Degree Offered
- Associate of Science
Nature of the Program
The associate of science degree in exercise physiology program provides the first two years of the bachelors degree program. Exercise physiology is the study of biological and biochemical processes associated with exercise and overload that affects the underlying function of cells and organ systems in the human body. Upon transfer into and completion of a bachelors program in exercise physiology, students can enter the workforce or apply to various graduate programs.
Career Opportunities
Exercise physiologists work to prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease in healthy participants or to provide therapeutic or functional benefits to patients with known disease. Services may be offered in a variety of medical settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and out-patient clinics; in community, corporate, commercial, and university fitness and wellness centers; in nursing homes and senior citizens centers; as well as in research and academic settings.
Exercise physiologists are trained to evaluate people in the areas of cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, neuromuscular integration, and body composition. They are also trained to provide exercise programs based on the results of these evaluations that are designed to increase the functional capacity of the participants.
Exercise physiologists work with athletes, patients, and healthy participants in the areas of disease prevention in wellness programs or rehabilitation in hospital settings. The bachelor of science program is a preparatory program for graduate school. Graduates of this program continue their studies in exercise physiology, physical therapy, medicine, or other health-related careers. Graduates of the master of science or doctoral program find employment in corporate wellness, hospital rehabilitation, higher education, or other research settings.
Faculty
Chair
- Erin Cunningham - M.S. Biology
Year @ PSC 2007
Advisors
- Candace Lawrence - M.A. Math
Year @ PSC 2017 - Jessie O'Quinn - Ph.D. Higher Education, M.S. Mathematics
Year @ PSC 2019
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 6 |
| EXPH 101 | Introduction to Exercise Physiology | 2 |
| EXPH 240 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| EXPH 364 | Kinesiology | 3 |
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (or higher - GEF 3) | 3 |
| or MATH 155 | Calculus 1 | |
| MATH 128 | Plane Trigonometry | 3 |
| or MATH 129 | Pre-Calculus Mathematics | |
| or MATH 155 | Calculus 1 | |
| STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference | 3 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| CHEM 116 & 116L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| PHYS 101 & 101L | Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 102 & 102L | Introductory Physics 2 and Introductory Physics 2 Laboratory | 4 |
| PSIO 241 | Elementary Physiology | 4 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| PSYC 241 | Introduction to Human Development | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| Select one of the following tracks: | 12 | |
General Track: | ||
| General Biology 1 and General Biology 1 Laboratory | ||
| General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory | ||
General Elective | ||
Health Professions Track: | ||
| Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Physiology and Introductory Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Cellular and Molecular Biology and Cellular & Molecular Biology Laboratory | ||
| General Elective | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 62 | |
- *
If students choose to take EXPH 240, they will need to take an additional 2 credit hours of electives in order to meet the total 60 credit hour program requirement.
Suggested Plan of Study for General Track
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 101 & 101L (GEF 2) | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | BIOL 102 & 102L | 4 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | EXPH 101 | 2 |
| MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | MATH 128 | 3 |
| EXPH 240 | 2 | PSYC 241 | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | Elective | 1 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PHYS 101 & 101L (GEF 8) | 4 | PHYS 102 & 102L | 4 |
| EXPH 364 | 3 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 8) | 4 | PSIO 241 | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | STAT 211 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 62 | |||
Suggested Plan of Study for Health Professions Track
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | BIOL 117 & 117L | 4 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | EXPH 101 | 2 |
| MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | MATH 128 | 3 |
| EXPH 240 | 2 | PSYC 241 | 3 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | Elective | 1 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PHYS 101 & 101L (GEF 8) | 4 | PHYS 102 & 102L | 4 |
| EXPH 364 | 3 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 8) | 4 | PSIO 241 | 4 |
| BIOL 219 & 219L | 4 | STAT 211 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 62 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Exercise Physiology
Upon completion of the associates in exercise physiology program, students will be able to:
- Identify physiological, molecular, cellular and integrative systems concepts in exercise physiology.
- Relate and apply mathematical and physics concepts to how the body moves and functions.
- Use chemical principles and laboratory techniques to describe and analyze the chemical structure.
- Transfer into a bachelor degree program in exercise physiology.