Exercise Science
Transform your passion for health and fitness into a career as an exercise specialist, an exercise physiologist, a strength and conditioning coordinator, a personal trainer, a cardiac rehab specialist, or a fitness director. Our multidisciplinary Exercise Science curriculum emphasizes strength and conditioning, exercise assessment and prescription, exercise physiology, sports nutrition, injury management, and evidence-based research. This major provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to pass gold-standard international certification exams for immediate employment in clinical rehabilitation, medical fitness, industrial wellness, and athletic performance enhancement. Certified professionals develop and implement safe and effective exercise and sport training programs and modify them to meet the specific goals of clients, patients, athletes, or vocational specialists (e.g. police, firefighters, military). The combination of the B.S. in Exercise Science and a gold-standard professional exercise certification elevates your successful ºÚÁÏÉç education into an instantly employable degree!
Program Overview
The Exercise Science curriculum prepares students to sit for, and pass, certification exams from the most recognized authority organizations in the exercise and sport training world today:
- ACSM Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM-CPT)
- ACSM Certified Group Exercise Instructor (ACSM-GEI)
- ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP)
- NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
- NSCA Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
- NSCA Certified Special Populations Specialist (CSPS)
- NSCA Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F)
Students are educated in small classes, receive substantial one-on-one time with faculty, and acquire methodologic expertise using top-of-the-line exercise and assessment equipment. In addition to their didactic training, students also must complete a practical component of the curriculum by accruing 500 total experiential hours (re: observation, work, internship) during their undergraduate years in various clinical, industrial, wellness, fitness, and athletic environments.
Mission
- Provide students with an employable degree: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists allied health professions as one of the fastest growing occupations (projected through 2026); exercise-affiliated professionals (e.g. clinical rehab, medical fitness, institutional wellness, and sport performance enhancement) are included in this category.
- Prepare students for graduate programs: Exercise Science and Sports Medicine curricula are designed to equip students with essential academic and critical thinking skills, as well as abilities necessary to succeed in professional graduate programs of their choice.
High First-Time Pass Rate and NSCA Endorsement
Our Exercise Science program is endorsed by the prestigious NSCA's Education Recognition Program (ERP), acknowledging our university prepares its students to pass their certification exams.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of:
- Patient pre-participation health screening, risk classification, and evaluation
- The benefits and risks associated with physical activity
- Health-related physical fitness testing, interpretation, and exercise prescription in the healthy population
- Behavioral theories and strategies for promoting exercise and health
- Demonstrate proficiency in research methodology and scientific writing
Course Requirements
Exercise Science students are required to complete 500 hours of observation, work, and internship experience prior to graduation. A wide spectrum of participation is offered, including clinical, recreational, and athletic (amateur and professional) environments.
- Observation Hours: Students must complete a total of 100 observation hours prior to graduation (minimum 10 hours, maximum 50 hours at any particular site - expanded hours possible); observation hours must be fulfilled prior to the Sophomore Review Board process. Students accrue an additional 200 experiential (work) hours, including service as strength & conditioning consultants for the ºÚÁÏÉç community, in their junior and senior years.
- Internship and Work Hours: Students must complete 200 internship and 200 work hours prior to graduation; these are acquired primarily during upper-division years.
