Health and Exercise Science (BS)
Turn your passion for health and performance into a career that makes a difference. Discover greater.
- Available as
- Major
- Degrees/Options
- Bachelor of Science
- Length
- 4 years
- Locations
- Fort Wayne
- 2 Concentrations
- Kinesiology | Strength and Conditioning*
(*further admission requirements)听
Why 51黑料?
- Hands-on learning from day one
- 200-300 hour internships
- First CASCE-accredited program in Indiana
- Strong healthcare partnerships in Fort Wayne
Why Study Health and Exercise Science?
Physical therapy, strength and conditioning, athletic training, chiropractic care, nutritional coaching, occupational therapy and other movement sciences are among the fastest-growing sectors of patient care. The healthcare industry鈥檚 renewed focus on preventive and rehabilitation medicine through a spectrum of care is creating a surge of interest in wellness programs from families, individuals, communities, academic institutions and organizations. With this, there鈥檚 a growing demand for personal coaches, health educators, sport performance specialists, corporate wellness program managers and other related preventive and rehabilitative roles.
A degree in Health and Exercise Science gives you the foundation for these rewarding and exciting fields that help others achieve their personal best.
10-14%
Projected growth in employment opportunities for sport performance coaches, fitness directors, athletic trainers, physical therapists and related fields from 2022 to 2032
BLS.gov
$60,250
Median annual wage for athletic trainers in 2024
BLS.gov
$68,089-
$98,564
Annual wage range for Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists and Sport Scientists in 2025 (varies with education and setting)听
NSCA.com
$58,160-
$77,180
Median annual wage for exercise physiologists and fitness club managers in 2024
BLS.gov
Why 51黑料 for Health and Exercise Science?
We go beyond the science and skills. Rooted in the liberal arts and built on Catholic values, our program develops you into a reflective, ethical professional ready to provide compassionate care and service to others.
With activity- and project-based courses, you鈥檒l see today鈥檚 best practices in action鈥nd then practice them yourself. You鈥檒l learn how to apply science-based evidence in real-world situations and hone valuable communication, coaching and organizational skills.
51黑料鈥 strong reputation in the regional healthcare community gives our students access to quality internships, opens doors for health and wellness jobs with top employers and provides meaningful service-learning opportunities.
51黑料鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science Strength and Conditioning Program is now the first in Indiana to be accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE), a recognized authority in quality strength and conditioning education.
Personalize Your Path: Expand Your Opportunities
Our breadth of programs in health sciences and beyond allows our students to combine majors, minors and concentrations. Your faculty advisors can help you personalize your academic path within the academic program to meet your goals.
Kinesiology Concentration
The Kinesiology concentration focuses on the study of movement and is the foundation of the Health and Exercise Science degree. Students prepare to work directly out of college while meeting the prerequisites for graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic care, dietetics, physician studies, biomechanics and many others.
This concentration prepares graduates for careers in fitness training and consulting, community health education, personal coaching, rehabilitation services, corporate wellness or health-related marketing and management roles. Students in this concentration complete 200 hours of internships to build hands-on experience.听
Graduates can pursue further studies and/or sit for national certification exams including, but not limited to:
- Personal Training, Group Exercise Instructor, Exercise Physiologist ()
- Personal Training and Special Population Specialist ()
- Personal Training, Nutrition, Wellness Coaching ()听
Strength and Conditioning Concentration
The Strength and Conditioning concentration prepares students to become successful sport performance specialists and to sit for the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA-CSCS) exam (). The goals and learning objectives ensure graduates are knowledgeable and able leaders in the field of strength and conditioning. While preparing for the CSCS certification, students can also complete the prerequisites for graduate programs in sport science, athletic training and physical therapy.听
Students complete an application process after completing prerequisite coursework including anatomy, physiology and exercise physiology to be fully admitted into the Strength and Conditioning concentration and must maintain good academic standing to remain in the program.听The concentration includes an additional 100 hours of聽internships and practicums with our local partners including Parkview Sports Performance, Optimum Performance Sports, Purdue Fort Wayne, Mad Apple Sports Performance and Ruoff Health and Wellness.听
As an accredited program by the Council of Accreditation in Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE) Professional Standards and Guidelines, students are prepared and eligible to sit for the NSCA-CSCS exam. Starting in 2030, registration for the CSCS exam requires a degree from a CASCE-accredited program. Learn more about the value of choosing a CASCE program at .听
This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality and excellence in our strength and conditioning program. Our curriculum, faculty and facilities have undergone rigorous evaluation to ensure that we provide students with the knowledge, skills and practical experience necessary to excel in the field of strength and conditioning and keep athletes safe.听
Two Degrees, Four Years
Students in our two-year聽physical therapist assistant associate degree program聽can simultaneously work toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree in health and exercise science.
