Applied Exercise Physiology FAQs

The MA program typically is completed in one calendar year, if full time, and about two years if part time. The EdM program can be completed in two years if full time and three-four years part time, depending on your time commitment.

The Applied Physiology program is right for you if you are primarily interested in exercise as you can take 2-3 nutrition courses as electives. If Nutrition is your primary interest and you are interested in possibly becoming a registered dietician, then the Exercise Physiology and Nutrition program would be the best choice for you.

No, there are no specific course requirements for admissions, although we recommend taking an undergraduate course in Human Anatomy and Physiology or self-study prior to starting the program.

Absolutely! We have many students who are changing fields and who come in with informal training in the exercise sciences or science gained through personal study or work as a personal trainer or exercise instructor.

We look for strong academic performance in previous undergraduate education, irrespective of the field. As many of our students have completed their undergraduate education a while ago, we place an emphasis on the personal statement explaining the reasons you want to join our program. Full or part-time work or volunteer experience in an exercise-related field, and excellent letters of recommendation are also important in the admissions process.

Unfortunately, we do not have any assistantship opportunities for Masters students, since we are a graduate school and do not have any undergraduate courses where Masters student might teach.

Typically between 15-20 new Masters students are accepted each year.

We encourage you to visit the program and meet with program faculty and students, if you plan to apply to the program. Only in this way can you determine if the program is a good fit for you. When possible, we will arrange for you to sit in on a class.

No--we only accept individuals with a completed masters degree into our doctoral program. We would recommend applying to our Masters degree programs first and then applying to the doctoral program.

The doctoral programs are typically completed in four-five calendar year or longer-- depending on your time commitment to the program.

We do not have specific course pre-requisites, but doctoral candidates must have a degree in exercise sciences, kinesiology, movement sciences or a closely-related area to be considered for admissions. For those without a previous degree in these areas, we recommend applying to the Ed.M. program first and then applying to the doctoral program.

We look for strong academic performance in previous undergraduate and graduate education and excellent letters of recommendation. We place an emphasis on the personal statement explaining the reasons you want to join our program and how your area of interest fits within the research interest and expertise of current faculty members. Previous experience with relevant teaching and/or research and scientific writing are also important.

We have limited teaching and research assistantship opportunities for doctoral students. All accepted students are considered; no special application is required. All doctoral students are encouraged to apply for external fellowships to help fund their education and research.

Admissions are highly competitive. Typically, only 1-2 doctoral students are accepted each year.

We strongly encourage you to visit the program and meet with program faculty and students, if you plan to apply to the program. Only in this way can you determine if the program is a good fit for you. Coming on a Wednesday afternoon during the fall or spring semester is ideal as you can sit in on the doctoral research seminar.

The Ph.D. program is a full-time program and outside work is not possible. The Ed.D. program can be completed part-time, but students are expected to devote substantial effort to the program--typically the equivalent of 2-3 days per week.

Not necessarily. For the Ed.D. program, no previous research experience is required, although it is helpful. For the Ph.D. program, all applicants must have previous research experience as might be gained from a masters thesis or research work completed in a research laboratory as part of your job.