Performing Arts Health & Fitness Certificate

Program Overview

Shenandoah University's Performing Arts Health & Fitness Certificate prepares individuals to enhance their health and fitness as performers, educators, or fitness professionals. The hybrid program combines coursework in anatomy, nutrition, and research with an internship and capstone project. Graduates are equipped to work in various settings, including education, dance studios, and fitness centers, with potential career opportunities in fitness instruction, exercise physiology, and massage therapy.

Program Outline

Performing Arts Health & Fitness Certificate:

Degree Overview:

The Performing Arts Health and Fitness Program at Shenandoah University aims to prepare individuals to be leaders in the field, whether they are performers, educators, or fitness professionals.

Objectives:

• Equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to enhance their own health and fitness as a performing artist.
• Promote business opportunities as a fitness professional or massage therapist catering to the needs of performing artists.
• Prepare participants to present research at international organizations like PAMA and IADMS.

Outline:

This 15-credit graduate certificate program follows a hybrid format:

Year 1 - Summer Semester:

• PAHF 700 Musculoskeletal Terminology for Performing Artists (1 credit)

Year 1 - Fall Semester:

• PAHF 702 Anatomy & Kinesiology of Performing Artists (3 credits)
• PAHF 703 Nutrition for Performing Artists (3 credits)

Year 1 - Spring Semester:

• PAHF 705 Health and Fitness for Performing Artists (3 credits)

Year 2 - Summer Semester:

• PAHF 706 Research Seminar (2 credits)

Year 2 - Fall Semester:

• PAHF 708 Internship (2 credits)

Year 2 - Spring Semester:

Teaching:

The program features dedicated faculty who serve as mentors. It boasts small class sizes enabling personalized attention and fostering academic and professional development.

Careers:

• Graduates can find positions in secondary and higher education, dance studios, sports performance centers, massage practices, and fitness studios.
• Opportunities exist within fitness instruction, exercise physiology, and massage therapy, where salaries range from $39,820 to $49,270/year.
• The program provides specialized training relevant to these professions and the performing arts.

Other:

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 13% growth in fitness instructor positions from 2018-2028.
Additionally, the dance studio industry in the U.S. holds a market size of $4 billion in 2020, highlighting the strong demand for proper health and fitness instruction within this sector.