A 22 credit minor in exercise science is available to students in any degree program seeking a formal
introduction to the exercise science field. An undergraduate degree focusing on exercise science may be
designed by including this minor in a Bachelor of Science in wellness, health promotion & injury prevention, a Bachelor of Integrative Studies, or a Bachelor of Science in health sciences plan of work. Courses required for the minor include: HS 201; EXS 204, 304*, 306*, and 350*; and 6 credits from the following electives, EXS 103*, 105*, 202, 203, 205, 207*, 215, 321, 360, 403, 405, 410, 415, 425, 435, 445, 450, 465, 483, 493 (2 credits maximum); WHP 208, 210, 305, 310, 360, 420. Courses denoted with an asterisk (*) represent prerequisite courses for admission to the Master of Science in exercise science program. (An additional prerequisite for admission to this graduate program is STA 225 or 226 or PSY 251.)
For a checklist of requirements for the minor in Exercise Science click here.
Minor Course Descriptions:
HS 201 Health in Personal and Occupational Environments (4)
Current information about the impact of environmental and lifestyle factors on health. The impact of exercise, weight control, substance abuse, nutrition and stress management on a person's ability to cope with environmental stresses will be analyzed. Satisfies the general education requirement in the natural science and technology knowledge exploration area
EXS 103 Exercise (Strength Training) and Health Enhancement (2)
Examination of lifestyle factors related to disease prevention and improved quality of life. Combines regular strength training exercise and health enhancement lectures. Offered all semesters.
EXS 105 Cardiovascular Fitness Training (2)
Examination of lifestyle factors related to disease prevention and improved quality of life. Combines exposure to walking-jogging exercise, aerobics exercise, standard cardiovascular training equipment, swimming exercise and health enhancement lectures. Offered all semesters.
EXS 202 Introduction to Exercise Science (2)
Introduction to the basic concepts from different areas of exercise science (e.g. motor learning, exercise physiology, biomechanics). Offered spring semester.
EXS 203 Group Exercise Instruction I (2)
Theory and practice of safe and effective exercise instruction for individual and group resistance training programs. Excellent preparation for personal training. Focus on program design, practical skills of exercise instruction, progression, effective communication, facilities and equipment, legal issues, and risk management. Spring semester.
Prerequisite: EXS 103 or instructor permission.
EXS 204 Weight Control, Nutrition and Exercise (4)
Exploration of the role of exercise and optimal nutrition in weight control/loss. Emphasis on effective eating, energy balance, physiology of weight loss, behavior modification and health risks of obesity. Includes practical laboratory experiences. Recommended for students wishing to develop successful weight loss/control skills and improved nutritional habits. Fall, winter and spring semesters.
EXS 205 Group Exercise Instruction II (2)
Theory and practice of safe and effective exercise instruction for group aerobic exercise training programs. Focus on training class styles and formats, practical skills of exercise instruction, progression, cueing, pattern building, choreography, and learning styles including visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Land- and water-based programs. Summer semester.
Prerequisite: EXS 105, EXS 203 or instructor permission.
EXS 207 Safety and First Aid in Exercise Settings (2)
Understanding of procedures in the immediate and temporary care of victims of an accident or sudden illness in exercise settings. Safety concerns regarding exercise facilities, equipment and programs. Certification in American Red Cross ''Responding to Emergencies'' and ''Basic Life Support'' upon completion. Fall, winter and spring semesters.
EXS 215 Stress Management (2)
Concepts and techniques to enable students to manage stress more effectively. Offered every term.
EXS 304 Exercise Physiology (3)
Effects of exercise and physical training on the physiological systems of the body, with emphasis on cardio-respiratory systems. Includes muscle contraction mechanisms, circulatory and respiratory adjustment during exercise, and nutrition for physical activity. Fall and winter semesters.
Prerequisite: BIO 111 and BIO 207.
Co-requisite: EXS 306.
EXS 306 Exercise Physiology Laboratory (1)
Laboratory experiences are provided for insight into the dynamics of human movement from research and clinical perspectives. Fall and winter semesters.
