The Department of Health & Human Performance strives to cultivate student development through an innovative curriculum and transformative learning experiences to develop future leaders in the field of exercise science as well as a variety of health science professions.
The mission of the Department of Health & Human Performance is to provide an extraordinary education through integrative student-centered teaching, research opportunities, and experiential learning related to human movement. The scope of education and scholarship ranges from the cellular to the psychosocial; the metabolic to the mechanical. We are committed to empowering students to pursue careers or graduate education in clinical professions, fitness, wellness, sports performance, public health, and research.
What is Exercise Science?
Exercise Science is a discipline dedicated to the study of the human body and its concomitant movement system. The academic focus of the program is necessarily interdisciplinary and as such, is focused on the structural, functional, behavioral, and sociocultural aspects of the human body.
The Human Biomechanics & Physiology Laboratory consists of 13,500 square feet of awe-inspiring research, teaching and clinical space. The centerpiece of the lab is our biomechanics area that consists of a large, open space surrounded by 24 motion capture cameras, featuring three force plates and an instrumented treadmill. In addition the biomechanics area boasts truly unique functional motion-capture-areas with a golf simulator, turf field and wooden court surface. The physiology component of the lab includes an environmental chamber, wet lab, anti-gravity treadmills, metabolic carts, a wireless EMG for tracking muscle activity and a DEXA scanner that measures bone density.
Exercise science majors have unique learning experiences in undergraduate research while receiving direct mentorship from faculty in exercise science and physical therapy. Students and faculty have presented peer-reviewed research at the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association annual conferences. A number of research projects have been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, and the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
In addition, the Congdon School of Health Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (CSHS-SuRF) program provides students the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor while conducting research in the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory.
The Department of Exercise Science offers the B.S. degree in Exercise Science (48 credits).
Exercise Science is an interdisciplinary field of study centered on the study of physical activity, fitness, and well-being. Because exercise science encompasses a broad range of disciplines, sub-disciplines, and professional practices, a one-size-fits-all approach does not represent the plethora of career, pre-professional and graduate school opportunities within the field. The curriculum provides a balance in supporting a student’s pre-professional interests (e.g., pre-athletic training, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, etc.) and traditional exercise science end goals. The curriculum is unique and innovative and provides students with an academic value-added experience consistent with the University’s mission and values.
To graduate with this degree, students must complete the following:
B.S. in Exercise Science
| Major Requirements | 44 Credits |
| University Core Requirements | 36-44 credits |
| Electives | 40-48 credits |
| TOTAL | 128 credits |
Overview of the Exercise Science Major Requirements (44 credits)
Students completing the B.S. degree in Exercise Science must take ANA/BIO 2070/2071. Human Anatomy/Lab (3/1) as their Natural Sciences General Education course.
I. Exercise Science Core Courses (20 credits)
II. Exercise Science Natural Science Courses (8 credits)
Select two courses from the following list:
III. Exercise Science Upper Division Elective Courses (16 credits)
Choose 16 credits from any of the following cognate areas.
At least two of the four courses should be at the 4000-level:
Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Julian Codrington, Class of 2025 Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Major: Exercise Science Post-graduation plans: Julian will be…
Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Rachel Smith, Class of 2025 Hometown: Waxhaw, North Carolina Major: Exercise Science Post-graduation plans: Rachel will…
