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B.S. in Exercise Science


ExerciseScience2

Strengthen your gifts, bring healing and restoration. 

Grove City College offers an exercise science major with exceptional resources and opportunities to equip you to pursue excellence in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, personal training, strength and conditioning, coaching, and other careers in allied health, public health, and the sports and fitness industry. With a bachelors in exercise science rooted in hands-on learning, research, and evidence-based care for rehabilitation, you will be well prepared to help others thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Program Highlights
  • CAAHEP accreditation that ensures industry-standard quality of curriculum and objectives. Grove City College is one of only a few schools in Pennsylvania to be accredited by CAAHEP.
  • 91 - 94 major credit hours of rigorous undergraduate coursework that gives you exposure to many disciplines within the field and is tailored to your chosen concentration. Curriculum is standardized by the American College of Sports Medicine and builds a foundation in anatomy, physiology, exercise prescription, nutrition, wellness, clinical populations, statistics, human movement, and sports/human performance. For detailed course descriptions, refer to the College Catalog.
    • Seven optional concentrations to choose from and flexibility to sample different ones the first two years. To explore concentrations, view concentration information.
      • Pre-Physical Therapy
      • Pre-Occupational Therapy
      • Athletic Training
      • Personal Training
      • Strength and Conditioning
      • Physiological Sciences
      • Coaching
    • Option to minor in nutrition.
    • Wide variety of major-related electives that give you freedom to explore, such as functional kinesiology, exercise and sport psychology, medical terminology, dietary supplements, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, nutrition and health, lifecycle nutrition, exercise neurobiology, prevention and care of injuries, biomechanics, wellness promotion and programming, facility management, Red Cross lifeguard training, exercise leadership, faith and fitness, introduction to sports ministry, ethics in sports, and basic principles of coaching, among others.
    • Unique four-year program that will give you a solid foundation in the field and an education that trains you to treat patients as whole people.
      • Thanks to the rigor of our program and impressively high four-year graduation rate (84% versus 53% nationally), you will have the preparation and resources you need to thrive in graduate school and start earning a salary sooner than you might have coming from another school (even a 3+3 program that has a lower graduation rate).
  • Advanced research opportunities (rare at the undergraduate level) that will set you apart when you graduate and prepare you to hit the ground running in your career. Recent research projects covered wide-ranging topics and took many of our students to national conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Internship opportunities in a wide range of clinical environments, usually completed over the summer between junior and senior year or during a semester. Recently students have interned with Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and Rehabilitation, Redline Athletics, Spire Institute, Lake County Captains (Minor League Baseball), and Kamwenge Secondary Vocational School (Uganda). 
  • Annual Exercise Science Symposium on campus that brings together students and experts in the field to share their findings via workshops, lectures, and presentations. Topics covered recently include sports medicine, human performance, recovery, and health.
  • Networking opportunities with visiting professionals who share the realities of career paths and expose students to the benefits of various careers.
  • Articulation agreements in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, and physician assistant studies at schools including University of Pittsburgh, Baylor, Mount Union, LECOM, Liberty, Duquesne, Clarion, and Slippery Rock, among others.
  • Access to accomplished hands-on faculty who serve as guides and mentors in and out of the classroom and laboratory, as well as personal pre-health advising from a faculty mentor with expertise in health-related careers.
  • Major-related student groups on campus including the Exercise Science Club, Pre-Health Society, Christian Medical & Dental Association, American Chemical Society, and Tri-Beta Biology Honorary.
  • Vocation-enriching humanities core courses woven into your academic schedule that will cultivate greater empathy, critical thinking, writing and other communication skills, and a well-rounded understanding of the world and your place in it.
Career Outcomes
  • If you’re like 95% of Grove City College graduates, you’ll be ready to compete for employment with companies like Health Corps, T3 Performance, Valencell PerformTek Precision Biometrics, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and YMCA or for admittance into prestigious graduate programs at institutions such as University of Pittsburgh, Baylor, LECOM, and Mount Union, among others.
  • You will prepare to score highly on either the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association or the Exercise Physiologists Certification through the American College of Sports Medicine (taken before you graduate).
  • If you choose to pursue medical school, you will benefit from our allied health/medical school placement rate that is 10% higher than the national average.
  • No matter where you end up taking your exercise science degree, you are bound to make a restorative impact as a highly skilled and deeply caring therapist, trainer, coach, or care provider.