Prerequisites: BIO 111 and BIO 207.
Co-requisite: EXS 304.
EXS 321 Basic Athletic Training (2)
Course directed to competitive sports and the recognition and immediate care of athletic injuries. Evaluative and treatment procedures and techniques are presented and practiced. Identical with PT 321.
Prerequisite: BIO 205, BIO 207, EXS 350.
EXS 350 Human Motion Analysis (4)
The anatomical kinesiology and the mechanical bases of human movement in daily life, exercise, rehabilitation, sport, and work settings are analyzed. Satisfies the university general education requirement for a writing intensive course in general education or the major, not both. Satisfies the university general education requirement for the capstone experience. Prerequisite for writing intensive: completion of the university writing foundation requirement.
Prerequisite: BIO 205.
EXS 360 Healthy Lifestyle Choices (2)
A biopsychosocial approach to exercise and other healthy lifestyle choices. Focus is on the dimensions of wellness, factors influencing lifestyle choices, the theory and practice of behavior change, and health promotion concepts. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 360 and EXS 560. Offered fall semester and spring term.
Prerequisite: PSY 100, EXS 204 or EXS 304 or HS 201.
EXS 401 Practicum in Exercise Science (5)
Supervised exercise science experience in a program-approved setting with application of HS/EXS and general education knowledge. Students demonstrate exercise science competencies, keep a daily journal, write a critical analysis of the experience, and successfully pass site supervisor evaluation. Satisfies the university general education requirement for the capstone experience. All semesters.
Prerequisite: HS 201, EXS 304, EXS 350, completion of general education knowledge foundation courses, and EXS program director permission.
EXS 403 Human Performance Enhancement (2)
Advanced topics and trends in modern strength and conditioning program design and implementation. Topics include muscle physiology, neuromuscular physiology, performance profiles, periodization, and the theory behind developing adequate strength, mass, flexibility, power, and stability programs. Credit will not be awarded for both EXS 403 and EXS 503.
Prerequisite: EXS 103 or instructor permission.
EXS 405 Health and Disease (2)
Examination of the health and medical record with a focus on the history, physical exam, and laboratory and imaging studies. The pathogenesis of representative diseases that are lifestyle related are emphasized. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 405 and EXS 505. Offered spring term.
Prerequisite: BIO 111 and BIO 207, or instructor permission. BIO 205 recommended.
EXS 406 The Brain and Disease (2)
Reviews current neurological research on the brain in health and disease, including addiction, depression, stroke, viral infections, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Emphasis on multidisciplinary research studies on the role of exercise and nutritional antioxidents. Identical with HS 406. Spring elective.
Prerequisite: EXS 304, HS 401 or instructor permission.
EXS 410 Clinical Biomechanics (2)
The pathomechanics of the human musculoskeletal system. Topics include properties of human tissue, mechanisms of injury, pathokinesiology, and principles of musculoskeletal exercise prescription. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 410 and EXS 610. Offered fall semester in evennumbered years.
Prerequisite: EXS 350 or instructor permission.
EXS 415 Exercise Endocrinology (2)
A cellular and stystems physiology approach to human hormone function during exercise. Interaction of neuron-endocrine responses during exercise and body fluid regulation, hemostasis, the immune system, regulation of fuel use, biological rhythms, reproductive cycles, analgesia and tissue repair. Hormones are ergogenic aids. Offered spring term.
Prerequisite: BIO 207 and EXS 304, or instructor permission.
EXS 425 Exercise Electrocardiography (2)
Theoretical and applied concepts of resting and exercise electrocardiography (ECG), the normal ECG, and factors contributing to abnormal ECG. Students experience exercise test applications of the ECG and learn to recognize life-threatening arrhythmias. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 425 and 625. Offered spring term.
Prerequisite: EXS 304 or permission of instructor.
EXS 435 Environment and Human Performance (2)
Human adaptation to major factors that can significantly influence human movement in diverse micro- and macro-environments, including temperature, altitude, precipitation, light, noise and socio-cultural factors. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 435 and EXS 635. Offered fall semester in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisite: EXS 304.
