ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) – A concentration in Ithaca College’s Exercise Science degree program has received a rare distinction.

IC’s Strength and Conditioning for Performance and Wellness curriculum was awarded full accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education. It makes IC just one of two schools in New York and 17 in the country to have an accredited undergraduate program. School officials credit the program’s adaptability to incorporate relevant educational experience.

“As we were starting this process, we asked ourselves, ‘Where do our students work after they graduate?'” said clinical professor and Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training Chair Chris Hummel. “Many of them work at community centers or YMCAs, and at places like that, you could be working with everyone from a five-year-old kid to an 85-year-old, so it’s critical that the program provides training to work with that diverse set of individuals.”

The program will be supported by a new Wellness and Performance lab with state-of-the-art equipment, set to open this fall.

“The lab will transform the coursework that the professors offer by allowing hands-on experience to be integrated into classroom work,” said School of Health Sciences and Human Performance Dean Christina Moylan. “It really helps the program drive home the college’s broader educational philosophy of theory, practice, and performance.”

By 2030, all strength and conditioning graduates taking national certification exams have degrees from an accredited program.