Earn a Master in Exercise Science | Online or One Night a Week at SNU

Program Overview

Helping others be their best requires the best education. Pursuing a degree in Exercise Science will set you apart to teach in academia, perform research, seek grant funding, and specialize in cardiac exercise, exercise rehabilitation, strength training, or elite human performance.

Health and Human Performance Track

Empowers students to prescribe plans to achieve and maintain elite human performance
Prepares graduates to communicate professionally and clearly across disciplines
Trains students to understand ethical and legal issues in the field

Health Promotion and Wellness Track (ONLINE ONLY)

Provides instruction on personal and community health, epidemiology, disease prevention, health behaviors, wellness and exercise
Trains graduates to analyze and interpret research data
Prepares students to effectively seek grant funding

week course format

start dates per year

Graduate in as few as

20 months

total credit hours

$575

per credit hour

Learn one night a week on campus or virtually/online

How it Works

Earning a degree while working full time or raising a family has never been more possible. Here’s why adult students are thriving and reaching their goals at SNU:

Classes take place one night a week or entirely online.
Students focus on one class at a time to ensure true mastery and prevent overwhelm.
Students study alongside other adults in similar stages of life.
Instructors with vast amounts of industry experience guide students through courses.
Textbooks are delivered directly to your door at the beginning of each class.
A dedicated student success advisor guides students through the duration of your studies.

Courses

The Exercise Science curriculum is designed to give students an in-depth understanding of health and how it relates to promoting health within the community or achieving ultimate human performance. All students take core classes, choose an elective, and then take classes in their designated track.

FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH

Credit hours: 3
This course provides an overview of the various aspects of contemporary health, wellness concepts and human performance. The curricular emphases provides and overview of historical perspectives, current status of health promotion, ethical principles, exercise science and risk reduction.

WRITING FOR RESEARCH

Credit hours: 3
This course is designed to advance students’ written communication skills. Emphasis will be given to scholarly writing style, evaluation and synthesis of research, and APA citations and references.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Credit hours: 3
This course will discuss physical activity epidemiology in light of various diagnoses including heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, disease and mortality, obesity, chronic disease, cancer/immunology, musculoskeletal system, mental health, and special populations. Research and measurement concepts of physical activity, fitness, and maintaining an active lifestyle will be utilized.

LEGAL PRINCIPLES IN WELLNESS MANAGEMENT

Credit hours: 3
This course provides students with the opportunity to gain insight and understanding about the law and its implications on professionals in the fields of health, wellness, sport, and fitness.

EXERCISE & WELLNESS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN

Credit hours: 3
This course is a study of the physiological, psychological, and social aspects of physical activity for older adults. Topics covered include an overview of aging, benefits of physical activity throughout the lifespan, and fitness assessment and programming options for older adults.

NUTRITION FOR SPORT PERFORMANCE

Credit hours: 3
This course examines a range of topics on human nutrition including nutritional parameters of athletic performance, intervention planning, energy production, the energy nutrients, vitamins and minerals, principles of balanced diets, timing and composition of intakes, hydration, weight management strategies, and nutritional needs for special situations.

GRANT WRITING & PROGRAM DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION & EVALUATION

Choose one elective course.

Credit hours: 3
This course provides knowledge and application of the grant writing process with specific focus on the health and wellness fields. This will include the development of skills required for Request for Proposals, writing, budgeting and submission of grants. The course will provide examples of sources to obtain grants and the differences that exist among different granting agencies. Students will also have the opportunity to develop a project for program design, implementation and evaluation for a health related organization.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Choose one elective course.

Credit hours: 3
This course is an introduction to research methods to analyze professional literature in exercise science. The course will explore both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be given to planning, conducting, and reporting of research as well as applied statistical analysis and interpretation of data from the field of exercise science. Students will produce an original pilot research project including statistical design.

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

LEADERSHIP & PLANNING IN HEALTH PROMOTION

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

Credit hours: 3
This course will review the effectiveness of leadership in the planning process of health promotion programming. This course focuses on improving the health and well-being of persons in various settings. Leadership styles will be reviewed and their application in organizational culture that supports various wellness program settings such as corporate, government, and hospital.

PSYCH OF HEALTH & ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

Credit hours: 3
This course examines widely accepted theories, models and methods for facilitating health behavior change. Topics include, but are not limited to, the trans-theoretical model, positive psychology, motivational interviewing and mindfulness-based practices. Additionally, students will explore the research-supported impact of behavior change techniques on the prevention and management of chronic diseases and comorbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, depression and hypertension.

COMMUNITY & CULTURAL HEALTH

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

Credit hours: 3
This course examines the field of community/public health and the functions and interface of community health practices, services and agencies. It will also introduce students to diverse cultures and factors that include perceptions of health, disease, treatments and values. Emphasis is placed on understanding diversity and the need for cultural sensitivity in health care.

CORPORATE WELLNESS & ENTREPRENEUR HEALTH

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

Credit hours: 3
This course examines corporate health promotion and planning can influence positive health behaviors in the workforce. Course curriculum will cover strategic and supportive services provided through corporate responsibility to reduce health care costs and chronic disease. This course provides health and wellness professionals with a practical framework for entrepreneurship, emphasizing key principles for business success. The student will develop a business plan to prepare for challenges they may face in starting their own health related business.

FITNESS & WELLNESS ASSESSMENT & PROGRAM DESIGN

Health Promotion & Wellness Track

Credit hours: 3
This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to conduct laboratory and field tests used for assessing physical fitness components. It will focus on cardio respiratory fitness, muscular fitness, body composition, flexibility, and balance. The course emphasis is an integrative approach to technology for both individual and corporate wellness principles, techniques and application.