What is Exercise Science?
Exercise Science, also known as "Kinesiology," is the scientific study of how the body responds and adapts to physical activity. Through Exercise Science, one learns how to improve athletic performance, maintain health and wellness, and prevent and treat
chronic disease.
Common disciplines within the field of Exercise Science include Athletic Training, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Sport Nutrition, Exercise and Sport Psychology, Motor Behavior, and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.
What makes Bellarmine's approach to Exercise Science stand out?
Bellarmine provides multiple early-entry programs for Exercise Science students interested in pursuing graduate studies. These options include Launch to PT: Early Assurance Program (LEAP), an early-entry Doctor of Physical Therapy program which awards a bachelor’s and DPT in
six years, and a five-year early-entry program which awards a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science after four years and a Master of Health Science in
one additional year.
No matter what you plan to pursue, Bellarmine’s comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach allows students to customize their degree to meet their personal interests, needs and ultimate career goals.
The Student Perspective
Caitlin Perry is a junior majoring in Exercise Science on the Pre-Physical Therapy track. Perry was first drawn to the field in sixth grade after becoming involved with her grandfather’s treatment while
he recovered from an injury. That experience sparked a love of physical therapy that continues today. She is currently participating in an internship at ProRehab where she gets to observe treatment techniques, learn how patient progress is assessed and see how exercises are modified based on patient needs.
Here's what Perry had to say about her experience in Bellarmine’s Exercise Science program.
Q: What drew you to the Bellarmine Exercise Science program?
CP: I actually didn’t think I was going to be at Bellarmine until I went on a tour here and saw that it was very community-based. On my tour I was able to see that people knew my tour guide and everyone was smiling, and it was just a beautiful campus.
Then I met with Dr. Brosky, and he really drew me into the Physical Therapy program and told me about LEAP, and then I got accepted into LEAP, so I thought ok, this is it.
Q: How has your experience in this program helped you prepare for life after Bellarmine, in both a professional and personal sense?
CP: With Exercise Science you really develop critical thinking skills and whenever you’re working in a lab setting you’re working with your peers, so you’re able to work on teamwork and bonding with everybody, so I got to be more communicative
and comfortable talking to everybody. I was very shy before coming to Bellarmine and now I’m a tour guide and I talk to people all day. So, Exercise Science has helped me both professionally and personally.
Q: Do you think the size of Bellarmine has helped in that regard?
CP: Yeah. I feel like if I went to a bigger school I would still kind of be reserved, I would just stay in my Exercise Science bubble and I wouldn’t have moved past that, like being a tour guide. But the size of Bellarmine, getting to know everybody,
that has helped.
Q: How would you describe the learning environment in the Exercise Science department?
CP: The learning environment in Exercise Science is very one-on-one. Whenever you’re in a lab setting there’s at most around 16 students, so it’s really nice. I’m in Injury Prevention and Care right now and we just went over the
shoulder, and one of my classmates had a shoulder injury so we got to use her as our model with a real-life shoulder injury. So, it’s cool to have that personable class experience.
Q: Can you describe the relationships you build with your professors and fellow students in this department?
CP: My fellow students are very kind. We all want each other to succeed, we all send each other our study guides, we all compare [notes], everyone’s just super kind and we want everybody to succeed. Our professors are the same exact way. Dr. Carnes,
he’s my professor for Kinesiology, he’s also my Honors Thesis advisor, so me and him have meetings once a week for that thesis. It is nice to have a thesis advisor that you’re meeting with weekly, and he or she is making sure that
you are achieving the goals that you need to be achieving. [For example], my goal is to be published while in undergrad, and I don’t think I would be able to do that anywhere else. The professors in general want you to succeed so they do office
hours. That’s where I ask a lot of my questions because it’s also nice to build that relationship and pop into their office during those hours.
Q: What are the extracurricular experiences like in this major?
CP: There are a few clubs involved with Exercise Science. There’s Exercise Science Association and they do walks to get people up and running. I [augmented] one of my Exercise Science classes [for the Honors Program] with Dr. Wójcicki and
we walked throughout Louisville and surveyed the walkability of the area, and I think that’s one of the most fun extra things I’ve done with Exercise Science.
Q: Do you feel like your experience in this program has helped you find a purpose or calling for life after college?
CP: Yes. Exercise Science has really prepared me on how to deal with patients in the real world and it’s also given me so many opportunities, like an internship through ProRehab. It’s been very impactful on what I want to do after [college].
Q: What would you say to a prospective student interested in studying Exercise Science at Bellarmine?
CP: I would tell them that’s a great idea. If they’re interested in just Exercise Science that’s great, if they want to go into Physical Therapy that’s also great because you hit all the prerequisites [in this program]. You can
also do so much more with Exercise Science, and I think that’s a little bit overlooked, but I would tell them that the program’s amazing, the professors really care about you, and it’s just a great program to be in.
The Faculty Perspective
Dr. Thomas Wójcicki has taught at Bellarmine since 2014 and is the current chair of the Exercise Science department. He holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Wójcicki says Bellarmine’s mission of holistic education for meaningful lives, rewarding careers, ethical leadership and service to improve the human condition has a distinct impact on the approach of the Exercise Science department.
“Our students are taught how to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom for the benefit of others, via the creation of individualized exercise prescriptions aimed at improving health- or skill-related fitness outcomes, and to serve
the public good, via the promotion and support of physically active lifestyles in communities of all types and sizes.”
The importance of serving others is nurtured through hands-on engagement with the Bellarmine community throughout the course of study. Wójcicki emphasizes the extracurricular activities of the department as a core outlet for both honing skills
and impacting the community.
“Our students are wonderfully active across campus, from involvement in organizations such as the Exercise Science Association and the Pre-Physical Therapy Club, to contributing to the ACTIVE Knights program—a ‘fitness buddy’ initiative in partnership with Campus Recreation and Wellness—as
well as Bellarmine’s Exercise is Medicine On Campus initiative, which
is designed to promote a culture of physical activity and wellness across campus,” Wójcicki says.
In their senior year, all Exercise Science students are required to complete an internship in the local community. Faculty members help place students with relevant partners, allowing students to gain real-world experience alongside professionals in their
areas of interest. Wójcicki says these experiences allow students to showcase the knowledge and skills they obtained throughout their studies while ultimately preparing them to succeed in their careers after college.
Visit the Exercise Science program page for more information including program highlights and career opportunities.