Exercise and Health Science
Department Chair: Donald Fischer
Faculty: Eric Belt, Jake Erickson, Donald Fischer, Madelin Siedler, Emily Willaert
Instructors: Rachel Hassler, Jeremy Karger-Gatzow, Eric Kohn, Justin Rost
Exercise and Health Science
What is happening inside the body when an athlete sprints across a soccer field, a basketball court, or a hockey rink? What motivates a person to exercise, and how can we use this to increase physical activity in the population? How much protein is needed for an athlete to maintain and grow new muscle during their sport's off season? What are the risk factors for ACL tears, and how are they best prevented?
Exercise science is a broad discipline that answers these questions and many more. Students pursuing a degree in Exercise and Health Science will study how and why humans engage in and respond to physical activity and sport through an academic skills-based curriculum that examines the biological, mechanical, sociocultural, and behavioral aspects of human movement. Integrative and interdisciplinary courses, rich undergraduate research experiences, and real-world internship and service opportunities provide students with the knowledge, skills, and professional experience vital to success as future exercise and health professionals.
The Exercise and Health Science program prepares students to become ethical, client-centered, and evidence-based professionals within a diverse array of post-graduate career trajectories such as strength and conditioning, personal training, coaching, and corporate wellness. Upon graduation, Exercise and Health Science majors may also pursue further education in fields such as physical or occupational therapy, athletic training, medicine, chiropractic, sport and exercise psychology, and clinical exercise physiology. Students should consult with their department advisor to select courses most appropriate for their intended career or graduate education plans.
Assessment
The Exercise Science and Sport Studies Department is committed to the process of academic assessment as a method to enhance student learning and assure achievement of the learning outcomes. Each learning outcome is introduced in the first or second year, reinforced multiple times in subsequent courses, and directly assessed as part of the capstone course. Formative feedback regarding each learning outcome is provided at least once to help students progress toward achievement of the learning outcomes. Surveys of senior students and graduates provide an indirect assessment of student learning and achievement of the learning outcomes.
EXHS 111 Introduction to Exercise and Health Science (4 Credits)
In this course, students will be introduced to the discipline of exercise science and its application to health science, sports, and physical activity. Students will examine a wide range of exercise science topics, including foundational terminology and concepts, professionalism, ethics, certification and licensure, career opportunities, and evidence-based practice.
Prerequisites: None
Attributes: Benedictine Raven (BN)
EXHS 203 Coaching Methods (2 Credits)
In this course students will learn best practices for coaching and teaching sport skills, as well as creating effective practice plans. Students will practice analyzing exercise and sport techniques, identifying errors, and providing effective feedback. Students enrolled in this course will actively participate in coaching sessions with peers. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 203, PHED 203
EXHS 204 Sport Nutrition (2 Credits)
In this course students will discuss and apply the role of various nutrients in sport performance and body composition for athletes. Issues related to drug and supplement use as well as their legality and effects on performance will also be addressed. Fall.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 204, PHED 204
EXHS 210 Functional Human Anatomy (2 Credits)
In this course, students will examine the macroscopic structure and function of bones, joints, and muscles, and how these structures contribute to human movement. Spring.
Prerequisites: None
EXHS 211 Exercise Science Laboratory Skills (2 Credits)
Competency in laboratory testing and techniques is important for collecting high quality data. In this course, students will develop competency in performing lab skills used by exercise and health scientists. Students will learn to measure physiological variables at rest and during exercise, how to perform maximal and submaximal exercise testing, proper blood draw and safety procedures, the importance of data confidentiality, and common techniques for quantifying physical activity.
Prerequisites: EXHS 111
EXHS 220 Sport Identity (4 Credits)
This course examines personal identity and how it intersects/interacts with cultural and gender roles related to sport experiences. Students will understand that sport serves as a lens that reflects and defines societal roles, beliefs, and values. Historical, political, and economic views/events will be compared/contrasted with contemporary American sport culture. Underrepresented ethnic groups, physical abilities and gender identity will be discussed in relation to sport representation/power. Intercultural communication and personal bias regarding others will also be discussed. Students will learn to discuss, collaborate with peers, and orally present well-researched course related topics to the larger class. Not offered regularly.
