Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology

Exercise Science Bachelor's Degree

Exercise Your Passion for the Health Sciences

Empower others. Restore physiological health. Promote overall wellness. Manage chronic conditions. Advance preventative care.

Michigan Tech's Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science will provide you with a strong scientific foundation with an eye toward disease and injury prevention.

There is a critical need for healthcare providers trained to help people manage chronic conditions and address lifestyle-related epidemics, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The professionals on the front lines of advancing preventative care include physical therapists, chiropractors, physicians, and personal trainers.

As an exercise science major, you will be exceptionally prepared for any health or allied health career pathway. Our versatile degree supports a wide range of professional interests, including coaching people in achieving their individual fitness, nutritional, or athletic goals; rehabilitating patients with injuries or physical conditions; treating and preventing disease through traditional or alternative medicine; and many other career aspirations.

Pre-Health Professions Pathway for Exercise Science Majors

Approximately 70 percent of our exercise science graduates go on to a professional program in graduate education within the health sciences. Our exercise science graduates have a 95 percent placement rate into physical therapy school and a 90 percent placement rate into medical school. Allocate your free electives to a pre-health minor and prepare for admission into health professional programs.

Exercise science majors with a pre-health minor can take advantage of Michigan Tech's many professional program partnerships. For instance, you can earn your Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Central Michigan University. If medical school is your goal, you can receive an earlier decision when you apply to Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine through Tech's Early Assurance Program.

Some of the career options our exercise science graduates pursue are:

  • Athletic Training
  • Chiropractic Medicine
  • Medicine
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Physician Assistant
  • Sports Psychology

Earn a Master's Degree in Just One Extra Year

Highly motivated students can earn an accelerated master's degree in kinesiology in as little as one additional year of study beyond their bachelor's. Accelerated master's students graduate prepared for various careers in kinesiology that require advanced training, such as in industry, teaching, independent research, or continued graduate work.

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  • 15:1
    student-to-faculty ratio
  • 70%
    of graduates go on to a professional program in graduate education within health sciences
  • 95%
    placement rate into physical therapy school
  • 90%
    placement rate into medical school

Tomorrow Needs Exercise Science Professionals

Kick-start your career. Healthcare professionals on the front lines of advancing preventative care include physical therapists, chiropractors, physicians, and personal trainers. A bachelor's degree in exercise science from Michigan Tech opens doors. In our rigorous program—oriented toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education—you will explore the disciplines that underpin human physiology, the mechanics of human movement, motor learning, and more. After graduating, you'll be ready for what tomorrow needs.

Be Career Ready

Career Opportunities for Exercise Science Majors

While most students majoring in exercise science go on to health professional programs after graduation, approximately 30 percent of our exercise science graduates go directly into the workforce after completing their bachelor's degree (additional certification may be required). Some of the careers open to you with a BS in Exercise Science include:

  • Athletic Coaching
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Fitness Coordination
  • Massage Therapy
  • Medical Technology
  • Personal Training
  • Respiratory or Cardiopulmonary Therapy
  • Sports Nutrition

Companies Hiring Michigan Tech Exercise Science Majors

This is just a few of the companies who have hired our graduates:

  • Aspirus Medical Group
  • Centura Health
  • Concordia University-St. Paul
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Lake Superior State University
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Medical College of Wisconsin
  • San Diego State University
  • University of Connecticut 
  • UP Health System

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying exercise science at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Watch Ella House video
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Ella House

Undergrad, Exercise Science
"Tech is great because it's big enough that you're always meeting new people, but it's small enough that you get to see familiar faces on a day-to-day basis. ... There's an activity for just about anyone here, with all of the clubs that we have and everything in the surrounding area."Ella House

Study Exercise Science at a Technological University

As an exercise science student at Michigan Tech, you will build knowledge and research foundations required to succeed in kinesiology and exercise science. Our human health, body-centered curriculum integrates rigorous learning with high-impact clinical experiences to prepare students for advanced education as health professionals.

  • Get personalized attention: With a student-faculty ratio of 5:1 your academic advisors and professors know you and understand your interests and needs. You’ll develop meaningful mentor relationships with faculty and receive the guidance you need in a timely fashion.
  • Engage in research: Become involved in a research project under the direction of a faculty member. Whether you are planning to go to graduate school or enter the job market upon graduation, you’ll have an edge on the competition—hands-on experience with undergraduate research and  state-of-the-art research instrumentation. 
  • Jumpstart your career: Work one-on-one with your advisor to develop and follow your career path from student internships to post-graduation employment. Build your professional network and presentation/interview skills at industry conferences and events. Our undergraduates complete an internship before their senior year— just one of the reasons more than 90% of our graduates achieve placement into physical therapy and medical school.
  • Get engaged: Apply interest in exercise science practical problems by getting involved with the Enterprise Program—teams of undergraduate students working on real-world products and research for industry. The H-STEM Enterprise is popular with exercise science majors. Or get involved with any number of student organizations—over 70 sports clubs, Pre-Health Association, and more.

Tomorrow Needs You

Supercharge your analytical skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow's high-tech business landscape.

College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to excellence and driven by our passion for education, outreach, research, and creativity across the social and natural sciences, humanities, and the arts. Uniquely situated in the heart of Michigan's R1 flagship technological university, we specialize in human-centered potential and discovery-based learning designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Knowing that every student at Michigan Tech will pass through our doors, our college strives to be at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to breakthrough solutions.

Our students gain a profound understanding of social and cultural contexts through experiential learning and innovative research. We welcome you to be part of our caring, expansive college community, with 32 undergraduate and 24 graduate degrees to choose from.

The opportunities in Michigan Tech's College of Sciences and Arts are limitless. Transform into a civic leader ready to contribute to a sustainable future. Lead and participate in action-based experiences that are critical to the start of a fulfilling career. Job-shadow at a local hospital or veterinary clinic while preparing for a career in health. Design sound and lighting for a regional production. Conduct community forums on the implications of artificial intelligence. Work to purify vaccines. Study the impact of social media on society. Research the mysteries of space and galaxies beyond our universe. Explore transforming abandoned iron and copper mines into giant batteries. Understand freshwater ecosystem health. Document the nature of changes in cognitive function and motor behavior in aging and dementia.

At Michigan Tech, your academic growth is supported by a variety of learning centers, along with our Humanities Digital Media Zone and Writing Center. Model climate in the only cloud chamber of its kind. Take part in interdisciplinary health research in our state-of-the-art H-STEM Complex. Create amazing sights and sounds in our visual art, sound, and theatre performance spaces. 

Undergraduate Majors in Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology

Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Browse the entire list of College of Sciences and Arts majors. Or, give yourself time and declare the General Sciences and Arts major, which lets you decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.