Minimum number of credits required to complete the program: 32
Minimum cumulative GPA required: 3.0
School: School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Learn more about the program
The M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science prepares students to be leaders in the field and to work with diverse settings, populations, team structures, and state-of-the-art technologies. Leaders in exercise and sports sciences must understand how to work as part of a comprehensive team of medical professionals, and other members of their clients’ support team. Whether leading elite athletics to achieve peak performance or improving functionality in patients with chronic stable medical and musculoskeletal conditions, they need a solid physiological and applied background on appropriate individualization, testing, and evidence-based prescription of exercise using cutting-edge technologies.
Graduates will be professionally prepared to work as exercise and human performance specialists in a variety of positions such as exercise physiologist; health fitness manager/specialist; strength and conditioning coach for high school, college or professional sports teams; health promotion program manager; wellness/lifestyle coach; coordinator; healthy weight and obesity treatment specialist; personal training consultants for private industry and wellness companies; and physical fitness training specialist for youth fitness, older adults, or other special populations. Graduates may also choose to work in private industry such as sports and fitness equipment or technology development and sales.
Admission Requirements
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a health-related field such as public health; health education/health promotion; exercise science/kinesiology; human performance; human nutrition; biomechanics; or closely related field.
Students with a bachelor’s degree in a science field, but one that is not considered a direct healthcare profession (e.g., biology, biomedical sciences, etc.) and those with a non-science degree from fields such as health communications, healthcare administration, psychology/sociology, human development, education, or other field may be required to take additional undergraduate courses prior to enrolling or while concurrently taking courses in the graduate program as follows.
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II (with laboratories)
- Exercise Physiology
Standardized test scores are optional. Merrimack College reserves the right to ask any applicant for additional supplemental requirements in consideration of their application, including, but not limited to an in-person interview.
Concentrations
- Exercise Science
- Strength and Conditioning
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