Prerequisites: None
Attributes: CSD: Identity (CI)
EXHS 230 Sports Injury Management I (2 Credits)
In the context of preparing students to become effective, athlete-centered athletic coaches, part one of the two course sequence provides a foundation for best practices in the preparation for, and prevention, recognition, and care of, sports related emergency situations. The skills taught in this course do not replace professional medical help but offer guidelines and techniques for recognizing and managing emergency conditions until advanced medical help arrives.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 230
EXHS 231 Sports Injury Management II (2 Credits)
In the context of preparing students to become effective, athlete-centered athletic coaches, part two of the two course sequence provides a foundation for best practices in the prevention, recognition, and care of sports related injuries of the extremities, including the role of the coach in designing and implementing conditioning programs to help prevent athletic injuries. The skills taught in this course do not replace professional medical help but offer guidelines and techniques for recognizing and managing bone, muscle, and joint injuries until advanced medical care is provided. Spring.
Prerequisites: EXHS 230 or ESSS 230
Equivalent courses: ESSS 209, ESSS 231
EXHS 271 Independent study (1-4 Credits)
Supervised reading or research at the lower-division level. Approval of department chair required. Not available to first-year students.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 271, PHED 271
EXHS 299 Research Practicum (1-4 Credits)
The student will work jointly with a faculty member in conducting a faculty-designed research project. The course is repeatable for a maximum of four total credits in the department. Permission of instructor required.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 299
Attributes: Experiential Engagement (EX)
EXHS 302 Clinical Healthcare: Theory and Application (4 Credits)
Introduction to the field of clinical assessment of athletic injury and pathology. This course will cover evaluation protocols, initial and progressive management, and principles of rehabilitation. The course includes a laboratory for skill acquisition in hands-on musculoskeletal function evaluation focusing on functional anatomy and the use of special tests to augment evaluation. Spring of even years.
Corequisites: EXHS 302L
EXHS 303 Physical Activity Epidemiology (4 Credits)
Physical activity epidemiology uses large population-based studies to link behavioral, environmental, and other factors that influence physical activity to health outcomes. This course will use an evidence-based approach to examine how we understand factors that influence health and efforts to increase physical activity. Students will examine methods to assess health as well as subjective and objective methods to measure physical activity, inactivity, and health behaviors. Students in this course will also study basic epidemiological research design including strengths and weaknesses through critical review of major studies. Students will also examine and critique current public health intervention efforts to increase physical activity at the individual and population levels. Not offered regularly.
EXHS 306 Biomechanics (4 Credits)
In this course, students will learn, integrate, and apply basic mechanical principles that influence human motion in sport, exercise, and everyday life. Concepts that will be discussed during this course include force and torque (kinetics), linear and angular motion (kinematics), and mechanical characteristics of some biological tissues. Students will also access, read, and evaluate primary research and then synthesize findings to arrive at evidence-based decisions. The laboratory component of the course will emphasize analytical thinking and problem-solving skills through the qualitative and quantitative assessment of human movement. Spring.
Corequisites: EXHS 306L
Equivalent courses: ESSS 306, PHED 306
Attributes: Natural World (NW)
EXHS 306L LABORATORY (0 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: EXHS 306
Equivalent courses: ESSS 306L, PHED 306L
EXHS 308 Exercise Physiology (4 Credits)
In this course students will advance their understanding of the human body's physiological response to exercise. Topics include acute responses and chronic adaptations of the muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and bioenergetics systems to exercise induced stress. Environmental influences on performance and sex differences will also be explored. In the laboratory portion of the course students will practice the scientific method by assessing physiological capacities using the laboratory assessment methods. Fall.
