The Division of Exercise Physiology offers a Masters of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. Two tracks exist (i) a clinical (non-thesis) program and (ii) a thesis program.

The clinical track program (3-4 semester program). The healthcare system continues to change and grow with a greater emphasis placed on chronic disease prevention rather than treatment. The knowledge you gained (both didactic and experiential) through this program will place students at the forefront of this movement, that is the required exercise specialists with expertise in disease management. We have designed the M.S. clinical EXPH program to give our students a strong academic and hands on clinical application that mirrors the ACSM requirements. This approach helps to ensure that students are well prepared to take the Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP) exam as well as serve the clinical populations with whom they will be working with. In addition, our program also supports students who wish to pursue other professional programs (medical school, physician’s assistant, physical therapy etc), and for those who wish to continue onto a research setting.

The thesis track program (2 year program) is intended to give exceptional students knowledge in basic medical and scientific areas to prepare them for entry into advanced research intensive or professional careers (e.g., Ph.D., MD/Ph.D., PT, OT, dentistry, pharmacy, etc). Students in the thesis track will typically complete the coursework and research thesis within two academic years. Graduate work involves a program of study and research individually designed to utilize the abilities and strengths of the faculty and accommodate the needs of the student within a specific area of interest. Although there are common goals, expectations, and courses that will be universal for all masters’ graduate students, the exact content of a program of study may differ from one student to another.

The mission for the M.S. clinical track program is to be an innovative leader in the promotion of exercise in healthcare.

The objectives of the program are:

1. Provide current, integrative scientific education in the biomedical and clinical sciences to graduates from an accredited undergraduate institution.

2. Provide clinical experiential learning opportunities working with patients diagnosed with various acute and/or chronic disease conditions.

3. Provide high quality instruction on health assessments and measurements thereby allowing for safe and effective exercise prescriptions for clinical populations.

4. Train students to be proficient with electronic medical records for improving patient care.

5. Encourage students to embrace and utilize advancements in physical activity monitoring and tracking with clinical populations, thereby improving the overall healthcare delivery process.

6. Prepare graduate students with the required knowledge and clinical experiences to be eligible to sit for the ACSM’s CEP certification.

7. Provide students the opportunity to participate in, discover, and advance the role of exercise in healthcare by engaging in innovative research projects.

8. Develop integrative and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully apply scientific knowledge to clinical settings.

9. Enhance professionalism and career skills in a clinical or rehabilitation settings.

Goals and Objectives of the Program

The M.S. thesis track program provides students training to develop their research skills that will lead to a career in clinical health research, clinical care, or additional research-intensive training (e.g., Ph.D.).

The objectives of the program are:

1. Provide integrative basic and applied scientific education to graduates from an accredited undergraduate institution.

2. Provide the opportunity to obtain training in scientific principles of research that are applied to a health or disease problem.

3. Develop integrative and critical thinking skills to allow application of scientific knowledge.

4. Enhance competitiveness for admission to a health professional (e.g., medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, doctor of chiropractor, nursing, physician assistant and/or Ph.D.) program.

5. Enhance skills for job placement in a clinical or rehabilitation setting or for additional graduate education including preparation in data analysis, interpretation, and presentation as well as writing and discussing data outcome and interpretation of data.