Wilmington College students have increased academic offerings available with the emergence of several incubator programs starting this fall. One of those new major concentrations is sports nutrition. It — along with public health, cybersecurity management and logistics & supply chain management — will be taught in a hybrid modality by a combination of Wilmington College faculty and instructors nationwide.
The College selected sports nutrition as a new concentration based on its popular offerings in the exercise science academic area. Sports nutrition is the study and application of nutrition to support good health and athletic performance. It includes education on healthy foods, nutrients and hydration needed to maintain desired body mass, fat levels and overall health for optimal sports performance. Nutrition supports athletes’ training, performance, refueling and recovery after injury.
Dr. Matt Bliss, assistant professor of sport sciences and director of the exercise science program, said the College’s offering of the sports nutrition concentration reflects the evolution of the fitness industry from what was previously WC’s exercise performance concentration.
“The sports nutrition concentration gives students the opportunity to build a nutrition foundation and would benefit those students who are focused on attending graduate school in nutrition or exercise physiology,” he said. “This will also benefit students who want to pursue a career in strength and conditioning, personal training and fitness instruction.”
Like the other concentration, the sports nutrition curriculum features courses taught in classrooms on the main campus that are complemented by online classes instructed by others with expertise from around the nation.
President Corey Cockerill said the College is “absolutely thrilled to engage these new academic opportunities for our students.”
“The goal of the incubator approach is to test and evaluate the demand for these programs over time to ensure they are in the best interest of Wilmington College students,” Cockerill added. “This approach also gives us the chance to add full-time faculty positions in high-demand career fields.”
The College is partnering with Rize Education, which specializes in online education programs. This dynamic allows the College to establish and cultivate new and emerging academic programs.