EXS 445 Physical Activity and Aging (2)
The effects of aging on physical work capacity, body composition, and cardiovascular, pulmonary, neuromuscular and musculoskeletal function. The principles for prescribing and conducting physical conditioning programs to retard the aging process are included. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 445 and EXS 545. Offered summer term.
Prerequisite: EXS 304 and EXS 350.
EXS 450 Children and Exercise (2)
Physical activity and the growth, maturation, motor development, and motor learning of children from birth through adolescence. Skill and performance enhancement, exercise program design, biomechanics, and injury and disease prevention are discussed. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 450 and EXS 550. Offered summer term in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisite: EXS 304 and EXS 350.
EXS 465 Corporate and Worksite Wellness Programs (2)
Concepts underlying corporate and worksite health promotion programs, including: health and exercise program planning, facility planning and design, program management, staffing, equipment selection, safety and legal issues, and marketing. Credit will not be granted for both EXS 465 and EXS 565. Offered spring term.
Prerequisite: EXS 304 or instructor permission.
EXS 483 Special Topics (1, 2, 3 or 4)
An advanced course involving study of current topics in the practical application of exercise principles. Topics vary. May be repeated for additional credit.
Prerequisite: Program permission.
EXS 493 Directed Study and Research (1, 2, 3 or 4)
Special study areas and research in exercise science. May be repeated for additional credit. Offered every semester.
Prerequisite: Program permission.
WHP 208 Advanced First Aid /CPR Instruction (2)
Fundamentals of First Aid Instructor training are provided, leading to instructor certification. Students identify appropriate first aid and CPR teaching methods, apply appropriate individual and group learning facilitation skills, and become conversant with the teaching of several advanced first aid and safety modules.
Prerequisite: EXS 207.
WHP 210 Water Safety and Lifeguard Training (2)
Fundamentals of water safety and lifeguard instruction are covered, leading to certification. Students are provided with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to water-based emergencies, and care for related injuries.
Prerequisite: EXS 207; ability to swim 400/m using breaststroke and front crawl stroke.
WHP 305 Laboratory in Assessment and Interventions (4)
This corequisite laboratory course complements WHP 300 by preparing students for the rigors of implementating health risk appraisals and physical assessment techniques. Design of intervention strategies for lifestyle and health enhancement, and disease prevention are covered. This course is writing intensive. Satisfies the university general education requirement for the capstone experience or the knowledge application integration area, not both. Prerequisite for knowledge application: completion of the general education requirement in the social science and the natural science and technology knowledge exploration areas. Satisfies the university general education requirement for a writing intensive course in general education or the major, not both.
Prerequisite for writing intensive: completion of the university writing foundation requirement.
WHP 310 Injury Prevention, Control, and Safety Promotion (4)
Epidemiology of unintentional or intentional injuries, including violence: Topics include magnitude and cost to society, issues, principles, models, surveillance, advocacy, educational, environmental and enforcement intervention strategies, and program evaluation, for safety in the home, during activities of daily living, sport, leisure, recreational, occupational, and high-risk activities. Satisfies the university general education requirement in the knowledge applications integration area. Satisfies the university general education requirement for a writing intensive course in general education or in the major, not both. Prerequisite: Completion of the university writing foundation requirement. Completion of the university general education requirement in either the natural science and technology or the social science knowledge exploration area. HS 201 or PSY 100 recommended.
WHP 360 Wellness Facilitation (4)
Processes designed to facilitate optimum human interaction in a wellness setting. Fundamental issues related to the presentation of health promotion messages for one-to-one, small or large group settings. Topics include individual and group dynamics, development, written and oral presentation of wellness-related information, non-verbal communication, debate, persuasion, leadership, problem solving, change and conflict.
Prerequisites: HS 201 and PSY 100.
WHP 420 Ergonomics (3)
Functional application of concepts in kinesiology related to human capability and applied to human work in various occupational settings. Students are introduced to human-machine interface systems, environmental challenge and wellness objectives of reduced energy expenditure, enhanced health and safety, and increased productivity and human satisfaction. Identical with OSH 445.
Prerequisite: WHP 300.