Exercise and Sport Science Major: Exercise Science Pre-Professional Track - Bachelor of Science

(College of Science and Health)

Admission to program

Admission to the ESS-exercise science pre-professional track is competitive and not all who apply may be accommodated.

  1. To be considered for admission to the exercise and sport science major: exercise science pre-professional track, the student must have completed at least 30 semester credits, including general education credits and two pre-admission courses (BIO 105 or MIC 100 and HPR 105) with a grade of at least "C" in each of these courses and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
  2. Applications for admission are accepted in the fall semester (deadline of October 1) and the spring semester (deadline of February 1). All candidates must meet academic requirements, physical fitness standards and professional and personal qualifications and be approved by the Exercise Science Advisory Committee. Consideration for selection is based on the following criteria:
    1. A cumulative UWL GPA of 3.00 or higher;
    2. Grade of "C" or better in BIO 105 or MIC 100;
    3. Grade of "C" or better in HPR 105;
    4. Two professional job shadows;
    5. Extra-curricular experiences related to the emphasis; and
    6. Narrative statement content and technical writing quality.

Retention and advancement

Once admitted, a 3.00 GPA (cumulative and major) must be maintained and a "C" grade or better must be earned in all required and elective major courses for retention in the program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation for one semester. Failure to achieve a 3.00 GPA (cumulative and major) by the end of the probation semester will result in ineligibility to continue in the program.

For complete details regarding application procedures, contact the Exercise Science Program Director in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

Curriculum

(57-60 credits for the pre-professional track)

Pre-professional track courses:

Core courses:

(required for all ESS-exercise science emphasis students)

ESS 100Physical Activities (6 credits, may include ESS 116)6
ESS 201Safety, First Aid and CPR1
ESS 207Human Motor Behavior3
ESS 281Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries2
ESS 302Physiology of Exercise3
ESS 303Biomechanics3
ESS 323Nutrition and Sport3
ESS 328Field Experience in Exercise Science3
ESS 446Current Research and Trends in Exercise Science3
Total Credits27
Required courses (12-14 credits)
ESS 317Medical Terminology and Documentation1-3
or CHE 220 Medical Terminology for Health Education
or RTH 355 Medical Language and Digital Competencies for Allied Health Professionals
ESS 383Clinical Pathology for Exercise Science3
BIO 312Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIO 313Human Anatomy and Physiology II4
CSH college curriculum (12-13 credits)
CHM 104General Chemistry II5
PHY 104Fundamental Physics II4
Select a BIO or MIC course 13-4
Psychology (3 credits)
Select one of the following:3
PSY 100
General Psychology
PSY 212
Lifespan Development
Any 3 credits of PSY course work transferred from another institution
Select any three credit sociology course3
Total Credits30-33
1

Not including BIO 105, BIO 312, or BIO 313

Students must complete at least 40 credits in the 300/400-level range. It is recommended that students who need additional 300/400-level credits take the following:

ESS 368Strength Training Techniques and Programs3

General education requirements

Students who select the exercise and sport science-exercise science pre-professional track major are required to take HPR 105, BIO 105, CHM 103, STAT 145, a second math course at the 150 level or higher or CS 101 or CS 120; and PHY 103. Additional general education courses must also be selected to complete all category requirements and to meet the university minimum requirement of 41 total credit hours in general education.

All students must complete the general education, college core, major/minor, and university degree requirements in order to qualify for a degree. The easiest way to track all of these requirements is to refer to the Advisement Report (AR) found in the Student Information System (WINGS) Student Center. All enrolled students have access to the AR.

College of Science and Health (CSH) Bachelor of Science core requirements

B.S. and B.A. students graduating from the College of Science & Health are required to take:

  • two MTH/STAT courses or one MTH/STAT course and one CS course from the General Education: Quantitative Reasoning Category (GEN ED 1004); and
  • two courses selected from the General Education: Experiential Science Category (GEN ED 1008) and/or from
    BIO 203, BIO 304, BIO 210, CHM 104, GEO 221, GEO 222, PHY 104 or PHY 204. One of the two courses must be from a department outside of the student’s major department.

Notes: Mathematics courses can be pairs, i.e. MTH 150 and MTH 151.

For the Bachelor of Science degree, in addition to all other College of Science and Health core requirements, students from non-exempted programs1 must complete one of the following options. It is recommended that courses are selected in consultation with students’ academic advisor.

  1. Complete a second major; or

  2. Complete a minor outside the major; or

  3. Complete two certificates outside the major with at least 12 combined credits at the 300/400 level; or

  4. Complete an individualized option, consisting of 18 credits

    1. At least 12 credits must be earned at the 300/400 level outside the major department.

    2. The remaining six credits should come from

      1. 100 level or higher courses outside the major (General education courses may apply provided they are not being used to fulfill minimum general education requirements.); or

      2. 300/400 level courses inside major not being used to fulfill major requirements.

    3. Internship credits may not count toward the individualized option.

1

The list of exempted CSH programs is below.

