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Health and Exercise Science (BS)

This program provides a challenging educational experience for students who wish to pursue careers in healthcare, fitness and wellness. The major provides hands-on experience in the health/ fitness industry tied to core academic preparation in the science of exercise and health. Students of health and exercise science will have the requisite coursework for graduate programs in Physical Therapy, Direct-Entry Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, Physician's Assistant, Chiropractic Medicine, Optometry, Podiatry, Nutrition, Public Health, Strength & Conditioning, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Health Education, Health Administration, Behavior Analysis and much more. Graduates of a health and exercise science program may work in community, retail, or medical fitness centers, hospital-based clinical exercise rehabilitation, clinical research, corporate wellness programs, and nonprofit health promotion organizations.

Program Requirements

Majors will complete four prerequisite courses, a core consisting of ten courses plus one elective spread out across their four years. All Majors are required to have CPR and First Aid Certifications by March 1 of their senior year. 3+3 Health and Exercise Science/DPT students should refer to the undergraduate DPT course sequence in the course catalog. The suggested four-year sequence for core courses is detailed below.

First Year

BIOL 113General Biology

4
CHEM 111Principles of General Chemistry

4
OR
CHEM 113General & Quantitative Chemistry I

4
CHEM 112Principles of Organic Chemistry

4

BIOL 113, CHEM 111, CHEM 113, and CHEM 112 all include labs.

BIOL 113, and STAT 118 or STAT 239: prereq. for BIOL 246.

CHEM 111, CHEM 112: prereq. for BIOL 231.

First Year or Sophomore Year

STAT 118Introductory Statistics

4
PSYC 101Introduction to Psychological Science

4
NUTR 112Introduction to Nutrition Science

4
EXSC 100Introduction to Exercise Science

2
EXSC 110Form and Function in Resistance Exercise

2

Sophomore Year

BIOL 231Anatomy and Physiology I

4
BIOL 232Anatomy and Physiology II

4
BIOL 246Foundations of Exercise and Health

4
BIOL 231, BIOL 232, and BIOL 246 all include labs.

Junior Year

BIOL 332/EXSC 332Exercise Physiology

4
PSYC 232Health Psychology

4
EXSC 361Exercise Assessment & Prescription

4
CPR with AED Training -offered during DPT orientation-junior year summer

BIOL 332 and EXSC 361 include labs.

BIOL 332: prereq. for EXSC 361.

First Aid Certification offered during EXSC 361 lab at cost.

Senior Year

BIOL 362Kinesiology

4
BIOL 370Internship

4

BIOL 362 includes lab 

BIOL 370: 8 credits (4 credits in Fall and 4 credits in Spring)

** Students in both the 3+3 accelerated and the 4 + 3 BS Health and Exercise Science and DPT programs require 2 semesters of physics prior to entering the grad program: PHYS 110 and PHYS 111; both courses include labs.

In addition, students on the 3+3 DPT track do NOT complete BIOL 362 or BIOL 370.

Courses in DPT curriculum that satisfy Health and Exercise Science degree requirements

DPT 612 and DPT 672: Serve as a replacement for BIOL 370 (Fall)
DPT 613 and DPT 673: Serve as a replacement for BIOL 370 (Spring)  
DPT 621 and DPT 622: Serve as a replacement for BIOL 362
DPT 652: Serves as a replacement for 2nd EXSC elective (1st met by PHYS 110)

DPT 612Professional Seminar I

1
DPT 672Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculoskeletal I

7
DPT 613Professional Seminar II

1
DPT 673Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculoskeletal II

7
DPT 621Human Anatomy

7
DPT 622Movement Science I

3
DPT 652Evidence Informed Practice I

2

Health and Exercise Science Electives

AST 232/SOCI 232/WGSS 232Race, Gender & Health

4
BIOL 221Microbiology

4
BIOL 233Strength and Conditioning

4
BIOL 334Neurobiology

4
BIOL 336Genetics

4
BIOL 337Molecular Biology

4
CHEM 223Principles of Biochemistry

4
CHEM 224Organic Chemistry I

4
CHEM 225Organic Chemistry II

4
CHEM 345Biochemistry

4
EXSC 233Strength and Conditioning

4
MCPHS BEH 405A
Mind-Body Medicine
NUTR 110Sociocultural Implications of Nutrition

4
NUTR 215Sports Nutrition

4
NUTR 311ANutrient Metabolism Part I

4
NUTR 360Lifestyle Rx

4
NUTR 405Psychological Aspects of Sport and Exercise

3
PH 101Introduction to Public Health

4
PH 201Introduction to Epidemiology

4
PH 345Health Systems & Policy

4
PHIL 130Ethics

4
PHYS 110Introductory Physics I

4
PHYS 111Introductory Physics II

4
PSYC 231Psychopathology and Mental Health

4
PSYC 235Developmental Psychology

4
PSYC 236Psychology of Adolescence

4
SOCI 231Sociology of Childhood

4
SOCI 241/PH 241Health, Illness & Society

4
SOCI 245/PH 245Global Health

4
SOCI 266Sociology of Sports

4
PH 345Health Systems & Policy

4

Students on all other Health and Exercise Science pathways/tracks should meet with their advisor to identify specific prerequisite courses needed for their intended graduate program of study.