Prerequisites: EXHS 211 and (EXHS 379A or EXHS 379B) and (EXHS 258 or BIOL 216 or BIOL 323 or BIOL 326
Corequisites: EXHS 308L
Equivalent courses: ESSS 308, PHED 308
Attributes: Natural World (NW), Writing Requirement (WR)
EXHS 308L LABORATORY (0 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: EXHS 308
Equivalent courses: ESSS 308L, PHED 308L
EXHS 310 Principles of Strength Training and Conditioning (4 Credits)
Students will develop a functional understanding of exercise science as it applies to strength training and conditioning. Exercise science concepts and principles will be applied to assess human performance, and to design evidence-based exercise programs. In the laboratory portion of the course, students will develop a practical understanding of the principles of test selection and administration, and the principles used to effectively instruct physically active individuals in safe and effective exercise technique.
Corequisites: EXHS 310L
Equivalent courses: ESSS 310
EXHS 310L LABORATORY (0 Credits)
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: EXHS 310
Equivalent courses: ESSS 310L
EXHS 323 Sport in a Diverse Society (4 Credits)
Students will examine how sport serves as a microcosm of the greater world and how it is a prism through which larger cultural and gender-related issues, values and beliefs can be studied. Historical, political and economic views will be addressed along with LGBTQIA+ issues, Title IX, and feminist perspectives as they intersect with all levels of sport. Students will learn about their own personal culture and other cultures and sub-cultures. Intercultural communication, questions related to justice, and personal bias regarding others will also be explored.
Prerequisites: Learning Foundations (LF), Theological Encounter (TE), and Cultural and Social Difference: identity (CI).
Attributes: CSD: Systems (CS)
EXHS 324 Sports and Exercise Psychology (4 Credits)
In this course, students will examine psychological theories and concepts as they apply to exercise and sport participation and performance. Students will use critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills to examine issues and solve problems related to sport and exercise psychology. Students will also discuss professional and ethical issues and apply ethical decision-making skills to the practice of sport psychology. Spring.
Attributes: Social World (SW), Thematic Encounter3 - Truth
EXHS 371 Independent Study (1-4 Credits)
Supervised reading or research at the upper-division level. Approval of department chair and completion and/or concurrent registration of 12 credits within the department required. Not available to first year students.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: ESSS 371
EXHS 373A Personal Fitness Training (4 Credits)
This course is designed for future fitness and health professionals who are interested in helping individuals, communities, and groups gain the benefits of participating in regular physical activity in a positive and safe environment. Students will integrate and apply theories and principles of personal fitness training including fitness assessment, exercise program design, general nutrition education, group exercise instruction, and injury prevention to develop evidence-based exercise programs for healthy individuals, groups, and special populations.
Corequisites: EXHS 373AL
EXHS 379A Research Methods in Exercise and Health Science - Natural World (4 Credits)
This course emphasizes the search for truth and the ways in which this search is conducted. Students will be introduced to the wide continuum of research methodologies and experimental designs used in the fields of exercise science and health. Students will study each step of the scientific process with emphasis on the elements leading up to data collection, including identifying relevant background literature, critical reading of scholarly literature, developing a research question, and creating ethical and appropriate research methods. The course includes a detailed examination of different research methods, and basic descriptive and inferential statistics. Research ethics and the role of the Institutional Review Board in protecting the rights of human subjects will also be discussed.
Prerequisites: EXHS 111, and MATH 124 or PSYC 221, Learning Foundations(LF), Cultural and Social Difference: Identity (CI). CI course may be taken prior to or concurrently with Focus Course.
Equivalent courses: EXHS 301, EXHS 379B
Attributes: Natural World (NW), Thematic Focus - Truth
EXHS 379B Research Methods in Exercise and Health Science - Social World (4 Credits)
This course emphasizes the search for truth from a social science perspective and the ways in which this search is conducted. Students will be introduced to the wide continuum of research methodologies and experimental designs used in the fields of exercise science and health. Students will study each step of the scientific process with emphasis on the elements leading up to data collection, including identifying relevant background literature, critical reading of scholarly literature, developing a research question, and creating ethical and appropriate research methods. The course includes a detailed examination of different research methods, and basic descriptive and inferential statistics. Research ethics and the role of the Institutional Review Board in protecting the rights of human subjects will also be discussed.
