Exercise and Health Sciences Major
Program Overview
Program Overview
The Exercise and Health Sciences Major is a Bachelor of Science degree program offered by the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between exercise, nutrition, and health.
Program Curriculum
The program curriculum includes a combination of core requirements, major requirements, and electives. The core requirements include courses in biology, chemistry, and nutrition, as well as a course in human anatomy and physiology. The major requirements include courses in exercise physiology, nutrition, and health sciences, as well as a capstone course.
- Degree Core Requirements:
- HNFE 1114: Orientation to HNFE
- HNFE 1004: Foods, Nutrition And Exercise
- BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology
- BIOL 1115: Principles of Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
- BIOL 1116: Principles of Biology Laboratory
- HNFE 2014: Nutrition Across the Life Span
- HNFE 2484: Evidence-Based Practice in Health Science
- BMSP 2135: Human Anatomy & Physiology
- BMSP 2136: Human Anatomy and Physiology
- HNFE 2804: Exercise and Health
- CHEM 2514: Survey of Organic Chemistry
- BCHM 2024: Concepts of Biochemistry
- HNFE 3034: Methods of Human Health Assessment
- HNFE 4025: Macronutrient Metabolism
- HNFE 4026: Micronutrient Metabolism
- Major Requirements:
- Group A: all courses required
- BMSP 2145: Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory
- BMSP 2146: Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory
- HNFE 3804: Exercise Physiology
- Select one of the following:
- HNFE 4964: Field Study
- HNFE 4974: Independent Study
- HNFE 4994: Undergraduate Research
- HNFE 4994H: Undergraduate Research
- HNFE 3954: Study Abroad
- HNFE 4954: Study Abroad
- Group B: Science Foundations
- Complete a minimum of 4 credit hours from the following:
- BIOL 2604: General Microbiology
- BIOL 2614: General Microbiology Laboratory
- CHEM 2536: Organic Chemistry
- CHEM 2545: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
- CHEM 2546: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
- PHYS 2205: General Physics
- PHYS 2305: Foundations of Physics
- PHYS 2206: General Physics
- PHYS 2306: Foundations of Physics
- PHYS 2215: General Physics Laboratory
- PHYS 2216: General Physics Laboratory
- Complete a minimum of 4 credit hours from the following:
- Group C: HNFE Electives
- Complete a minimum of 15 credit hours
- 9 credits must be at the 4000 level with at least one designated Capstone
- Courses include:
- HNFE 1804: Principles of Sport Science
- HNFE 2104: Moving Body, Moving Mind
- HNFE 2204: Medical Terminology
- FST 2014: Introduction to Food Science
- HNFE 3024: Science of Food Prep Lab
- HNFE 2314: Active Transportation for a Healthy, Sustainable Planet
- HNFE 2334: Introduction to Integrative Health
- HNFE 2544: Functional Foods for Health
- HNFE 2664: Behavioral Theory in Health Promotion
- HNFE 2774: Topics in HNFE
- HNFE 2824: Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
- HNFE 3634: Epidemiologic Concepts of Health and Disease
- HNFE 3824: Kinesiology
- HNFE 4174: Nutrition and Physical Performance
- HNFE 4644: Health Counseling
- HNFE 4754: Advanced Human Anatomy and Pathophysiology
- HNFE 4814: Advanced Athletic Injuries
- Capstone courses:
- HNFE 4004: Seminar in HNFE: Writing and Discourse in the Major
- HNFE 4114: Food and Nutritional Toxicology
- HNFE 4224: Alternative and Complementary Nutrition Therapies
- HNFE 4354: Dietary Supplements and Health
- HNFE 4514: Nutritional Genomics
- HNFE 4774: Advanced Contemporary Topics in HNFE
- HNFE 4824: Advanced Kinesiology
- HNFE 4844: Exercise and Neuromuscular Performance
- Group A: all courses required
Graduation Requirements
To graduate, students must have an overall GPA of 2.50 or higher. A minimum grade of "C" is required in HNFE 1004 Foods, Nutrition And Exercise, and a "C-" or better is required in CHEM 1035 General Chemistry and CHEM 1036 General Chemistry and CHEM 2535 Organic Chemistry or CHEM 2514 Survey of Organic Chemistry.
