Exercise Science, also known as "Kinesiology," is the scientific study of how the body responds and adapts to physical activity. Through Exercise Science, we learn how to improve athletic performance, maintain health and wellness, and prevent and treat chronic disease. Primary sub-disciplines within this field include:
At Bellarmine, we provide our exercise science students with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding physical activity behaviors, outcomes, and issues from a micro- to macro-level perspective. Additionally, this highly customizable degree allows students to meet their personal interests, needs, and ultimate career goals via the selection of focused program tracks. The Exercise Science curriculum includes two tracks: Health and Wellness and Sport Performance.
The Sport Performance track highlights the role of exercise physiology on the training and performance of athletes. Specialized courses include: Motor Learning, Principles of Athletic Conditioning and Metabolism of Exercise. The Health and Wellness track emphasizes the role of physical activity on health promotion. Specialized courses include: Health Behavior Theory, Community Wellness, and Exercise and Chronic Disease.
Many of our students are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in physical therapy. Within the two tracks, the Exercise Science department can include all the pre-requisite requirements for the Bellarmine DPT program. Additionally, Exercise Science students may apply for early entry into the Bellarmine DPT program, if they have completed all pre-requisite courses at the end of the junior year. Students may begin on either track for the early-entry program and should work with their advisor to complete all pre-requisite requirements.
Additionally, students have the opportunity to complete a dual BA/MHS or BA/MSAT 5-year early-entry program, which awards the student a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science after 4 years, and allows for the completion of either the Master of Health Science or the Master of Science in Athletic Training in one additional year. Students will apply with the office of Graduate Admission for these early-entry programs in the fall of their junior year.
“I love everybody from the exercise science department, and the opportunities they’ve given me. I’m working on an in-depth project for exercise science. I’m going to be able to make an exercise program for patients depending on their needs. That hands-on learning is very beneficial for me especially as a physical therapist. I’m going to be able to design exercise programs for those individuals who need it.”
Mariana Flores Gutierrez
While many of our students go on to pursue graduate education (such as Doctor of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, Masters of Public Health or PhD in Exercise Science), there are ample job opportunities for students at the baccalaureate level as well. Our students work in cardiac rehab as exercise physiologists, in corporate wellness settings as health and wellness directors, or in sport performance settings as coaches or strength and conditioning specialists.
We are located at the Flynn Building (1961 Bishop Ln), which houses Exercise Science and Respiratory Therapy. We have several large classrooms and a dedicated lab in which the students have access to a metabolic cart, hydrostatic weighing tank, BodPod, treadmills, cycle ergometers and resistance training equipment.
All students take at least 3 lab courses within the Exercise Science major that include Exercise Physiology, Basic Injury Prevention and Care, and Exercise Testing and Prescription. When you graduate, you will know how to perform a myriad of exercise tests and health measures, be able to prescribe exercise, and to care for basic injuries and emergencies. Each student spends dedicated hands-on time in our lab multiple semesters in a row to ensure proficiency in these areas.
Students can join the Exercise Science Association, Pre-Physical Therapy Association and/or the Pre- Athletic Training Association to learn more about their field and potential job opportunities. We also emphasize undergraduate involvement in research; our students have presented data at regional and national conferences and some have even been published during their undergraduate degree. The department also sponsors a Service Learning Clinic, in which students work directly with community members to perform exercise testing, cardiovascular risk assessments, and create individualized exercise prescriptions.
The career opportunities associated with an Exercise Science degree are numerous and varied. Generally speaking, however, most careers fall under one of the following broad categories:
Students completing the Exercise Science curriculum will be prepared to take a number of external certification examinations in the fitness and wellness fields, including personal training, strength and conditioning and as an exercise specialist. The major is also an option for pre-professional preparation for careers in physical therapy, nursing, respiratory therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy and medicine. Graduates work as an exercise specialist clinical settings, with athletes, students, in clients’ homes, in fitness facilities or in workplace settings.
Exercise Science students enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities, including our Exercise Science Association, Pre-Athletic Training Association and Pre-Physical Therapy Association. Students also have an opportunity to study abroad in the Dominican Republic and Australia.
Kent Brown, PhD, CSCS Associate Professor Curriculum VitaeResearch Interest: Preoperative exercise interventions introduced to change exercise behavior prior to total knee arthroplasty; study of osteoarthritis as a clinical condition of joint pain and dysfunction and its response to exercise.
Andrew Carnes, PhDAssistant ProfessorCurriculum VitaeResearch Interest: Endurance performance and the effects of peer influence on runners' behavior and motivation.
Sara Mahoney, PhD, HFS Department ChairCurriculum VitaeResearch Interest: The role of dietary intake on health and performance in special populations, including both the role of macronutrient intake in ultra-endurance athletes and the role of fruit and vegetable intake on chronic disease.
Laura K. Miller, PT, EdD, NCS, MSCS, ATPAssistant ProfessorResearch Interest: The prevention and management of chronic disease, physical therapy intervention in neurological conditions, and the role of internships in career development and student success.
Thomas Wójcicki, PhD Assistant ProfessorCurriculum VitaeResearch Interest: Behavioral kinesiology; a social cognitive framework to better understand physical activity behavior and subsequent health-related outcomes across the lifespan; design, implementation, and evaluation of emerging technologies to promote behavior change; reciprocal examination of psychosocial and environmental factors on physical activity behaviors and quality of life.
Internships provide students with real-world experiences in health and fitness, rehabilitation medicine, corporate fitness and personal training supplemental to the experiences obtained in the Exercise Science curriculum and laboratory experiences. The internships are designed to give the Exercise Science students a hands-on and practical experience in working with many diverse and special populations in Louisville. The student will use principles learned in exercise physiology, nutrition, exercise testing and prescription, injury prevention, community wellness and kinesiology to design and implement an intervention program as a service-learning experience. Internship opportunities include (but not limited to):
The newly renovated Flynn Building, at 1961 Bishop Lane, includes a state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratory, four smart classrooms, ten offices, student and staff lounges, and locker rooms. Students routinely engage in experiential learning in the Human Performance and Fitness Laboratory, which features a wide array of exercise equipment, two metabolic carts, a hydrostatic weighing tank, high-tech activity monitors, and an assortment of other fitness-, performance-, and health-related tools.
View the Flynn Building Photo Gallery
Bellarmine University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.