When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor and consult with their advisor(s).
Major in Exercise Science
The Exercise Science major provides students with a strong foundation in the scientific principles that explain human movement, health, and performance. The program integrates coursework from the biological, physical, and social sciences to prepare students for diverse careers and advanced study in fields such as health and wellness, rehabilitation, athletic training, strength and conditioning, and exercise physiology.
Learning goals
Students graduating with a major in exercise science will:
- Possess a comprehensive understanding of the anatomical, physiological, biomechanical, and neurological principles underlying human movement, exercise, and performance.
- Be able to critically evaluate and apply research to design, implement, and assess exercise programs and interventions that promote health, fitness, and performance across diverse populations.
- Demonstrate professionalism, effective communication, and ethical conduct in academic, clinical, and community settings related to exercise and health.
- Be able to integrate insights from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences to understand human health and performance in social, cultural, and environmental contexts.
The Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science requires 52-54 semester hours in core courses required for the major and 20 semester hours of cognate and elective course credit. Grades of C- or better are required for the core courses for the major. The Bachelor of Science degree includes:
Required courses (52-54 CR)
- 4 EXSC-101 Introduction to Exercise Science
- 4 BIOL-102 Cell Biology and Genetics
- 4 BIOL-205 Organismal Biology
- 4 BIOL-220 Biostatistics
- 4 BIOL-250 Human Nutrition
- 4 HLCR-350 Anatomy and Physiology I
- 4 HLCR-355 Anatomy and Physiology II
- 3 EXCS-320 Exercise Physiology
- 1 EXCS-321 Exercise Physiology Laboratory
- 3 EXCS-330 Biomechanics
- 1 EXCS-331 Biomechanics Laboratory
- 4 EXCS-340 Motor Learning and Control
- 0–2 EXCS-500 Internship (2 internships)
- 4 EXCS-505 Investigative Problems in Exercise Science
- 4 PSYC-101 Principles of Psychology
- 4 PSYC-242 Health Psychology (or Sports Psychology when offered)
Required cognate courses (12 CR)
- 4 General Chemistry I — Choose from CHEM-103 or CHEM-111
- 4 General Chemistry II — Choose from CHEM-104 or CHEM-232
- 4 Introductory Physics I — Choose from PHYS-202 or PHYS-204
Electives (8 CR)
- 4 BIOL-318 General Biochemistry
- 4 CHEM-221 Organic Chemistry I
- 4 CHEM-222 Organic Chemistry II
- 2 COMM-143 Sports Management
- 2 HLCR-080 The Business of Healthcare
- 4 PHIL-224 Bioethics
- 4 POLI-354 Healthcare Policy
- 4 PSYC-237 Lifespan Development
- 4 PSYC-240 Adulthood and aging
- 4 PSYC-243 Drugs, Society and Behavior
