If you are passionate about helping people improve their health and wellness, recover from injuries, and perform at their highest levels, then a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science is the ideal choice for you. Our program will prepare you for work or graduate school in the fitness, sports, rehabilitative, or allied health professions. You will learn how and why exercise is used for the prevention, management, and treatment of health problems, and how to maximize fitness and athletic performance. Because of a strong emphasis on research throughout your course of study, you will graduate with a firm understanding of the latest evidence-based conclusions about exercise and fitness.
Our students have high placement rates in Exercise Science careers and high acceptance rates into graduate programs. This is because we prepare you for what you want to do. As an Exercise Science Major, you will complete a career-relevant internship at a site of your choosing to gain real-world experience and build your professional network. One-on-one advising with faculty ensures that you will be guided towards your career goals. And there are opportunities for community involvement and leadership through our student-run clubs. With an emphasis on hands-on learning and skill development, you will leave with the knowledge and abilities needed to be successful.
The Exercise Science program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences.
Bachelor’s + 2 OTD Pathway
Students interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist have the option to participate in a guaranteed admission pathway for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at Wilson College. Students must complete a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at Shippensburg University and meet OTD program prerequisites for entry. For more information, please contact the Exercise Science Department.
Exercise Science, B.S., Concentrations
Our department offers one major, the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. Students must choose one of three concentrations within the major to specialize in: Allied Health Pre-Professional, Human Performance & Fitness, or Pre-Athletic Training (Accelerated 3+2 Pathway).
The Allied Health Pre-Professional Concentration prepares students for either work or further study in an allied health or health profession such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic medicine, nursing, physician assistant, orthotics and prosthetics, and more. The Human Performance & Fitness Concentration prepares students for work or further study in sport, fitness, and wellness professions such as personal training, group exercise instruction, strength and conditioning, sport coaching and training, wellness coaching, and more.
The Pre-Athletic Training Concentration allows students to become an Athletic Trainer in only 5 years (instead of the usual 6 years). This accelerated pathway has students complete their first 3 years at Shippensburg University and their final 2 years at one of our three partner institutions: Commonwealth University (Lock Haven campus), Jefferson University, or Messiah University. Students interested in different graduate programs can apply from one of our other concentrations.
Exercise Science, BS, Coursework
All undergraduate degree programs require a minimum of 120 credits, and for Exercise Science, this breaks down as follows:
- General Education: 46 - 47 credits
- Exercise Science Core: 29 credits
- Exercise Science Concentration: 25 credits
- Free Electives: 19 - 20 credits
- Total Credits to Graduate: 120 credits