Exercise Science

Welcome

History

Exercise Science has been around as early as the 16th century. Famous scientists such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Aulus Cornelius Celsus, studied exercise science while developing many of the laws and theories that are used today. In 2003, the American College of Sports Medicine called for two new professions in the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). These professions were originally called a health and fitness specialist and a clinical exercise specialist. In 2004, the Board of Directors for the CAAHEP changed the name of the health and fitness specialist to an exercise science professional, and also changed the name of a clinical exercise specialist to exercise physiologist. Later that year, the exercise major was officially recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and colleges began adding this program to their institutions. The College of Springfield was one of the first institutions in the United States to develop the Applied Exercise Science in the 1980’s. Since then many schools have adopted this major including Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern established in 1906. 117 majors are offered here including Exercise Science. The College of Health and Human Sciences was not established until later on.

Contributed by:
Jasmine Black
Cody Joseph
Nathan Mitchell

Education

Major at Southern

The Exercise Science emphasis is designed for students interested in advanced and specialized study in the biophysical aspects of exercise. Through exposure to scientific literature and current research, the program of study focuses on student development in promoting strong scientific inquiry and understanding practical applications of theory. The program produces graduates with the ability to communicate clinical findings to the academic and lay communities and to display critical thinking skills and expertise necessary to plan and conduct independent and creative research. As a capstone experience, each student completes a research thesis or participates in a supervised internship. Graduates possess the necessary knowledge and skill to pursue advanced education in exercise science or a related discipline, apply for ACSM, ASEP, or NSCA certification, as well as to gain employment within the health promotion and human performance industries.

Degree Plan

To enter the Exercise Science program at Georgia Southern University, a GPA of 2.0 or better on all course work attempted is required. To continue the program, students must earn at least a "C" in all courses in Area F and within the major requirements, including guided major electives.
Students must also earn at least a "C" in a prerequisite course before registering for an advanced course. All Exercise Science students are required to complete a total 126 credit hours prior to graduation.

The actual degree plan for Exercise Science students at Georgia Southern University can be found here:
Degree Plan

Contributed by:Cody Joseph

Academic Advisor

Your academic advisor acts as a counselor and can answer all of the questions that you have about your academics here at Georgia Southern University. It is required that you schedule an appointment to meet with your academic advisor prior to registering for classes each semester. It is suggested that students notify their advisor about any decision made that relates to academics, such as changing majors or taking credits at another institute over the summer, in order to receive the best advice possible. Academic advisement for exercise science majors is a part of the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) and is located in the Hollis Building, Room 0107. The office number is (912) 478-1931 and office hours are Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm. The link for the advisor page can be found here:
Adviser Page It is the current page for where every adviser can be found for each department at Georgia Southern University.

Contributed by: Cody Joseph and Jasmine Black

Writing Assignments

According to the Auburn University writing plan for exercise science students, writing in the major consists of research papers, lab reports, blog posts, book reports, and many other kinds of writing. The main kinds of writing included in the course are research papers and the lab reports. The research papers are typically 20 pages long at a minimum, and tend to be written in either AMA or APA format. When it comes to writing these assignments it is almost always required to include references for the information that you have obtained.

The following links are posted to show examples of writing assignments that are given to exercise science students in different colleges:
Writing Assignments
Writing Assignments

The link to the writing plan that is used by the professors at Auburn University can be found here:
Writing Plan for Exercise Science

Contributed by: Cody Joseph

Blogs and Listserv

A Listserv is a small program that automatically sends e-mails to names on a mailing list. Users can subscribe to themailing list by sending an e-mail note to a mailing list they learn about; listserv will automatically add the name and distribute future e-mail postings to every subscriber.

The following links contain actual listservs in the Exercise Science field:
Listserv- This Listserv is for students, alumni, and faculty members who are currently or have been in the Exercise Science program.
Listserv- This Listserv is an email for a statewide email to become a part of a statewide listserv.

There are also blogs about Exercise Science, some include personal experience and the author wants to write about it, and some are more professional based.
These are some of the blogs in Exercise Science:
Exercise Science Blog- This blog is a personal blog for someone who is currently getting their PHD in Exercise Science. All the information is backed by science and all the articles are peer reviewed and are published in science journals.
Blog- This blog is a blog that talks about all parts of Exercise Science. It analyzes Exercise Science journals and let's you know what journals are out there.

