Practicums, Internship, Hands-On Laboratories, Capstone Health and Exercise Science Experiential Learning Opportunities
We believe in the importance of giving students opportunities to work with people and apply everything they have learned in the classroom. If you choose the Health Promotion Concentration, you will gain knowledge from hands-on laboratory trainings, two practicums, an internship, and a senior capstone experience. If you select the Exercise Science Concentration, you will obtain extensive hands-on laboratory training, you will participate in exercise physiology, biomechanics, and neuromuscular laboratories, and you also will have a required senior capstone experience.
Health Promotion Concentration
Practicum
Junior Practicum – Adult Fitness Program: Taken in junior year, this opportunity provides you with hands-on experience working with program members. With faculty guidance and supervision, you will learn heart rate and blood pressure assessments, and create warm-ups and specialty classes for members. Additionally, you will be paired with members to create exercise prescriptions to enhance fitness levels.
Senior Practicum – Taken in the senior year, this opportunity provides you with a 60-hour practicum to gain hands-on experience with a local health and wellness organization. Your career interests are matched with an organization on campus, in the community, or around Northern Colorado.
Senior Capstone Course
Taken in senior year, you will apply all previous course knowledge in this service-learning class to create and implement a health and wellness event or program for a local community organization.
Internship
The internship is the final graduation requirement in the Health Promotion curriculum. This is an opportunity to be involved full-time in an organization that aligns with your career goals. Options include, but are not limited to, cardiac, pulmonary, or cancer rehabilitation, corporate health and wellness programs, cardiovascular stress testing, sport specific and personal training, research, public health, and nonprofit agencies.
Exercise Science Concentration
Labs
If you choose the Exercise Science Concentration, you will have many opportunities for hands-on learning in small classroom environments. Students are required to take labs in chemistry, biology, physiology, anatomy, and physics, and within our department, you will take labs in kinesiology, exercise prescription, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and neuromuscular aspects of human movement.
Senior Capstone Course
As a culminating experience in the Exercise Science Concentration, you are required to complete a capstone course that involves integration and reflection on health and exercise science disciplinary knowledge. This experience also includes further developing of communication skills and provides the opportunity for you to put your knowledge into action in various experiential learning settings.
Community Program Hands-On Opportunities
Health and Exercise Science has various outreach programs in which students have the opportunity to interact with children and adults. Learn more about our programs such as Youth Sport Camps, Adult Fitness, Fit Cancer, and the Heart Disease Prevention Program.
