Health & Exercise Science Major
(including Pre-Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy)
During the past ten years the health/fitness area has been one of the fastest growing industries in America. Messiah's major in Health and Exercise Science offers concentrations in Health & Fitness and Pre-Physical Therapy.
Excellent faculty provide students with a multi-dimensional approach to wellness, with course work in anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics, chronic disease, health promotion, exercise psychology, sport sociology, and nutrition. Students graduate with the knowledge and skills to promote wellness among diverse population groups, and with a personal appreciation for being good stewards of one of God's great masterpieces, the human body. Through labs, internships, work assignments in the fitness center, research studies, and class projects, students receive valuable hands-on experience in applying concepts presented in class. An upper-level human anatomy class exposes students to cadaver dissection-a lab experience that many students only receive in graduate school.
Messiah students with a degree in Health and Exercise Science are well-prepared to enter graduate school or jobs related to a variety of health and exercise science areas such as personal training, corporate fitness, retirement home wellness, collegiate/professional sport strength and conditioning, community wellness, cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, sport nutrition, biomechanics research, or clinical exercise physiology.
Student Goals
- The student will discover significant presuppositions common to both the Christian faith and the field of health and exercise science, with particular attention given to ways in which the Christian world view can enlighten the discipline.
- The student will apply their disciplinary knowledge and Christian values in meaningful and practical on or off-campus experiences. Through these experiences, students will demonstrate a commitment to use their knowledge in ways that benefit and serve others.
- The student will be able to write in a clear, scholarly fashion.
- The student will develop an understanding of the anatomical and physiological responses to acute and chronic exercise and critically analyze human movement patterns.
- The student will be equipped with the necessary background knowledge to pursue graduate study in specialized fields such as cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, fitness program leadership, or exercise physiology.
- The student will attain the skills and abilities necessary for entering a variety of health and exercise science careers.
- The student will be able to prescribe individual movement activities designed to achieve satisfactory fitness levels and improve athletic performance.
- The student will be able to conduct research in accordance with the principles of sound qualitative and quantitative research interpretation and procedure.
Course Requirements
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