BS Exercise Science

You will be able to understand and conduct fitness assessments and create and implement exercise prescriptions. Graduates are also prepared to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist Exam.

Graduates are skilled in evaluating health behaviors and risk factors, as well as using effective oral and written communications within an interprofessional health care team.

You will be able to motivate individuals to learn positive lifestyle behaviors to promote better health.

Applicants to the Parkinson School should complete the following courses in high school:

• One unit of chemistry
• One unit of biology
• Two units of math (one in algebra, one in geometry)
• Four units of English
• One unit of social science
• Four units in other courses (computers or Spanish recommended)

Exercise science is the study of human movement performed to maintain or improve physical fitness. Exercise science includes such subjects as biomechanics, exercise physiology, exercise psychology, cardiac rehabilitation, athletic training, and fitness for special population groups.

With a BS in exercise science, students can work as exercise physiologists, accredited professionals who conduct physical fitness assessments and develop exercise plans. You might work at a health care center, with patients who have medical conditions that they need help managing or are recovering from illness or injury. Or, you could work at a fitness center that helps healthy people get in shape and maintain their fitness level.

Loyola graduates with a BS in exercise science are prepared to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Physiologist Exam and work as a physiologist. Many students go on to earn master's and doctoral degrees in the field, or attend graduate school for physical therapy. Learn more about Loyola's master's degree in exercise science — including the five-year master's program for undergraduate exercise science majors.

Students in other programs who want to expand their skills in exercise science can pursue a minor in this field. This program is an excellent option for students who want to work in the growing field of allied health, wellness, and fitness: Exercise Science Minor 2020-2021

The BS in Exercise Science program is located at Loyola’s Lakeshore Campus. Multiple laboratory spaces, including the MSES Human Performance Laboratory located in the newly constructed Alfie Norville Practice facility, are well-equipped. Students will be exposed to state-of-the-art equipment in both classroom and laboratory settings, in addition to when they are conducting research independently or with faculty in the lab. BSES students will have access to equipmment including an electrocardiogram, heart rate monitors, laboratory treadmills, cycle ergometers, Olympic lifting platforms, resistance training equipment portable metabolic carts, force plates, electromyography, and body composition devices in these labs.