Exercise Science Major and Minor

Learn how the human body responds to movement and exercise. Teach everyone from elite athletes to patients recovering from surgery to improve their overall health and wellness. Help create a healthier—and happier—population.

Group of students working together in a laboratory

Why Study Exercise Science at Albion?

You’ll merge a scientific foundation with hands-on skills. In our exercise science program, you’ll focus on how the body reacts and adapts to exercise. You’ll learn how to promote health through movement, across different populations.

As an exercise science major, you’ll be prepared for a wide variety of careers. Our students become physician assistants, nurses, registered dietitians, athletic trainers, occupational therapists, physical therapists and doctors. In fact, 100 percent of our students who apply to graduate school for physical therapy are accepted.

What Will You Learn as an Exercise Science Major?

You'll learn the science behind the human body and how it moves and functions. You'll take courses in nutrition, anatomy, biomechanics and physiology.

You’ll learn how to assess an individual’s various components of physical fitness and then design an exercise prescription to improve their overall health and wellness.

You’ll choose from electives on topics such as epidemiology, strength and conditioning, musculoskeletal assessment and care and prevention of athletic injuries. Study your interests in depth and select advanced coursework aligned with your intended career path.

Major Courses Minor Courses

Highlights

Human Performance Lab

Students on computers in a lab setting, with a model of a skeleton in the background.

Gain hands-on experience putting your knowledge into practice in our Human Performance Lab. Learn how to assess the various aspects of health and fitness and then use those skills in the classroom and in research opportunities with our faculty. You will be measuring body composition, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, flexibility and more.

Research Opportunities

Two students observing test tubes while wearing protective goggles.

Many of our majors and minors work with student athletes, or are student athletes themselves. You can participate in our multiple ongoing research studies with Albion athletic teams. We also conduct studies with the general population of Albion College and ultra-endurance athletes. We’ve even worked with elementary school children. Thinking about graduate school? Hands-on research experience will boost your application.

Internships

Gain professional experience while still in school and explore the careers you’d like to pursue. Our students have recently interned in cardiac rehabilitation with Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids.

Careers & Outcomes

A major or minor in exercise science prepares you for a variety of careers in the health and fitness fields, or to pursue graduate school in health professions like physical therapy, nursing and occupational therapy. Recent graduates of our program have gone on to work in positions with the University of Toledo, the Philadelphia 76ers and the University of Wisconsin Health System, among others. Below are examples of some of the professions our students choose, as well as graduate programs our students have recently attended.