Exercise Science BS

Tuition Fee

Start Date

Medium of studying

Duration

Details

Program Details

Degree

Bachelors

Major

Biomedical Sciences | Exercise Science | Sports Science

Area of study

Health | Natural Science

Course Language

English

About Program

Program Overview

Exercise Science Bachelor of Science Degree

Overview

The Exercise Science program at RIT is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific principles underlying exercise and physical activity. The program focuses on the study of human movement and the body's responses and adaptations to exercise, with an emphasis on the enhancement of health and fitness.

Why Pursue RIT’s Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science

Choose from two tracks: clinical or athletic
Prepare for Professional Certification: Students in the athletic track are prepared to achieve professional certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
An Excellent Pre-Med Major: Complete the required pre-med course work in biological and physical sciences while gaining human performance knowledge valuable to your future career in medicine or the health professions
Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Pathway: Combine your BS in exercise science with an MS in health and well-being management

What is Exercise Science?

Exercise science is a discipline that studies movement and the body's responses and adaptations. The goal of exercise science is to broaden our understanding of the connections and benefits between fitness, exercise, nutrition, and health.

RIT’s Exercise Science Degree

In RIT’s exercise science major, you will learn to scientifically address issues of health and fitness as well as human performance as part of a rapidly growing field. Two tracks–clinical or athletic–enable you to select courses that focus on helping people recover from the unhealthy effects of a sedentary lifestyle or that focus on training athletes to extend and expand their capacity for exceptional human performance.

Comprehensive Exercise Science Curriculum

RIT’s exercise science major offers a challenging selection of exercise science courses that prepare you to understand the role exercise plays in both the enhancement of health and fitness as well as the improvement of athletic performance. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of exercise, human movement, body systems, and the physiological concepts that are part of the human body’s physical response to exercise.

Choose From Two Tracks

Clinical Track: The clinical track is designed for those interested in using exercise as therapy. Clinical exercise medicine is an emerging field that is poised to grow as the population ages.
Athletic Track: The athletic track is for students who want to raise the bar of performance for athletes at all levels. A scientific approach to athletic conditioning improves performance while maintaining an athlete’s health.

Exercise Science Elective Courses

The curriculum is flexible in allowing you to choose elective courses that explore areas of exercise science that you find interesting or provide a level of knowledge that aligns with your career goals. Elective exercise science courses include sports psychology, training high performance athletes, strength training for performance, cardiac rehabilitation, senior adult fitness, and more.

Enhance Your Exercise Science Degree

Adding a minor or immersion in a complementary area of study deepens your expertise in the core areas of exercise science and fitness. With dozens of minors to choose from, you’ll have your choice of topics to study. While you may choose any minor or immersion as part of your studies, select minors serve to boost your bachelor's degree in exercise science. These include:

Global Public Health
Health Communication
Health, Culture, and Society
Nutritional Sciences
Psychology

Certificate in Exercise Science

Completion of the certificate in exercise science prepares you for employment as an entry-level service provider in a fitness facility. To enroll in the certificate program, you do not need to be a matriculated student at RIT. The certificate requires the completion of three courses.

Certification

Students who complete the athletic track are prepared to achieve professional certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). The CSCS is a highly respected and sought-after credential in the field of strength conditioning. Students completing the clinical track are well prepared to take the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Exercise Physiologist exam.

Exercise Science: A Pathway to Medical School or Graduate Programs in the Health Professions

An exercise science degree enables you to pursue your passion for human performance and prepares you to apply to medical school or to graduate programs in health professions.

What Can You Do with an Exercise Science Degree?

An exercise science major is an excellent way to turn your passion for fitness, health, and wellness into a career. A bachelor's degree in exercise science gives you solid foundational knowledge and a flexible skill set to pursue a range of careers in exercise science.

Career opportunities with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science:

Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Athletic Strength and Conditioning Coach
Health Fitness Specialist
Tactical Fitness Specialist
Health and Wellness Manager
Personal Trainer
Group Exercise Instructor

Your bachelor’s degree in exercise science provides you with the foundational pre-med and pre-health sciences course work needed to make you a strong candidate for admission into graduate degrees (master’s degree or doctorate) in a range of areas, opening the door for you to pursue career opportunities as a:

Physician
Physician Assistant
Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Chiropractor
Dentist
Nurse
Exercise Research Specialist

