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, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, Physician's Assistant, Chiropractic Medicine, Optometry, Podiatry, Nutrition, Public Health, Strength & Conditioning, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Health Education, Health Administration, and much more. Graduates of an 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:

First Year

BIOL 113	General Biology	4
CHEM 111	Principles of General Chemistry	4
CHEM 112	Principles of Organic Chemistry	4

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

BIOL 113, and STAT 118 or STAT 227 or STAT 239: prereq. for BIOL 246

CHEM 111, CHEM 112: prereq. for BIOL 231

First Year or Sophomore Year

STAT 118	Introductory Statistics	4
PSYC 101	Introduction to Psychological Science	4
NUTR 112	Introduction to Nutrition Science	4
EXSC 100	Introduction to Exercise Science	2
EXSC 110	Form and Function in Resistance Exercise	2

 

Sophomore Year

BIOL 231	Anatomy and Physiology I	4
BIOL 232	Anatomy and Physiology II	4
BIOL 246	Foundations of Exercise and Health	4

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

Junior Year

BIOL 332	Exercise Physiology	4
PSYC 232	Health Psychology	4
EXSC 361	Exercise 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 362	Kinesiology	4
BIOL 370	Internship	4

BIOL 362 includes lab 

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

**Students in the 3+3 Health and Exercise Science/DPT program require 2 semesters of physics prior to entering the grad program:

PHYS 110                       Introductory Physics I

PHYS 111                       Introductory Physics II

PHYS 110 & PHYS 111 include labs

In addition, students on the 3+3DPT track do NOT complete BIOL362 or BIOL370.

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

 

DPT 612	Professional Seminar	1
DPT 672	Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculoskeletal I	7
DPT 613	Professional Seminar	1
DPT 673	Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculos keletal II	7
DPT 621	Human Anatomy	7
DPT 622	Movement Science I	3
DPT 652	Evidence Based Practice I	2

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

Health and Exercise Science Electives:

AST 232/SOCI 232/WGSS 232	Race, Gender & Health	4
BIOL 221	Microbiology	4
BIOL 233	Strength and Conditioning	4
BIOL 334	Neurobiology	4
BIOL 336	Genetics	4
BIOL 337	Molecular Biology	4
CHEM 223	Principles of Biochemistry	4
CHEM 224	Organic Chemistry I	4
CHEM 225	Organic Chemistry II	4
CHEM 345	Biochemistry	4
EXSC 233	Strength and Conditioning	4
MCPHS BEH 405A	Mind-Body Medicine
NUTR 110	Sociocultural Implications of Nutrition	4
NUTR 215	Sports Nutrition	4
NUTR 311	Nutrient Metabolism	4
NUTR 360	Lifestyle Rx	4
NUTR 405	Psychological Aspects of Sport and Exercise	3
PH 101	Introduction to Public Health	4
PH 201	Introduction to Epidemiology	4
PH 261	Plagues, Epidemics, and Society	4
PH 345	Health Systems & Policy	4
PHIL 130	Ethics	4
PHYS 110	Introductory Physics I	4
PHYS 111	Introductory Physics II	4
PSYC 231	Psychopathology and Mental Health	4
PSYC 235	Developmental Psychology	4
PSYC 236	Psychology of Adolescence	4
SOCI 231	Sociology of Childhood	4
SOCI 241/PH 241	Health, Illness & Society	4
SOCI 245/PH 245	Global Health	4
SOCI 266	Sociology of Sports	4
SOCI 345	Health Systems & Policy	4

NUTR 311: CHEM 223 prereq.

SOCI 345: SOCI 101 prereq.