According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in health and fitness are among the top ten employment growth categories for 1998-2008, with a projected increase of 67% in employment opportunities during that period. Whether students wish to begin their professional careers immediately upon completing a bachelor’s degree or continue their studies at the graduate level, the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Science at University of the Cumberlands offers an exceptional program designed to help them develop into the multi-skilled professionals this field demands.

The faculty is comprised of experts in physical education, dance, coaching, sport science, substance abuse, grief therapy, community health, and public health administration, enabling them to help each student tailor a program of study unique to his or her interests. Students seeking a B.S. in Health or a B.S in Exercise and Sport Science may choose from either a teaching or non-teaching track. Other options available include a major or a minor in public health. An interdisciplinary major - the Fitness and Sport Management major - prepares students for employment in either the business or fitness field. After successful completion of the Fitness and Sport Management major, students are prepared to sit for a number of national certification exams to become a personal and/or strength and conditioning trainer.

Diverse course offerings, field trips, and guest speakers expose students to the wide variety of careers open to them in areas such as education, public health, home health care, occupational safety, pharmaceutical sales, fitness, and athletics. Internship opportunities, many of which result in full-time job offers, give students valuable on-the-job experience by placing them under the guidance of a working professional for a full semester.

Several recent graduates of the program in Exercise and Sport Science are now teaching and coaching. Others have found careers in the growing field of corporate fitness. Some students with degrees in Health have accepted positions with state and county health departments, hospitals, and nursing homes, while others have chosen to pursue graduate study in Health Administration, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Athletic Training, and Physical Therapy at institutions such as the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of Tennessee.

Health, Exercise and Sport Science Department
Phone: 606.539.4360
Email: cnorton@ucumberlands.edu