Center for Workforce and Community Education

Contact Information

Jaime Nash
401-333-7070
jnash@ccri.edu

Fitness Management

About the Program

The Online Professional Certificate in Fitness Management is an innovative Web-based Certificate (with an Optional Field Internship course) designed to teach students how to manage a Personal Training Program &/or a Health-Fitness Department as a Strategic Business Unit (S.B.U.) in both commercial and non-commercial based health and fitness facilities in the United States and/or internationally. The program was developed to establish an industry standard in fitness management education for allied health and fitness professionals, personal trainers, fitness managers, and entrepreneurs that wish to establish a successful business model and fitness operation. Specific learning topics include fitness management, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, personnel management, customer service, and business administration concepts. The certificate prepares students to implement successful business systems in the following settings: private and commercial health clubs, medically-based fitness facilities, community wellness centers, personal training studios, physical therapy clinics, YMCA’s, JCC’s, college/university centers, recreational settings, and corporate fitness centers. A competitive advantage offered in the program is the optional field internship which enables students to practice fitness management concepts in a health and fitness setting. This program is offered in partnership with IDEA Health & Fitness Association and Health Club Managers, Inc. IDEA has provided content/curriculum in the program; in addition, students receive a complimentary 6-month membership to the digital edition of IDEA Fitness Journal. Health Club Managers, a Health Club Staff/Management Training company, is providing graduating certificate students a preferred discount on their services.

To earn the certificate you are required to complete all four core courses. You may also elect to take the optional field internship course. The four core courses are offered in a two-module format; each module consists of two courses that are offered simultaneously and may be taken at the same time. You are not required to take the courses in any order and you may register for individual courses if desired. The two-module series and optional internship course is offered three times per year in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. The program can be completed in as little as three months but you must complete the requirements within two-years.

Continuing Education Credits

The Online Certificates in Personal Training have been approved for continuing educational credits/units. For a complete list of Organizations/Associations that have approved each of the Personal Training programs for CECs/CEUs, click here - PDF*.

Cost Per Course

Please note the course fee located next to the course information below.  The cost for your textbooks/course materials is separate.

Registration Information

Please go to Registration Information.  Course #'s are listed with the Course Descriptions and Start Dates.

For program information / instructor contact:
Ken Baldwin, M.ED, ACSM-H/FI

Ken Baldwin, M.ED., is the Co-Coordinator for the Professional Certificate in Fitness Management Program. He is the former Chair of IDEA’s National Personal Trainer Committee and Chair of the Senior Fitness Subcommittee for the Massachusetts’s Governor’s Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports. Ken is the Senior Editor and lead author for the American College of Sports Medicine - ACSM’s Resources for the Personal Trainer Manual (2nd Ed.) and textbook. He continues to serve on national committees for ACSM, AAHPERD (AAPAR), and the Medical Fitness Association (MFA). He has been honored with numerous awards including IDEA’s Personal Trainer of the Year Award, presented at the IDEA International Personal Training Summit. If you have questions about the certificate program and courses, you may contact the Ken at kbpft@yahoo.com. 

Ken Baldwin, M.ED, ACSM-H/FI
Co-Coordinator
Professional Certificate in Fitness Management
IDEA Personal Trainer of Year Award Winner
Email Address: kbpft@yahoo.com
Instructor
Dan Ritchie, MS, CSCS

Dan Ritchie, MS, CSCS has a broad background in the fitness industry including training and management in commercial and university/hospital-based fitness, for-profit, not-for-profit and educational facilities. His primary areas of expertise are in personal training for special populations: athletes, pregnancy, blind, stroke recovery, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, etc. He has worked with Division I athletes, as well as on state funded research on exercise for severe dementia Alzheimer’s type. He regularly presents at national and regional conferences and has been active on committees for the American College of Sports Medicine. In 2007 he will complete his Ph.D. in Health and Kinesiology at Purdue University.

