See All the Benefits of an Exercise Science Degree

When fitness, exercise, and evaluating the possibilities of human performance excite you, get to know the B.S. in Exercise Science degree. Exercise science programs develop professionals who specialize in designing and implementing safe and effective exercise programs for individuals with varied backgrounds and needs.

Exercise scientists do things like

• Explore the link between injuries, performance, and optimal body biomechanics
• Develop new approaches involving diet, appetite regulation, overall health, and functional performance
• Continue into advanced healthcare roles in cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation.

The World Needs What Exercise Science Graduates Know

Here’s an overview of what an exercise science students study:

• Learning how – and why –the human body responds to training.
• Seeing how exercise can prevent and treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis
• Exploring optimal physical function for the increasing number of senior adults who want to stay active and live as independently as possible
• Advise and help individual make better nutrition choices to support their performance, from day-to-day activities to sports
• Improving physical preparation and performance standards for physically intense occupations.
• Exploring exercise biomechanics to help athletes minimize the risks of injury and improve their performance.

See Where Your Degree Can Take You

• Becoming personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports performance leaders
• Designing/managing community or corporate health and wellness programs
• Healthcare-related roles, such as cardiac rehabilitation
• Researching  best practices of human performance and conditioning
• Serving as a pre-health professional education (chiropractic, physical therapy, physician assistant, athletic trainer)
• Post-graduate study, such as the M.S. in exercise physiology and sports performance

Why Exercise Science Graduates are Needed Now

• More than 7% of adults in the U.S. believe in having an exercise plan, although many don’t reach their goals because what they’re doing isn’t right for them.
• Only about 20% of youth age 10-19 meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: getting at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. The National Youth Sports Strategy seeks to increase sports participation in all areas of the U.S.
• Today, more than 84% of companies with a workforce of 200 or more offer a workplace wellness program, incentives for healthy behaviors, or both.
• Exercise science also provides insight for today’s senior adult population. Example: A research study explored the impact of a new low-mass, high-repetition/duration skeletal muscle training regimen. The results indicate this approach would benefit older adults with chronic disease conditions.

One exercise science program coordinator interviewed describes why people choose this unique program. “People who choose exercise science are those that have wanted to help themselves in the areas of sport or fitness, know others that need help or have dealt with family members or friends with various diseases, like diabetes or heart disease. When students leave here with the ES degree, they can immediately go out and help people make changes in their lives.”

ES Coursework Framework

An exercise science degree can often be completed in as little as three years. One example of an exercise science curriculum:

• 34 credit hours of general education
• 28 credit hours of physical science and mathematics
• 46 credit hours of core courses
• 12 credit hours of electives.
  120 credit hours

Are you eager to help people embrace behaviors that allow them to control and improve their health? A degree in exercise science offers a way to achieve that goal.

Your Exercise Science Degree at Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC)

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, within the Kansas City metro. For more than 100 years, CUKC has been educating and developing leaders in health promotion. We do that by embracing behaviors that empower people to control and improve their health.

Most students seeking a B.S. in Exercise Science at CUKC can complete their degree in about three years. Our students receive hands-on instruction and gain practical experience through classes, campus lab experiences, and internships.

Features of our program include:

• Preparation for national certification exams in the Health/Fitness industry
• High-quality science/life science coursework
• On-campus exercise science lab
• Personalized internship component
• Exercise science students can begin general education courses at the start of any College of Health Sciences term.

Advantage: B.S./D.C. Degree Plan

Our exercise science degree program can also be concurrent with our Doctor of Chiropractic degree. In other words, you can earn your undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) on the way to earning your D.C. degree, reducing total time in school.

To get started, connect with a CUKC admissions adviser here. You can learn more about the degree and career information with this free eBook: Your Guide to an Exercise Science Degree.