Satisfactory Progress Towards the Degree
An HNFE (Exercise and Health Sciences) student will be considered to have made satisfactory progress toward the degree when:
- Overall GPA ≥ 2.50.
- A minimum grade of "C" is required in HNFE 1004 Foods, Nutrition And Exercise and a "C-" or better is required in CHEM 1035 General Chemistry and CHEM 1036 General Chemistry and CHEM 2535 Organic Chemistry or CHEM 2514 Survey of Organic Chemistry.
- These courses must be completed by the time the student has attempted 72 hours:
- BIOL 1105 Principles of Biology-BIOL 1106 Principles of Biology or equivalent.
- CHEM 1035 General Chemistry-CHEM 1036 General Chemistry or equivalent.
- CHEM 2535 Organic Chemistry or CHEM 2514 Survey of Organic Chemistry.
- HNFE 1004 Foods, Nutrition And Exercise.
Foreign Language Requirement
A sequence of two foreign language courses is required for graduation unless two years of high school credits of the same foreign language or six transfer credits of one foreign language have been earned. These credits do not count towards graduation.
Plan of Study
The course plan below is one example of how a student might complete the program requirements of the Exercise and Health Sciences curriculum. Many different course plans are possible, and a student’s specific plan for completing the required courses and 120 credits will vary. Students should work with their academic advisor to tailor an individualized course plan.
First Year
- Fall Semester:
- BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology
- BIOL 1115: Principles of Biology Laboratory
- ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing
- HNFE 1004: Foods, Nutrition And Exercise
- HNFE 1114: Orientation to HNFE
- MATH 1025: Elementary Calculus
- Spring Semester:
- BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
- BIOL 1116: Principles of Biology Laboratory
- CHEM 1035: General Chemistry
- CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory
- ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing
- Major Electives Group C
- Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking
Second Year
- Fall Semester:
- BMSP 2135: Human Anatomy & Physiology
- BMSP 2145: Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory
- HNFE 2484: Evidence-Based Practice in Health Science
- PSYC 1004: Introductory Psychology
- Major Electives Group B
- Free Electives
- Spring Semester:
- BMSP 2136: Human Anatomy and Physiology
- BMSP 2146: Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory
- CHEM 1036: General Chemistry
- CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory
- COMM 2004 or ALCE 3634: Public Speaking or Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking
- HNFE 2014 or HNFE 2014H: Nutrition Across the Life Span
- HNFE 4964 or HNFE 4974 or HNFE 4994 or HNFE 4994H or HNFE 3954 or HNFE 4954: Field Study or Independent Study or Undergraduate Research or Undergraduate Research or Study Abroad or Study Abroad
- Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
Third Year
- Fall Semester:
- CHEM 2514 or CHEM 2535: Survey of Organic Chemistry or Organic Chemistry
- Major Electives Group C
- HNFE 2804: Exercise and Health
- Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences
- Free Electives
- Spring Semester:
- BCHM 2024: Concepts of Biochemistry
- HNFE 3804: Exercise Physiology
- Major Electives Group C
- Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities
- HNFE Science Foundations Group B
Fourth Year
- Fall Semester:
- Major Electives Group C
- HNFE 4025: Macronutrient Metabolism
- HNFE 3034: Methods of Human Health Assessment
- Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities select course that meets Concept 7 and Concept 2
- Free Electives
- Spring Semester:
- Major Electives Group C-Capstone
- STAT 3615: Biological Statistics
- HNFE 4026: Micronutrient Metabolism
- Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
- Free Electives
Total Credits: 120-122