Prerequisites: EXHS 111, and MATH 124 or PSYC 221, Learning Foundations(LF), Cultural and Social Difference: Identity (CI). CI course may be taken prior to or concurrently with Focus Course.
Equivalent courses: EXHS 301, EXHS 379A
Attributes: Social World (SW), Thematic Focus - Truth
EXHS 390 Sport Ethics (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to a variety of theories of moral reasoning, ethical and unethical behavior in sport, and the development of moral education through sport. Students will engage in learning about how they should act in order to support the moral foundation necessary for sport to function effectively while examining actions that would be considered just or unjust. Students will wrestle with questions such as "how should I act" or "what type of an athlete, coach, official, manager, fan or parent should I be" through readings and discussions. Decision-making models based on moral reasoning theory and other principles of strategic reasoning will be employed as students navigate case studies and issues related to sport. Fall.
Prerequisites: None
Restrictions: Students with the 2025-2026 Registration Cohort attribute may not enroll.
Equivalent courses: ESSS 390
Attributes: Thematic Encounter3 - Justice, Writing Requirement (WR)
EXHS 394 Research Design (2 Credits)
This course assists students in designing and completing a proposal for an independent or group research project in exercise and health science. Students will integrate theoretical concepts from previous exercise and health science coursework to formulate a research question, conduct a background literature review, and develop appropriate and ethical methods for data collection. Students will complete and present the full proposal within the context of the course. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.
Prerequisites: EXHS 379A
EXHS 395 Research Seminar I (1 Credit)
Students in this course will continue the work they began in EXHS 394 Research Design, including finalizing research proposals and applying for Institutional Review Board review, if necessary. Students will pilot their procedures and begin data collections for their research projects. Students will communicate their ideas, challenges, and progress to class colleagues throughout the semester. Throughout the research process, students will be asked to reflect upon the process, on how their project has integrated their previous coursework, and how performing research has changed their perspectives on health and human performance. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.
Prerequisites: EXHS 394
Equivalent courses: ESSS 395
EXHS 396 Research Seminar II (1 Credit)
Students on this course will continue the data collection process for research projects started in EXHS 395. Students will communicate their ideas and progress to class colleagues. After data collections, students will analyze data and interpret the results. Conclusions will be drawn from the results and the final projects will be presented on or off campus. Throughout the research process, students will be asked to reflect upon the process, on how their project has integrated their previous coursework, and how performing research has changed their perspectives on health and human performance. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.
Prerequisites: EXHS 395 or ESSS 395
Equivalent courses: ESSS 396
EXHS 397 Capstone Internship (1-4 Credits)
Capstone Internship is a 160-hour (minimum) hands-on experience that typically aligns with the student’s academic and career goals. A Capstone Internship must be a novel experience for the student and must be in the field of sport, exercise, or human health. In completing the internship experience, the student will apply their knowledge and skills outside the classroom and document their learning through reflection. The student should work closely with their faculty advisor and Experiential and Professional Development (XPD) to identify potential internship sites; however, the student is responsible for securing the Capstone Internship opportunity. Once the internship opportunity is secured, the student must submit a completed Internship Learning Contract form and receive approval of the faculty moderator, department chair, and internship site supervisor. Once all requisite approvals are obtained, the Registrar’s Office will enroll the student in the Capstone Internship course. A-F grading only.
Prerequisites: None
Restrictions: Enrollment limited to students with a class of Senior.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Exercise and Health Science.
Equivalent courses: ESSS 397, ESSS 397A, EXHS 397A, PHED 397, PHED 397A
Attributes: Experiential Engagement (EX)
EXHS 397A Non-Capstone Internship (1-4 Credits)
A supervised experience in a health or exercise field that promotes the integration of theory with practice. An opportunity to apply knowledge and skills under direct supervision of a site supervisor in an approved setting. Prerequisites: a completed Internship Learning Contract form, approval of the faculty moderator and department chair, and completion of the pre-internship Legal and Professional Issues seminar.
Prerequisites: None
Equivalent courses: EXHS 397
Attributes: Experiential Engagement (EX)