Health and Exercise Science Education

The faculty members of the undergraduate Health and Exercise Science Education major are pleased that you are interested in the possibility of pursuing this degree. This document is designed to acquaint you with the field of exercise science. It will also familiarize you with the prerequisites for the major, the criteria for evaluation of applicants to the major, and the internship, practicum, and other experiences that will enhance your professional development if you are accepted into the major.

What is Health and Exercise Science Education?

Health and Exercise Science Education includes two strands. The Exercise Science Strand involves the study of structural, functional and behavioral phenomena related to participation in acute and chronic exercise in sport, clinical, and community settings. The Health Promotion Strand addresses the promotion of exercise and other health behaviors in community, worksite, school, health care and other settings that include health behavior change.

Careers in Health and Exercise Science Education

This major is designed to prepare students for employment in commercial, corporate, clinical, community, and government agencies with interest in the areas of physical activity and/or health promotion.

• The Exercise Science Strand prepares individuals for work in clinical fitness centers, rehabilitation programs, or any other program that requires exercise prescription, general fitness evaluation, body composition, and general fitness testing, and offers physical activity, exercise, or health program delivery.
• The Health Promotion Strand prepares individuals for work in primary prevention programs in community, worksite, schools, health care and other settings that design, implement and evaluate health behavior change programs.

With some additional coursework, this undergraduate major is suitable for students wishing to pursue careers in fields such as physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, chiropractic, and medicine.

Click here for more information on how the exercise science major fulfills physical therapy prerequisites. Individuals completing the exercise science or the health promotion strand may sit for the certification tests of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and may take the community health education specialist certification (CHES) test, respectively. Students may wish to consult Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, a monthly journal published by the American College of Sports Medicine, for job opportunities available in exercise science. Graduate program opportunities may be obtained by consulting the ACSM Graduate Program Directory, which is available on the ACSM website.