- Personal Health Science (three credits)
- Writing & Research (FYE) (ENG 120) (three credits)
- Introduction to ºÚÁÏÉç (FYE) (two credits)
- Human A+P 1 & Lab (Analytical) (four credits)
- Introduction to SPMD (three credits)
- Introduction to Sociology (Human Connection) (SOC 100) (three credits)
- EAIM (three credits)
- Introduction to Psychology (Human Connection) (three credits)
- Human A+P 2 & Lab (Analytical) (four credits)
- Expression (Art, Dance, Music, Theater, English) (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Reason & Faith (CST, PHIL, RLST) (three credits)
- Beyond the Gates (BTG) (one credit)
- Conceptual Physics (three credits)
- Expression (Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, English) (three credits)
- Exercise Assessment & Lab (four credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Contexts & Systems (ECON, HIS, POLI) (three credits)
- Beyond the Gates (BTG) Alternative (one credit)
- Exercise Prescription & Lab (four credits)
- Strength Training & Lab (four credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Research Methods I (two credits)
- Research Methods Lab (one credit)
- Exercise Physiology & Lab (four credits)
- Advanced Strength Training & Lab (four credits)
- Chemical Principles & Lab (four credits)
- Contexts & Systems (ECON, HIS, POLI) (three credits)
- Kinesiology & Lab (four credits)
- Sport Health Fitness Management (three credits)
- Advanced Exercise Physiology (three credits)
- Nutrition (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Reason & Faith (CST, PHIL, RLST) (three credits)
- Statistics for Research (STAT 120) (three credits)
- Research Methods II (one credit)
- Elective (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
- Senior Experience – Ethics 400 (three credits)
- Exercise Science Practicum (four credits)
- PSYCH 200 Level (three credits)
- Pharmacology (three credits)
- Elective (three credits)
Freshman year, the following courses, 18 credits, and 100 HP observation hours, 16 credits, are required:
Fall
Spring
Sophomore year, the following courses, 17 credits, and 100 HP work hours, 18 credits, are required:
Fall
Spring
Junior year, the following courses, 18 credits, and 100 HP work hours, 16 credits, are required:
Fall
Spring
Senior year, the following courses, 16 credits, and 200 internship hours, 16 credits, are required:
Fall
Spring
- BIO 240/241: Human Anatomy/Physiology I & Lab (prerequisite of BIO 120/121 or 130/131 and elective courses)
- BIO 250/251: Human Anatomy/Physiology II & Lab
- SPMD 162: Introduction to Sports Medicine
- SPMD 205/206: Exercise Assessment I & Lab
- SPMD 370/371: Strength Training and Program Design & Lab
- SPMD 380/381: Exercise Physiology & Lab
Required Core Courses:
Elective Courses
Students who wish to complete a minor in Exercise Science, who are not Sports Medicine majors, must choose three additional courses from the Sports Medicine Department offerings. Note: Some of these courses may have prerequisite requirements.
Clinical Observation Requirements
Fifty hours of documented observation with Exercise Science professionals who hold any ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) or NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association) credential.
In lieu of observation hours obtained under the supervision of a certified exercise professional, approval for a site without a credentialed professional requires the permission of the Exercise Science program director.
ºÚÁÏÉç Requirements
The minor student must have written approval from the Sports Medicine Department chairperson and the Undergraduate Exercise Science program director. The student must have a minimum 2.65 GPA to qualify. Application for this minor should occur in the sophomore year.
Career Preparation
ºÚÁÏÉç University is 1-of-12 higher education institutions in Pennsylvania to receive approval in the NSCA Education Recognition Program (ERP). This prestigious program recognizes and distinguishes colleges and universities with standardized, approved strength and conditioning curricula in undergraduate and graduate settings designed to prepare students for all NSCA certification exams.
A CSCS coaches amateur and professional athletes of all ages to achieve maximum performance potential, ensuring athletes can reach higher performance levels, while minimizing injury risk.
A CPT empowers clients to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors; educates them about health, fitness, and nutrition; and customizes exercise programs to meet their individual needs and goals.
A TSAC-F trains tactical athletes who defend and protect communities on a daily basis and have a unique set of strength and conditioning needs that include optimizing job-specific fitness and decreasing injury risk.
A CSPS creates safe and effective exercise programs for individuals with chronic and temporary health challenges and works collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to improve the quality of life for individuals through sustained gains in physical fitness.
Robert Chetlin, Ph.D., CSCS*D, ACSM-EP
Associate Professor, Exercise Science Program Director, NSCA-ERP Director
Office: McAuley 103
Meet the Faculty
Exercise Science
Michael Meyer, MBA, MSN, RN, PHRN
Dean, School of the Health Professions; Chair, Department of Nursing; Instructor of Nursing
Robert Chetlin, Ph.D., CSCS*D, ACSM-EP
Associate Professor, Exercise Science Program Director, NSCA-ERP Director
