Be a catalyst for wellness
Exercise Science Degree
Explore how an exercise science degree can equip people for better health. Learn about how to use human performance, weight training, research, and coaching to promote health and wellness with expertise. From the gym to the lab, explore the possibilities with an exercise science degree.
Champions for health are getting prepared right here.
Unlock the secrets of optimal athletic performance. Start your exercise science degree and revolutionize fitness.
In the exercise science degree program at Anderson University, students study human movement and how the body responds and adapts to physical activity to prepare for careers in the wellness field. Exercise science majors at AU study for professional opportunities in fitness, health, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement.
The program provides a mixture of laboratory courses and practical experiences that prepare students to understand and apply scientific principles. This major includes broad coursework encompassing psychology and leadership, as well as anatomy and chemistry.
All of our exercise science degree graduates have completed 120 hours of practical experience through leadership in campus-based activity and human performance testing. The major also requires an off-campus internship, preparing students to hit the ground running in their career.
Your passion can become a career and impact lives.
Lead with care and expertise. Join the movement towards better health.
EXPLORE THE PROGRAM
At AU, classes and labs are small, so students have the opportunity to practice, not just discuss, principles of exercise. Students typically have several courses with each professor, creating an environment that invites interaction both in and out of the classroom. Faculty in the program also emphasize hands-on experiences both on campus (such as personal training and teaching fitness classes) and off campus during summer internships. Exercise science degree students at AU are well equipped and confident because they have both the head knowledge and the practical experience to place them ahead of the competition.
Concentrations
Every exercise science major chooses one of three concentrations:
- Clinical Exercise Physiology: This concentration is for those students desiring to pursue careers with chronic diseased populations, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and cardiac stress testing, in addition to preparation for a master’s degree in exercise physiology.
- Pre-Health: This concentration is for those students desiring to prepare for an allied health field, such as athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, sports psychology, and physician assistant.
- Sports Performance: This concentration is for those students desiring to pursue careers in strength and conditioning, personal training, health and wellness coaching, community health centers, and senior adult fitness programs.
Successful exercise science students at AU build upon a solid base of anatomy and physiology. They specialize in exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, nutrition, exercise prescription, and advanced resistance training and conditioning. Those with a particular interest in nutrition select a minor in nutrition offered by the department. Others select minors in areas that will enhance their knowledge in specific areas of interest, such as business or psychology.
Classes
You can complete the 70-hour major to earn an exercise science degree in either three or four years. Classes include:
- Anatomy
- Exercise Leadership
- Sports Nutrition
- Exercise Testing & Prescription
- Science courses supporting understanding of the human body
- View the complete curriculum
Careers
Students prepare for careers in:
- Fitness Training
- Wellness
- Adult Fitness/Cardiac Rehab
- Strength & Conditioning Coaching
- Clinical Exercise Physiology
- Scientific Research
With additional education, exercise science grads can move into roles such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, or chiropractors.
Graduate Outcomes
Anderson University alumni have found employment in cardiac rehabilitation, personal training, wellness promotion, fitness club management, sports performance enhancement, and strength and conditioning coaching. Nearly all exercise science degree graduates are fully employed within six months of graduation. Approximately one-third of the program’s graduates attend graduate school in occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistance programs, athletic training programs, clinical exercise physiology, or basic research. The acceptance rate of AU grads in these highly competitive fields is greater than 90%.
Meet our exercise science faculty during your campus visit.
_ Department of Kinesology
April Gutekunst
Administrative Lead, CONKP
Jeremy Keith
Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
Earlene Masi
Associate Professor of Exercise Science
Alisha Miller
Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
Dr. Dama O'Keefe
Dean of the College of Nursing, Kinesiology, and Public Health
Jim Scott
Natatorium Director/Professor, Department of Kinesiology
The Anderson You
You have unique interests and skills that set you apart. Explore the free My College Career Quiz to receive a personalized list of majors selected just for you. We’ve taken out the guessing work. Come find the Anderson you.