Exercise Science, MS

Contact:

Tom Brutsaert, Chair, 201 Women’s Building, 315-443-9696, tdbrutsa@syr.edu

The master’s program in exercise science is designed to train students for positions in hospitals and in corporate and private agencies that provide fitness and wellness programming and rehabilitative exercise programs. An emphasis on research in applied physiology also prepares students for doctoral programs in exercise science. Students in exercise science have the opportunity for supplemental study in areas such as nutrition, health promotion, and sports medicine. Because exercise science is functionally related to physical education, physical educators with provisional/initial teaching certification may use graduate study in exercise science to obtain permanent/professional teaching certification.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Explain how metabolic, muscle, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems underlie human physical performance

2. Interpret and critique research findings in the exercise sciences

3. Apply basic research design to the study of exercise science

4. Apply quantitative skills to analyze research data (their own collected data or secondary data analysis)

5. Present research findings (their own or the findings of others) in a professional and informative manner

6. Write a research report/manuscript following established conventions in the field

7. Achieve proficiency in one advanced area of focus within exercise science

8. Achieve proficiency in one area of faculty research expertise

Major Requirements

The M.S. degree requires 36 credits of formal course work to be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. Three specialty tracks are available through careful selection of electives:

Exercise Physiology and Fitness
Clinical Exercise Physiology (including Cardiac Rehabilitation)
Research in Exercise Physiology

The Master’s degree requires 24 credits including:

General Biology (8 credits)
Human Anatomy & Physiology (8 credits)
Chemistry (8 credits)
PLUS: 6 credits of exercise science including:
- Physiology of Exercise
- General Science*

Note:

*May be used to constitute a minimum of 24 credits of sciences

Additional Information

Doctoral study with an emphasis in applied exercise physiology is presently offered in conjunction with the School of Education’s Science Education Ph.D. program. This highly individualized doctoral degree in Science Education with a concentration in exercise physiology is a research intensive program offered through the Science Education Department. In addition to course work, students work with their faculty mentor on various research projects. Students are encouraged to contact their potential faculty mentor directly prior to applying.