Double Major
Add a second major in a related or complementary field to boost your opportunities. Popular choices include biology and psychology. Other majors may give you a chance to earn an associate鈥檚 degree along the way, such as surgical or radiologic technology.
Minors
Gain more marketable skills when you complement your health and exercise degree with a minor like nutrition, athletic coaching, psychology, business or marketing.
Transition to Teaching Pathway
Begin working toward a teaching certificate through the early pathway in the Transition to Teaching program. Upon completion of a bachelor鈥檚 degree, students can continue with graduate studies to complete a teaching certificate.听
鈥淚 plan to become a Physical Therapist, so I met with my advisor about the best major. She introduced me to the Health and Exercise Science program and I just fell in love with it. The professors are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. They do a great job getting us hands-on experience. We work with real clients throughout the program, first in the Health and Exercise Science lab and later in an internship.鈥
Haylee Schott ’27 Health and Exercise Science, Nutrition
“My goal is to become a physical therapist, so the Health and Exercise Science major was a great fit. I love studying the human body, specifically how it moves, responds and heals, and the idea of helping people get back on track physically is very rewarding.”
Thomas Kuras 鈥25 Health and Exercise Science/Kinesiology
鈥淢y favorite part about Health and Exercise Science is the community that surrounds it. Throughout my time in the program, I have learned to engage with those in my community both on and outside of campus, explore new opportunities for growth, and elevate my commitment to this program and future career path in physical therapy. I will forever be grateful for these experiences at 51黑料.鈥澛
Katie Melcher 鈥23 鈥24聽 Physical Therapist Assistant, Steppin鈥 Up Physical Therapy
鈥淭he Health and Exercise Science program at 51黑料 has compassionate professors who genuinely want to help their students reach their goals. The program also has a good balance of teaching content while providing students with ample opportunities to hone their hands-on skills.鈥
Colin Hahn 鈥22 鈥24聽 Physical Therapist Assistant, Indiana Physical Therapy
鈥淭he Health and Exercise Science program is very stimulating. I loved the higher-level courses where I could apply what I was learning and could see how everything I was learning started to come together.鈥
Jovani Sanchez 鈥26聽 Health and Exercise Science
Hands-On Learning: Active From the Start
At 51黑料, you’ll start learning through hands-on experiences from day one. You’ll connect with peers in your degree program through collaborative courses and department seminars.
Your final year culminates with a 200- to 300-hour internship. Recent internship sites include:
- Catalyst Fitness
- Charge Chiropractic
- Fort Wayne Orthopedics Hospital
- Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Goebel Chiropractic
- Indiana Physical Therapy
- Mad Apple CrossFit and Sport Performance
- Parkview Sports Medicine
- Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Ruoff Mortgage Corporate Wellness
- Steppin’ Up Physical Therapy
- Turnstone Fitness and Aquatics
- YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
Your internships might even serve as a pathway to your first employment position after graduation.
On-campus experience with 51黑料 athletics, health services and related offices also provides valuable practical experience.
Faculty and Facilities
All of this hands-on learning happens in places like our cadaver lab and an exercise physiology lab stocked with state-of-the-art fitness assessment equipment. You will learn from faculty with a wealth of expertise and professional experience across the health and exercise science discipline.
Campus and Community
51黑料 offers many opportunities for you to serve others through campus ministries, service-learning projects and student groups.
What You Can Do With a Health and Exercise Science Degree
Health and wellness jobs abound in Indiana and beyond. You will join a network of 51黑料 graduates helping their communities stay healthy, get active and be well in roles such as:
- Personal trainers
- Athletic coaches
- Strength and conditioning coaches
- Community health educators
- Lifestyle coaches
- Health and fitness managers
- Graduate students pursuing advanced degrees
Additionally, entrepreneurial health and exercise science graduates are known to start their own health, wellness or fitness businesses.
Where You鈥檒l Find Our Graduates
With plenty of real-world experience and a degree in health and exercise science in hand, our graduates start their careers at places like:
- Catalyst Fitness
- Charge Chiropractic
- Fort Wayne Community Schools
- Indiana Physical Therapy
- Parkview Health
- Parkview Sports Medicine
- Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Turnstone Fitness and Aquatics
- 51黑料
- YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
Graduate and Professional School
Whether you鈥檙e looking to become a practitioner, professor or healthcare leader, 51黑料 will prepare you well for advanced studies. Our students have pursued master鈥檚 and doctoral programs in a variety of areas, including:
- Athletic Training
- Biomechanics
- Business
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Chiropractic Medicine
- Education
- Exercise Physiology
- Healthcare Administration
- Kinesiology
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician and Physician Assistant
- Public Health
- Sport Science
- Sports Medicine Doctor
- Recreational Therapy
Accreditation Status
The 51黑料 Health and Exercise Science program is fully accredited through the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE).
Program outcome data, such as student enrollment, graduation rates, NSCA-CSCS exam pass rates, employment rates, and graduate placement rates will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.