Kinesiology Major - Exercise Science Option
The undergraduate major in Kinesiology at Montana State University is a general pre-health professional curriculum that prepares students for health-related graduate programs (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical school, etc.), exercise science graduate programs (e.g., exercise physiology, health promotion, biomechanics), as well as entry-level occupations within the health and wellness industry. Kinesiology majors can choose to focus their course work within one of the following curriculum options: exercise science or health and fitness. Students within the exercise science option intend to pursue a health-related graduate degree to meet their career aspirations, whereas students within the health and fitness option will pursue careers within the health and wellness industry that do not require a graduate degree.
Exercise Science Option
The exercise science option within the Kinesiology major focuses on both clinical and performance-based understandings of human movement. The exercise science option emphasizes a cross-disciplinary understanding of human movement through non-departmental courses in biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, physics, math, and statistics. These courses then serve as the foundation for mechanical (e.g., biomechanics), physiological, and nutritional perspectives within the departmental courses. The exercise science option specifically allows students to customize their junior and senior year course work as needed for later application to health-related graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical physician assistant, sports medicine, exercise science graduate programs (exercise physiology, health promotion, biomechanics), as well as medical school. Additional careers for exercise science students can include those within the health and fitness industry (e.g., those requiring ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist and/or Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist certifications, or the NCSA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), corporate wellness programs, exercise rehabilitation programs (cardiac rehabilitation, gait laboratories, sport medicine facilities, older adult programs, etc.), as well as careers in the sport and rehabilitative medicine equipment industries.
Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses as outlined in the major.