Baccalaureate degree requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:

  1. Fulfill the general education requirements.
  2. Complete at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course.
  3. Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college.
  4. Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.1, 2
  5. At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400 level apply to this requirement.
  6. Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA1, 2 in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
  7. A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
  8. Submit an application for graduation via the "Submit Intent to Graduate" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.
1

Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum in order to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit.

2

The grade point average recorded at the time the degree is awarded will not be affected by future enrollment.

No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.

Below is a sample degree plan that can be used as a guide to identify courses required to fulfill the major and other requirements needed for degree completion. A student's actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Also, this sample plan assumes readiness for each course and/or major plan, and some courses may not be offered every term. Review the course descriptions or the class timetable for course offering information.

The sample degree plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UWL in the fall term. Students should use the Advisement Report (AR) in WINGS and work closely with their faculty advisor(s) and college dean’s office to ensure declaration and completion of all requirements in a timely manner.

General Education Program
The general education curriculum (Gen Ed) is the common educational experience for all undergraduates at UWL. Sample degree plans include Gen Ed placeholders to ensure completion of the general education requirements. Courses may be rearranged to fit the needs or recommendations of the student’s program of study. Gen Ed courses may be taken during winter term (January between the semesters) and summer to reduce the course load during regular terms (fall and spring). Students should consult with their advisor and/or the college academic services director in their college/school for assistance with course and schedule planning. Refer to the general education requirements for more specific details.

At least 40 credits of the 120 credits required must be earned at the 300/400-level. 

Note: New students and transfer students with less than 12 credits earned are required to take FYS 100 First-Year Seminar (3 cr.) during one of their first two semesters at UWL.

This sample degree plan does not establish a contractual agreement. It identifies the minimum requirements a student must successfully complete, to qualify for a degree, in a format intended to assist the student in planning their academic career. Actual degree plans may differ.

Year 1
FallCreditsSpringCredits
BIO 105 (Gen Ed 1008 Experiential Science)4CHM 103 (CSH Core - Gen Ed Experiential Science )5
ENG 110 (Gen Ed 1002 Written Literacy)3CST 110 (Gen Ed 1003 Spoken Literacy)3
HPR 105 (Gen Ed 1006 Mind and Body)3ESS 100 (Select a topic of interest)1
MTH 150 (Gen Ed 1004 Quantitative Reasoning)4ESS 20111
Gen Ed 1007 Arts and Aesthetics2STAT 145 (CSH Core)4
Meet with faculty advisor to discuss requirements for admission to the ESS-Exercise Science program. FYS 100 (Gen Ed 1001 First-Year Seminar)3
 16 17
Year 2
FallCreditsSpringCredits
BIO 3124ESS 1001
CHM 1045BIO 3134
Gen Ed 1010 Stories We Tell3ESS 1001
Gen Ed 1011 Pasts That Define Us3ESS 2812
Apply for admission to ESS-Exercise Science program--see WINGS advisement report and ESS-Exercise Science website for details. Any BIO or MIC Course 2, 33
 ESS 2073
 15 14
Year 3
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ESS 1001ESS 317, CHE 220, or RTH 3551-3
ESS 3033ESS 3233
PHY 1034ESS 3283
PSY 100 (Gen Ed 1009 Social and Behavioral Studies)43PHY 1044
ESS 3023Gen Ed 1005 Ethnic Diversity3
University Elective 300/400 level53University Elective 300/400 level53
 17 17
Year 4
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ESS 1001ESS 1001
Gen Ed 1007 Arts and Aesthetics2ESS 4463
Gen Ed 1012 Planet That Sustains Us3ESS 3833
University Elective 300/400 level53Gen Ed 1013 Cultures of Our World3
University Elective 300/400 level53University Elective52
 12 12
Total Credits: 120
1

Students may earn credit by examination for ESS 201. Interested students should check with the ESS department and the CSH Dean's Office to make arrangements for taking the test.

2

Excluding BIO 105, BIO 312, and BIO 313.

3

Many pre-health graduate programs require an additional life science with a lab course beyond BIO 105, BIO 312, and BIO 313. It is recommended that students research the prerequisites for admission to the pre-health programs of interest to them. Regardless, any BIO/MIC course (three credits minimum) satisfies this requirement.

4

PSY 100 is recommended and satisfies the Gen Ed 1009 Social and Behavioral Studies requirement. Any three credit PSY course satisfies the PSY requirement in the ESS-exercise science pre-professional major.

5

The most efficient way to satisfy the CSH college core upper level course requirement is to choose the individualized program option. With that option, BIO 312, BIO 313, and RTH 355 apply, along with 1 additional credit of 300/400-level coursework from any department. Students who select CHE 220 instead of RTH 355 need 4 additional credits of 300/400-level coursework. It is recommended that students who need additional 300/400 level credits consider taking ESS 368 Strength Training Techniques and Programs (3 cr.). See CSH BS Core Requirements for information on completing the individualized option. 300/400 requirements for graduation may be impacted.