B.S. in Exercise Science

The Exercise Science major prepares you to work in health and wellness fields, such as exercise physiology, nutrition, lifestyle management, and corporate wellness. This major also prepares students for graduate education by promoting hands-on experiences with personal training and the potential to earn one or more certifications in fitness as a part of the built in curriculum. All Exercise Science students will be immersed in a practical environment as a sophomore/junior through service as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor in the Otterbein OtterFit Faculty and Staff Health and Fitness Program. The senior year culminates in an optional internship in a corporate, community, university, commercial, or clinical setting. Additionally, there is an optional Strength & Conditioning Concentration for those students especially interested in human performance in an athletic, military, or clinical setting.

Why Exercise Science

Students choose this major if they desire to work in public or community health, as a strength and conditioning coach at any level, as an exercise specialist in a clinical setting, as a group fitness leader or personal trainer in a corporate or commercial fitness center, or in development of health programs in a wide variety of settings. Each faculty academic advisor works with every individual student in this major to determine the direction in this field that might be best.

Earn the Degree

The coursework prepares students to administer fitness assessments, prescribe exercise programs commensurate with the client’s needs and goals, and educate people about basic nutritional concepts with an exercise physiologist’s scope of practice. The major will be able to lead individuals with chronic disease in programs to improve their health and fitness. Students will be exposed to the organization and management of a worksite wellness program through presentation of health fairs, lunch and learn presentations, and health coaching. The anatomy and physiology of the human body will be followed by exposure to kinesiology and exercise physiology. This knowledge will permit the student greater understanding of the human body, especially during exercise.

There are required classes to prepare a student for specific certifications, such as an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and ACSM Group Exercise Instructor. At a minimum, students have the opportunity to graduate with the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer certification and the ACSM Group Exercise Instructor certifications that are embedded to take within their courses. Additionally, the Strength and Conditioning concentration is equipped to prepare students for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Students are encouraged and supported in adding other professional credentials of interest before graduating, including the NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), ACSM Exercise Physiologist, or USAW Sport Performance Coach Certification.

Furthermore, the Exercise Science Strength & Conditioning Program is applying for CASCE accreditation fall of 2025.

The goals for every major in Exercise Science are to:

  • Have the content knowledge to work in the field directly after graduation.
  • Pass the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and ACSM Group Exercise Instructor certification exams.
  • Have over 300 hours of practical experience in one-on-one and group settings in working with individuals on their physical goals and needs.

Course Checklist/Four Year Plan

Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science Checklist (PDF)
Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science four year plan (PDF)

Careers

Career opportunities are numerous and include fitness or wellness programs, cardiac rehabilitation, YMCA/YWCA’s/private health and commercial fitness clubs, government or private agencies, industry, apparel and wearable devices companies, college and university athletic teams, recreational facilities and community recreation centers, health departments, strength and conditioning programs, and church youth programming.

Internships

Otterbein University gives all seniors in Exercise Science the option to complete an internship. This opportunity allows each student to integrate the formal academic preparation with a semester-long practical work experience. The goals of the internship program are:

  • To enhance your professional growth.
  • To further your understanding and appreciation of the role, duties, and responsibilities of a health or sport professional.
  • To further the development of a central core of values, attitudes, skills, and information related to the world of work through experiences outside the classroom and campus environment.
  • To add depth and relevance to your classroom work.
  • To enable you to gain a sense of different career fields and of specific jobs within each of these fields.
  • To improve your job-search and interviewing skills.
  • To prepare you to enter the job market or graduate education after graduation.

To learn more check out our Exercise Science Internship Manual (PDF).

How long does the internship last?
Internships in Exercise Science can vary from 1-15 credit hours. This is 42-630 hours of contact in the student-chosen setting. These hours vary to allow students and field placements flexibility in experience. The hours are satisfied over the 15-week semester or 23 hours per week.

What are the benefits of interning through Otterbein?
It’s all about location, location, location! Columbus, the capital city of Ohio, and its surrounding communities offer many opportunities for a student to gain access to a wide variety of work settings including government, corporations, commercial, recreational, and public and private agencies. Otterbein has created many avenues for student internships through great relationships throughout Columbus.

Where do Otterbein students intern?

  • Central Ohio high school strength and conditioning programs
  • Cooper Fitness Institute in Dallas, Texas
  • Emblem Health in New York City
  • Infinity Fitness, SOAR Fitness, Columbus Fit Life
  • Summit Vision
  • Ludas Magnus
  • Columbus Blue Jackets
  • University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Strength & Conditioning
  • The Ohio State University, Strength and Conditioning
  • University of Louisville, Strength and Conditioning
  • Youngstown State, Strength and Conditioning
  • Ohio University, Strength and Conditioning
  • University of Southern Florida, Strength and Conditioning
  • University of Houston, Strength and Conditioning
  • SPIRE Institute, Geneva, OH
  • Florida Atlantic University, Strength and Conditioning
  • The Ohio State University-Wexner Sports Medicine
  • Knox County Health Department
  • McConnell Heart Health Center
  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  • Hylant
  • Verizon Wireless Corporate
  • Wendy’s International Corporate
  • Westerville Community Center
  • Worthington Community Center
  • Vineyard Church
  • Google Headquarters, Mountain View, CA

Resources

Student Learning Outcomes University Learning Goals (KMERI*)
1. The student demonstrates the knowledge and skills of a health and fitness practitioner. Knowledgeable, Inquisitive
2. The student assesses the needs and wants of individuals or groups in order to determine priorities for health and fitness programming; specifically groups of individuals with special or different needs. Multi-literate. Engaged
3. The student plans effective physical activity/exercise and nutritional programs for individuals/groups for several populations of individuals. Multi-literate
4. The student plans an effective wellness intervention proposal for general corporate wellness, including all aspects of wellness (physical activity, public health, mental health, nutrition). Multi-literate; Engaged
5. The student practices their decision-making and critical thinking and analysis skills in practical opportunities within nutrition and dietetics. Engaged, Responsible
6. The student applies both oral and written communication skills and organizational abilities when discussing peer-reviewed literature within the Exercise Science field. Additionally, students synthesize and summarize information from a variety of sources to inform the project/topic at hand. Multi-literate; knowledgeable; Inquisitive
7. Student will demonstrate mastery of knowledge related to anatomy and physiology and human movement. In addition, student will display competence in their knowledge of the effect of exercise on the physiological systems. Knowledgeable
8. Students will demonstrate the ability to create behavior change related to physical activity and diet. Multi-literate
9. Students will demonstrate appropriate strength and conditioning program design and implementation based on needs and population; specifically plyometric training, speed and agility training, and aerobic endurance training. Knowledgeable
10. Students will demonstrate effective hands on application of general strength and conditioning testing; specifically plyometric training, speed and agility training, and aerobic endurance training. Multi-literate. Engaged
11. The student demonstrates the knowledge and skills of a health and fitness practitioner regarding knowledge of appropriate testing and prescription for clientele. Knowledgeable
12. Effective and appropriate exercise facility program organization, administration, and oversight. Knowledgeable. Multi-literate.
13. Student will demonstrate ability to translate academic materials to real-life applied learning; participating in at last two different content experiences. Engaged, Responsible. Inquisitive

*NOTE: KMERI refers to Otterbein's learning goals. It stands for Knowledgeable, Multi-literate, Engaged, Responsible, and Inquisitive. To learn more about KMERI, visit our University Learning Goals page.

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