Contributed by:Cody Joseph and Jasmine Black

Publication Manuals and Style Guides

The Style Guide that Exercise Science writes in as of now is APA and AMA format.

All of the following are requirements for APA format:

  • All papers should be typed and double-spaced with 1" margins on all sides.
  • It is recommended to use 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
  • The four major sections that should be included in the essay are the title page, abstract, main body, and references.
  • Include a page header on the top of every page.

More information about writing in APA format can be found here:
Style Format

All of the following are requirements for AMA format:

  • All papers should be typed and have one-inch margins
  • Block paragraph spacing required for final papers.
  • Only double space body paragraphs
  • All pages should be numbered
  • Short title header is required at the top of the page

More information about writing in AMA format can be found here:
Writing Style Guides

Contributed by:Cody Joseph and Jasmine Black

Jobs and Careers

After obtaining a degree in Exercise Science there are several career opportunities. Some students go to PT school to become physical therapists. Physical therapists help people who have injuries or illnesses to improve their overall health. They play the important role of planning rehabilitation and treatment programs for these people. Job opportunities look good in the field, and employment is growing very fast as a result of rising demand for these services.The average starting salary for physical therapists today is $57,220, and their salary peaks at $105,900 annually.
Others choose to go into OT. Occupational Therapists work with people with fine motor skills and rehabilitation process. There are currently high demands for Occupational Therapists in all areas of the field. The average starting salary for OT is 85,000 dollars. You have to go to graduate school in order to obtain a degree and become a Occupational Therapist.

After graduating and obtaining a degree in exercise science there are several career paths that can be taken, each holding a different set of requirements and wages. Some of the basic jobs require no experience but the starting salary will be lessened to only 18,000-30,000. When starting to gain experience another choice is a fitness trainer, which average salary is $17.38 per hour but can increase all the way to $31.34 per hour. The salary of a fitness trainer relies on experience and cliental. Another choice is a general manager of fitness or sports center. The average salary is $38.75 per hour. Just like many other jobs the salary will depend on the business you are working for.

When looking for jobs here is a helpful website.
Jobs in Exercise Science

Contributed by:Cody Joseph, Jasmine Black and Nathan Mitchell

Graduate School

The faculty members at top graduate schools with exercise science programs should be very well trained with a lot of experience field. These type of educators are most likely to have their academic work published, received awards and have been active in a professional organization. Exercise science students are required to spend part of their education in a clinical setting training under a physical therapist, so if the school chosen has an on-site clinic and a modern exercise facility, it would be an advantage to the students who attend.
For Occupational Therapy you must attend Graduate School and get a Master's degree. If wanting to stay in Georgia, the best school with an OT/PT program is North Georgia College and State University. They have one of the best programs in the country. You must get accepted. There are several requirements including in the field work and you have to take and pass the GRE (General Record Exam).

Arizona State University
Acoording to education-portal.com, Arizona State University holds the number one position for the top exercise science graduate programs in the country. This school has nearly 70,000 students and it's president was named one of the nation's top ten best college presidents by Time Magazine in 2009. Students enrolled at ASU are prepared to pursue national certifications provided by professional organizations in fields of study related to exercise, strength and conditioning, and sports medicine.

Indiana University
Founded in 1820, Indiana University is another school that is well known for its graduate program for exercise science. The school is home to a library collection with 11.4 million volumes in the university system and 8.2 volumes at its main campus.Those who wish to seek s Ph.D. in Kinesiology can choose to study in the field of exercise physiology or adapted physical education.

Information about more top graduate schools for exercise science can be found here:
Graduate Programs

Contributed by: Cody Joseph, Jasmine Black and Nathan Mitchell

References

These are links to all of the information used on this page:
Georgia Southern Majors
Writing Assignments
Writing Assignments
Writing in the Major
Listservs
Listservs
Blog
Blog
Style Guides
Style Guide
Graduate Programs

Contributed by: Cody Joseph

Jobs in Exercise Science

http://wimgeosouth.wikidot.com/wiki:jobs-in-exercise-science

Contributed by: Jasmine Black

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