles are the foundations of the course. Students will practice the skills of injury recognition, evaluation and taping, and will discuss the principles of therapeutic modalities.
SPX 240 Methods of Free Weights and Conditioning
3 Hours
This course studies the various methods and techniques used in free-weight training and conditioning. The focus of study will be targeted toward sport-specific exercises, progression of exercise, methods of determining strength, lifting and spotting techniques and plyometric exercise. Prerequisite: BIO 220/BIO 220L recommended.
SPX 275 Field Experience in SPX
Hours
SPX 305 Evaluation and Prescription of Health and Fitness Programs
3 Hours
This course is designed to provide the student with basic knowledge in health and fitness assessment. Areas of study include population characteristics, common fitness evaluation tools, test design, criteria for test termination and documentation of results. Prerequisite: SPX 240 required, ATN 320 recommended.
SPX 320 Exercise in Selected Populations
3 Hours
This advanced course will explore and identify the characteristics and values of demographic data and discuss the rationale for providing fitness activity services. It will specifically discuss the indications, contraindications and precautions associated with exercise evaluations and prescription in nontraditional populations in persons with pregnancy, metabolic syndromes, geriatrics, immunocompromised, cancer and other related conditions. Prerequisite: SPX 305.
SPX 362 Psychological Dynamics of Sport
3 Hours
This course investigates the psychological constructs and concepts that relate to and help explain the phenomena of sport performance. The course principally devotes attention to theories of goal setting, attribution, stress and stress management, cognitive coping strategies, psychological rehabilitation of the injured athlete and self-confidence. Recent research evidence is presented in all topical areas.
SPX 455 Organization and Administration in Sport Exercise and Wellness
2 Hours
This course is designed to familiarize students with the various administrative and management responsibilities of strength and conditioning and fitness/wellness. The course primarily focuses on the management dynamics of facilities, management of personnel, facility design, purchasing and budgeting of financial resources, financial models in strength and fitness and relationships with insurance companies.
SPX 470 Capstone in SPX
2 Hours
Students will reflect on experiences within their Sport Exercise and Wellness major, including coursework and internships. The course will help prepare the student for possible career choices and graduate school paths of study within their field. Additionally, students will prepare to take the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Examination.
Get to Know Your Professors
Learn how to help others live healthier lives! You’ll gain valuable lessons from faculty members who are working professionals and will provide real-life experiences to enhance your learning.
Dan Wagner, EdD
Director of Athletic Training | Athletic Training Preceptor | Professor in the Athletic Training Program
Matt McManus, M.Ed.
Associate Athletic Trainer | Instructor
Matthew Zens, DPT
Associate Professor of Athletic Training
Randi Christensen, M.A.
Associate Professor | Director of Athletic Training Services
Related Majors & Minors
Pre-Med
Pursuing a degree in medicine or another health profession after Dakota Wesleyan?
Business Administration
As a business administration major at DWU, you’ll prepare for limitless career choices in the professional world.
Pre-Physical Therapy
Help sick or injured people improve their mobility and manage pain.
Sports Management
Become a valuable player in any sports organization and embrace your love of athletics.
