Health and Exercise Science (BS)
Make it your goal to help others achieve theirs.
- Available as
- Major
- Degrees/Options
- Bachelor of Science
- Length
- 4 years
- Locations
- Fort Wayne
- 3 Available Concentrations
- Kinesiology, Health Promotion, or Strength and Conditioning
Why Study Health and Exercise Science?
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation sciences are among the fastest-growing sectors of patient care. The healthcare industry’s renewed focus on preventative medicine is creating a surge of interest in wellness programs from families, individuals, communities, and organizations. With this, there’s a growing demand for personal coaches, health educators, corporate wellness program managers, and other related roles.
A degree in health and exercise science gives you the foundation for these rewarding and exciting fields that help others achieve their personal best.
14%
Projected growth in employment opportunities for athletic trainers from 2022 to 2032 (much faster than the average for all occupations)
BLS.gov
$57,930
Median annual wage for athletic trainers in 2023
BLS.gov
$54,860
Median annual wage for exercise physiologists in 2023
BLS.gov
Why Saint Francis for Health and Exercise Science?
Beyond the science and skills. Rooted in the liberal arts and built on Catholic values, our program develops you into a reflective, ethical professional ready to provide compassionate care and service to others.
With activity- and project-based courses, you’ll see today’s best practices in action… and then practice them yourself. You’ll learn how to apply science-based evidence in real-world situations and hone valuable communication, coaching, and organizational skills.
Saint Francis’ strong reputation in the regional healthcare community gives our students access to quality internships, opens doors for health and wellness jobs with top employers, and provides meaningful service-learning opportunities.
Personalize Your Path: Expand Your Opportunities
Our breadth of programs in health sciences and beyond allows our students to combine majors, minors, and concentrations. Your faculty advisors can help you personalize your academic path within the academic program to meet your goal.
Kinesiology Degree Concentration
Concentrating in Kinesiology—the study of movement—prepares students to meet the prerequisites for graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic care, dietetics, physician studies, biomechanics, and many others.
Health Promotion Concentration
This concentration is an ideal choice if you want a career in fitness training and consulting, community health education, personal coaching, rehabilitation services, corporate wellness, or health-related marketing and management roles.
This concentration prepares you for national certification exams including:
- Personal trainer, exercise specialist and health/fitness instructor (American College of Sports Medicine)
- Personal trainer (National Strength and Conditioning Association and National Academy of Sports Medicine)
Strength and Conditioning Concentration
The Strength & Conditioning concentration prepares students for success as specialists working with athletes of all ages and abilities. The program includes required internships and practicums to build hands-on experience.
The University of Saint Francis is pursuing accreditation from the Council of Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education, which will qualify graduates to sit for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam with the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Students must complete an application process to be fully admitted into the Strength and Conditioning concentration.
Two Degrees, Four Years
Students in our two-year physical therapist assistant associate degree program can simultaneously work towards a bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science.
Double Major
Add a second major in a related or complementary field to boost your opportunities. Popular choices include biology and psychology. Other majors may give you a chance to earn an associate’s degree along the way, such as surgical or radiologic technology.
Minors
Gain more marketable skills when you complement your health and exercise degree with a minor like nutrition, athletic coaching, psychology, business, or marketing.
Transition to Teaching Pathway
Begin working towards a teaching certificate through the early pathway in the Transition to Teaching program. Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree students can continue with graduate studies to complete a teaching certificate.
“The Health and Exercise Science program shows us how it works in the real world. In my first year, I shadowed two different athletic trainers and a coach and it was eye opening.”
Joshua Nziza ‘27 Health and Exercise Science major
“Not all health and exercise science programs require practical experience, but I’m glad Saint Francis does. My internship not only gave me hands-on experience, but it got me in the door. I was considered to be very well rounded because of my education and the courses I took beyond my major.”