Certificate Course Descriptions
Module 1
Course 1: Business Development and Entrepreneurship in Fitness

Instructor: Dan Ritchie, MS, CSCS
This course examines the planning process for starting a new venture, as well as the most common approaches to develop a strategic business plan for specific types of health and fitness-related facilities. The course presents the skill-sets and competencies that the fitness manager needs in order to be a successful entrepreneur, owner, or department head. Studies of topics include planning policies and procedures, entrepreneurship, business plan development, budget formulation, and strategic planning. The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) has approved this course for 1 CEC, which is equivalent to an entire 6 month CEC requirement, and The American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) has approved this course for 2.0 CEUs.

Course #: 50279 PFIT-3031-091
Dates: Feb 9 - March 15 (Registration Deadline is Feb 6)
Fee: $249 (includes $5 Registration Fee)
Course 2: Financial Principles and Business Concepts

Instructor: Ken Baldwin, M.ED, ACSM-H/FI
This course provides an introduction to financial and managerial accounting concepts, revenue and budgetary procedures, and the financial status necessary to be successful business entity in the fitness industry. Topics include fee structures, financial impact analysis, price setting strategies, financial forecasting, and the relationship between financial analysis and strategic business planning. The course examines additional business concepts including purchasing, contractual agreements, risk management and negligence, technology issues, and other fiscal concerns. The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) has approved this course for 1 CEC, which is equivalent to an entire 6 month CEC requirement, and The American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) has approved this course for 2.0 CEUs.

Course #: 50280 PFIT-3032-091
Dates: Feb 9 - March 15 (Registration Deadline is Feb 6)
Fee: $249 (includes $5 Registration Fee)
Module 2
Course 3: Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service Management (CSM)

Instructor: Dan Ritchie, MS, CSCS
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of how successful marketing and branding guides a company’s business strategy and influences, discovers, and creates a demand for fitness services and products. Examination of the elements of the marketing mix as they pertain to the fitness enterprise include sales and service management strategies, customer relationship management methods, and sales techniques in fitness. The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) has approved this course for 1 CEC, which is equivalent to an entire 6 month CEC requirement, and The American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) has approved this course for 2.0 CEUs.

Course #: 50281 PFIT-3033-091
Dates: March 16 - April 19  (Registration Deadline is March 13)
Fee: $249 (includes $5 Registration Fee)
Course 4: Fitness Management and Business Administration

Instructor: Ken Baldwin, M.ED, ACSM-H/FI
This course provides an examination of the organization and administration of for profit and not-for-profit health/fitness facilities, with emphasis on business management principles and operational concepts, including organizational structure, facility management, industry standards and guidelines, personnel management, and management practices. The course helps the fitness manager develop leadership skills, managerial or administrative skills, and interpersonal or human skills. The course is supplemented by the analysis and review of fitness management situations through observations and case studies. The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) has approved this course for 1 CEC, which is equivalent to an entire 6 month CEC requirement, and The American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) has approved this course for 2.0 CEUs.

Course #: 50282 PFIT-3034-091
Dates: March 16 - April 19  (Registration Deadline is March 13)
Fee: $249 (includes $5 Registration Fee)
Module 3
Course 5: Optional Elective-Field Internship in Fitness Management

Instructor: Ken Baldwin, M.ED, ACSM-H/FI
Prerequisite: 4 Core Courses
NOTE: This course is an optional course and is not required to receive the Professional Certificate. Learn to work with professionals in the fitness and health industry for a Fitness Management experience interning at fitness facilities and health centers. Students intern for 60 total hours in this course. The National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) has approved this course for 1 CEC, which is equivalent to an entire 6 month CEC requirement, and The American Senior Fitness Association (SFA) has approved this course for 2.0 CEUs.

Course #: 50283 PFIT-3035-091
Dates: April 20 - May 31 (Registration Deadline is April 17)
Fee: $299 (includes $5 Registration Fee)
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