The B.S. in Exercise and Movement Science program prepares graduates for human performance, health promotion, and health-related careers in clinical, commercial, corporate, educational, and governmental settings. Option areas provide a strong undergraduate foundation for professional studies in physical therapy and physician assistant studies and for graduate work in human performance, health promotion, and health-related fields.

The B.S. in Exercise and Movement Science is a comprehensive major. It offers an exercise and movement science core of classes and two option areas: the pre-professional option which has been structured to align with admission requirements in physical therapy and physician assistant studies; and the health studies option structured to prepare students for health-related graduate degrees and for employment in human performance, health promotion, and fitness/wellness careers.

Program coursework is academically challenging and exposes students to dietetics, biomedical sciences, social work, psychology, and other health-related disciplines in the College of Health and Human Services. Many courses have formal laboratories or include enriching hands-on experiences. Elective requirements in each of the two options permit the flexibility to pursue a minor in one of several related fields. The required capstone experience optimizes student-faculty interaction through either an undergraduate research project or through an external internship.

The program is structured to comply with program accreditation criteria set by the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (COAES), and requires that each graduate become professionally certified by a national organization such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

The Department of Kinesiology has 20 full-time faculty members. Fifteen faculty members hold doctorates. Experience and expertise is varied and comprehensive. 

The Department is located in McDonald Arena. The Director of the Exercise and Movement Science program, Dr. Rhonda Ridinger, has an office in McDonald Arena 119.

Exercise and Movement Science graduates in the Pre-Professional track are prepared to (1) enter professional schools to be trained in clinical programs such as physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and occupational therapy, and (2) to enter graduate school in human performance areas such as exercise physiology, biomechanics, exercise psychology, sports medicine, sports nutrition, and motor control and development. Graduates of the Health Studies track are prepared to enter the workforce in corporate wellness, university fitness centers, human performance centers, public health, as strength and conditioning coaches, and as personal trainers. They are ready for graduate study in exercise science, health promotion and wellness management, health administration, and public health.