Exercise Science, M.Ed.

The program is a 33-credit hour program designed to prepare professionals to have the knowledge, skills, and leadership to address both healthy and unhealthy populations through exercise prescription and educational programming.

Graduates are prepared to address chronic health problems (e.g., obesity, diabetes, heart disease) through education, exercise, and lifestyle change, and to use physiological and pedagogical skills to improve athletic and non-athletic performance. In the fourth semester (last semester), there are options of doing an internship or a thesis. Students in the program examine the scientific (anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological) and theoretical basis that underlie effective programs for improved fitness, performance, disease prevention, and improved quality of life outcomes.  

Program graduates are well-prepared to

• Administer appropriate exercise tests and interpret results for both healthy and unhealthy populations;
• Design safe and effective exercise programs for healthy and unhealthy populations;
• Create exercise prescriptions and educational programming focused on health, disease prevention, and chronic disease management across ages and populations;
• Explain the physiological response and adaptations to acute and chronic exercise across the lifespan;
• Read, interpret and apply scientific research information within the field of fitness, wellness, and exercise science;
• Engage in research that advances the field of and improves practice in Exercise Science, Fitness, and Wellness applications, and;
• Gain the knowledge and leadership skills necessary for further education in Health and Human Performance or senior level positions within the exercise science industry.

Graduates of the M.Ed. in Exercise Science program can pursue positions in athletic programs, fitness centers, hospital and corporate-based wellness programs, rehabilitation centers, and other settings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers related to the field of exercise science are growing. Some examples of jobs from the Occupational Handbook Outlook include:

Additional Career Pathways

• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Clinical Exercise Specialist