Haylee Shirkey ’17 Business Support Analyst at Parkview Total Health
“The Health and Exercise Science program at Saint Francis has compassionate professors who genuinely want to help their students reach their goals. The program also has a good balance of teaching content while providing students with ample opportunities to hone their hands-on skills.”
Colin Hahn ’22 ’24 Physical Therapist Assistant, Indiana Physical Therapy
“My favorite part about Health and Exercise Science is the community that surrounds it. Throughout my time in the program, I have learned to engage with those in my community both on and outside of campus, explore new opportunities for growth, and elevate my commitment to this program and future career path in physical therapy. I will forever be grateful for these experiences at Saint Francis.”
Katie Melcher ’23 ’24 Physical Therapist Assistant, Steppin’ Up Physical Therapy
Hands-On Learning: Active From the Start
At Saint Francis, you’ll start learning through hands-on experiences from day one. You’ll connect with peers in your degree program through collaborative courses and department seminars.
Your final year culminates with a 200-hour internship. Recent internship sites include:
- Catalyst Fitness
- DeKalb Chiropractic
- Fort Wayne Orthopedics Hospital
- Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation
- Fort Wayne Tin Caps
- Goebel Chiropractic
- Indiana Physical Therapy
- Mad Apple CrossFit
- Parkview Senior Club
- Parkview Sports Medicine
- Ruoff Mortgage Corporate Wellness
- Turnstone
- YMCA
Your internships might even serve as a pathway to your first employment position after graduation.
On-campus experience with Saint Francis athletics, health services and related offices also provide valuable practical experience.
Faculty and Facilities
All of this hands-on learning happens in places like our cadaver lab and an exercise physiology lab stocked with state-of-the-art fitness testing and body composition equipment. You will learn from a faculty with a wealth of expertise and professional experience across the health and exercise science discipline.
Campus and Community
Saint Francis offers many opportunities for you to serve others through campus ministries, service-learning projects, and student groups.
KAN — the Kinesiology and Nutrition Club — is all about career development and networking events throughout the academic year. Depending on your career interest, you might also be interested in joining the Physical Therapy Assistants Club.
Plus, nine intramural teams give you options to stay active while enjoying a little friendly competition.
What You Can Do With a Health and Exercise Science or Kinesiology Degree
Health and wellness jobs abound in Indiana and beyond. You will join a network of Saint Francis graduates helping their communities stay healthy, get active and be well in roles such as:
- Personal trainers
- Athletic coaches
- Strength and conditioning coaches
- Community health educators
- Lifestyle coaches
- Health and fitness managers
- Graduate students pursuing advanced degrees
Additionally, entrepreneurial health and exercise science graduates are known to start their own health, wellness, or fitness businesses.
Where You’ll Find Our Graduates
With plenty of real-world experience and a degree in health and exercise sciences in hand, our graduates start their careers at places like:
- Adams Physical Therapy Services Inc
- Anytime Fitness
- Athletes with Purpose
- ATI Physical Therapy
- Beacon Health System
- Catalyst Fitness
- DeKalb Health
- Fort Wayne Community Schools
- HealthSource Chiropractic
- Indiana Physical Therapy
- JAM Recreation Center
- Micropulse
- Parkview Sports Medicine
- Parkview Health
- Purdue University Fort Wayne
- University of Saint Francis
- YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
Graduate and Professional School
Whether you’re looking to become a practitioner, professor or healthcare leader, Saint Francis will prepare you well for advanced studies, such as a graduate kinesiology degree. Our students have pursued master’s and doctoral programs in a variety of areas, including:
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Athletic Training
- Sports Medicine
- Chiropractic Medicine
- Healthcare Administration
- Business
- Education
- Physician
Accreditation Status
The University of Saint Francis Health and Exercise Science program is seeking accreditation through the Council on Accredited of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE).
Program outcome data, such as student enrollment, graduation rates, NSCA-CSCS exam pass rates, employment rates, and graduate placement rates, will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.