Curriculum

Exercise Science, BS degree, typical course sequence

First Year
- BIOL-101 General Biology I (General Education)
- BIOL-102 General Biology II (General Education)
- BIOL-103 General Biology I Lab (General Education)
- BIOL-104 General Biology II Lab (General Education)
- CHMG-141 General & Analytical Chemistry I (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- CHMG-142 General & Analytical Chemistry II (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
- CHMG-145 General & Analytical Chemistry I Lab (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- CHMG-146 General & Analytical Chemistry II Lab (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
- EXSC-101 Seminar in Exercise Science
- EXSC-150 Introduction to Exercise Science
- MATH-161 Applied Calculus (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
- MEDS-242 Cell Structure & Function
- YOPS-10 RIT 365: RIT Connections
- General Education – First-Year Writing (WI)
- General Education – Elective
Second Year
- EXSC-206 Fitness Program Design
- EXSC-210 Human Motor Behavior
- MEDS-250 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
- MEDS-251 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
- PHYS-111 College Physics I
- PHYS-112 College Physics II
- STAT-145 Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
- General Education – Artistic Perspective
- General Education – Ethical Perspective
- General Education – Global Perspective
Third Year
- EXSC-410 Kinesiology
- EXSC-420 Biomechanics
- EXSC-550 Exercise Physiology
- WSHN-560 Health Sciences Research Foundations (WI-PR)
- Professional Electives
- General Education – Social Perspective
- General Education – Immersion 1
Fourth Year
- EXSC-270 Group Exercise
- EXSC-320 Coaching Healthy Behavior
- WSHN-700 Research Methods in Health and Well-being
- Choose one of the following:
  - WSHN-710 Health Risk Identification and Management (Emphasis Plan 1)
  - HLTH-710 Health Care Economics and Policy (Emphasis Plan 2)
- Open Electives
- Professional Elective
- Graduate Elective
- General Education – Immersion 2, 3

Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

The curriculum below outlines the typical course sequence(s) for combined accelerated degrees available with this bachelor’s degree.

Exercise Science, BS degree / Health and Well-being Management, MS degree, Dual Degree Program, typical course sequence

First Year
- BIOL-101 General Biology I (General Education)
- BIOL-102 General Biology II (General Education)
- BIOL-103 General Biology I Lab (General Education)
- BIOL-104 General Biology II Lab (General Education)
- CHMG-141 General & Analytical Chemistry I (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- CHMG-142 General & Analytical Chemistry II (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
- CHMG-145 General & Analytical Chemistry I Lab (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
- CHMG-146 General & Analytical Chemistry II Lab (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
- EXSC-101 Seminar in Exercise Science
- EXSC-150 Introduction to Exercise Science
- MATH-161 Applied Calculus (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
- MEDS-242 Cell Structure & Function
- YOPS-10 RIT 365: RIT Connections
- General Education – First-Year Writing (WI)
- General Education – Elective
Second Year
- EXSC-206 Fitness Program Design
- EXSC-210 Human Motor Behavior
- MEDS-250 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
- MEDS-251 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
- PHYS-111 College Physics I
- PHYS-112 College Physics II
- STAT-145 Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
- General Education – Artistic Perspective
- General Education – Ethical Perspective
- General Education – Global Perspective
Third Year
- EXSC-410 Kinesiology
- EXSC-420 Biomechanics
- EXSC-550 Exercise Physiology
- WSHN-560 Health Sciences Research Foundations (WI-PR)
- Professional Electives
- General Education – Social Perspective
- General Education – Immersion 1
Fourth Year
- EXSC-270 Group Exercise
- EXSC-320 Coaching Healthy Behavior
- WSHN-700 Research Methods in Health and Well-being
- Choose one of the following:
  - WSHN-710 Health Risk Identification and Management (Emphasis Plan 1)
  - HLTH-710 Health Care Economics and Policy (Emphasis Plan 2)
- Open Electives
- Professional Elective
- Graduate Elective
- General Education – Immersion 2, 3
Fifth Year
- WSHN-701 Health and Nutrition Education Evaluation
- WSHN-702 Dissemination and Implementation Science for Health and Well-being
- Choose one of the following:
  - WSHN-797 Health & Well-being Management Project and one (1) Graduate Elective
  - WSHN-790 Health & Well-being Management Thesis
- Statistics Elective
- Graduate Elective

Admissions and Financial Aid

First-Year Admission

First-year applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background that includes:

4 years of English
3 years of social studies and/or history
3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry. Pre-calculus ispreferred.
2-3 years of science. Biology and chemistry are required.

Transfer Admission

Transfer applicants should meet these minimum degree-specific requirements:

A minimum of college algebra is required. Pre-calculus or calculus ispreferred.
Biology and chemistry are required.

Faculty

William Brewer
Jason Rich
Elizabeth Kmiecinski

Facilities

Nutrition Assessment Lab
Simulation Lab
Human Movement Lab

Contact

Program Contact

William Brewer
Director of Exercise Science Program
Exercise Science Program
College of Health Sciences and Technology

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