New CEPE Major at Graceland University Already Proving to be a Success

The Corrective Exercise & Performance Enhancement (CEPE) major at Graceland University replaced the wellness major in the fall of 2013 as a contemporary movement toward functional fitness. The major has been redesigned to further prepare students for careers in personal training, strength and conditioning, and coaching, and is consistent with current sports medicine models.

Graceland University CEPE students gain the knowledge and skills to assess and restore musculoskeletal function and enhance human performance. The exploration of theoretical concepts and hands-on application in the classroom, practicums and internships provide students the opportunity for mastery of skills as well as instructional and leadership development.

As a way to transition from the previous wellness major to this new, more intense program, in the fall of 2013 Graceland University Division of Health & Movement Sciences professor Dr. Jay Hoffman taught a course designed to close the gap between the two programs. Twenty-four Graceland University students took Wellness Assessment and Prescription, a prep course for the Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certification. “It was learning by fire hose,” admitted Dr. Jay, “but they rose and met the challenge.”

In order to provide an exceptional education and prepare students for a competitive field, the CEPE program at Graceland has an articulation agreement with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). This ensures the class will teach the competencies required in the field and offers students the opportunity to take the certification at a discounted rate of $399 (from $799). Generally, someone interested in taking these certification exams must possess a bachelor’s degree- However, through the articulation agreement with the NASM, Graceland students who complete requisite coursework within the CEPE major or minor are immediately eligible to take the exam.

This fall, 8 out of 24 students elected to take the PES certification. Anthony Abreu, Greg Corder, David Edmondson, Evan Kisner, Jeff Kline, Ian Luehring, Dorian Smith and Rodrigo Tostado took the challenge and all 8 passed, proving that Graceland’s CEPE major is moving in the right direction and is preparing students for success in the sports medicine field.