You’ll learn and work with faculty-practitioners in a higher education program that’s one of few in the U.S. both accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Education Recognition Program.
Start your career with a huge advantage. You can graduate with up to two years of professional experience in the field through the hands-on programs we offer: personal training at the campus fitness facility, strength and conditioning with NVU NCAA athletes, research in our Exercise Physiology Laboratory, working with older adults in our Health/Fitness Intervention Program, and more. To boost your degree with marketable certifications, we offer exam-preparation classes for national certification as a personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and exercise physiologist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.
You’ll focus on your passion by choosing from our concentrations in health and fitness—strength and conditioning, pre-professional athletic training, pre-professional physical therapy, and the individualized program of study.
Exercise Science Concentrations
Health and Fitness—Strength and Conditioning
Students prepare for careers involving (but not limited to) personal training, group fitness instruction, strength and conditioning of athletes, health and fitness education, disease prevention and rehabilitation, and fitness facility operation. Students in the health fitness/strength and conditioning concentration also prepare for national certification examinations to include the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP), National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). In addition, students may choose to apply for graduate study.
Individualized Program of Study
This unique concentration area is reserved for students seeking advanced study in the field of Exercise Science, such as pre-professional occupational therapy*, pre-professional physician assistant, pre-professional nursing, and pre-professional dietetics. Students pursue a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Northern Vermont University and then apply to a graduate program of their choice. Students who are accepted into a graduate program pursue an applicable graduate degree and licensure. Students in the individualized program of study concentration also prepare for one or more national certification examinations to include the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP), National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and/or Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). Students work closely with their faculty advisor to create a proposed individualized program of study, which must be approved via department faculty vote prior to entering this concentration area.
Pre-Professional Athletic Training
Students pursue a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Northern Vermont University and then apply to an athletic training graduate school of their choice. Students who are accepted into a graduate program pursue a master’s degree in approximately two additional years of study and are eligible for certification as an Athletic Trainer (ATC). Students in the pre-professional athletic training concentration also prepare for national certification examinations to include the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
Pre-Professional Physical Therapy*
Students pursue a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Northern Vermont University and then apply to a physical therapy graduate program of their choice. Students who are accepted into a graduate program pursue a clinical doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) in approximately three additional years of study and are eligible for licensure as a Physical Therapist. Students in the pre-professional physical therapy concentration also prepare for national certification examinations to include the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP).
*Doctor of Physical Therapy/Masters of Occupational Therapy Articulation Agreement: The department of exercise science is thrilled to announce our articulation agreement with Methodist University of North Carolina. In this regard, the top two graduating students, as voted by department faculty, in both pre-professional physical therapy and the individualized program of study (pre-professional occupational therapy) will be granted admission to the respective graduate programs at Methodist University (pending meeting all admissions criteria and a successful on-campus interview).
View B.S. in Exercise Science Degree Requirements
Learn more about this major. This link will take you to the current Lyndon State website.
Lyndon State College and Johnson State College will become Northern Vermont University on July 1, 2018.