2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with a concentration in exercise science
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science: General Studies, Health Sciences Specialization (Northern Virginia Community College)
Program description
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences offers programs that prepare students to pursue careers that utilize exercise interventions for both healthy and diseased populations and/or careers designed for students who wish to enter a health care-related field (that does not require licensure, certification or registry status). The department offers one undergraduate degree program; the Bachelor of Science with either the exercise science concentration or the health science concentration.
Career opportunities
Career paths include exercise physiologist, corporate fitness director, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialist, strength and conditioning specialist and wellness director. Additionally, the exercise science concentration prepares students for graduate study in exercise science or athletic training and offers an excellent option for those students who want to obtain the pre-requisites for post-graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy and medicine.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Exercise Physiologist
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
- Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
- Health Educator
- Recreation Worker
- Recreational Therapist
- Sports Coach or Scout
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Chief Executive Officer
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Sports Medicine Doctor
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 151
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0
Transfer major map
2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with a concentration in exercise science
Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: General Studies, Health Sciences Specialization)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the admissions process by speaking with the VCU Transfer Admissions representative at NOVA.
- Visit the VCU Transfer Admissions webpage.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Browse careers related to Exercise Science through the NOVA career planning system.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take a career assessment through the NOVA career planning system.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and explore VCU's Career Pathways.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Understand how you will fund your education by taking advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
- Complete requirements for the associate’s degree. Earn at least a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Continue to use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Join a professional organization related to exercise science: American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association.
- Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
- Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- Run for leadership in your student organization.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Find out about VCU REAL.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
2020-2021
Bachelor of Science: Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with a concentration in exercise science
Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: General Studies, Health Sciences Specialization)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 (or SDV 101) | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| BIO 141 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (both BIO 141 and BIO 142 must be taken to receive credit for the VCU equivalents) | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 4 | Major |
| MTH | MTH 161 Precalculus I Note: must take with MTH 162 or take the combined 5-credit MTH 167 | MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | Major |
| HLT 141 | Introduction to Medical Terminology | HPEX 250 | 1 | Major |
| BIO 142 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (both BIO 141 and BIO 142 must be taken to receive credit for the VCU equivalents) | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 4 | Major |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| CST | Select 1: CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking OR CST 110 Introduction to Communication OR CST 126 Interpersonal Communication OR CST 229 Intercultural Communication | SPCH | 3 | Elective |
| Transfer elective | BIO 101 General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Select 1: ART 101 History and Appreciation of Art I OR ART 102 History and Appreciation of Art II OR MUS 121 Music Appreciation I OR PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy I | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | PSY 230 Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major |
| Transfer Elective | MTH 162 Precalculus II | MATH 151 | 3 | Major |
| Transfer Elective | Select 1: PLS 241 International Relations or REL 231 Religions of the World | POLI 105 or RELS 311 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 245 | Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Major |
| HIS elective | Select 1: HIS 101 History of Western Civilization I OR HIS 102 History of Western Civilization II OR HIS 111 History of World Civilization I OR HIS 112 History of World Civilization II OR HIS 121 United States History I OR HIS 122 United States History II | HIST | 3 | General education |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Select 1: CST 151 Film Appreciation I OR ENG 241 Survey of American Literature I OR ENG 242 Survey of American Literature II OR ENG 243 Survey of English Literature I OR ENG 244 Survey of English Literature II OR ENG 251 Survey of World Literature I OR ENG 252 Survey of World Literature II | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Laboratory Science | CHM 111 General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | Major |
| Transfer Elective | PHY 201 General Physics I | PHYS 201 | 4 | Major |
| Transfer Elective | Select 1: BIO 102 General Biology II OR BIO 150 Microbiology OR BIO 206 Cellular Biology OR CHM 112 General Chemistry II OR DIT 121 Nutrition I OR HLT 230 Principles of Nutrition and Human Development OR PHI 227 Bio-Medical Ethics OR PHY 202 General College Physics II OR PSY 215 Abnormal Psychology OR PSY 240 Health Psychology | VCU equivalent | 3 | Major |
| Northern Virginia Credits Transferred to VCU | 61 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) | 0 to 8 | General education | |
| HPEX 300 | Healthcare Delivery in the U.S. | 3 | Major (HPEX Core) |
| HPEX 310 | Fitness and Health | 3 | Major (HPEX Core) |
| HPEX 395 | Clinical Experience I | 3 | Major (HPEX Core) |
| HPEX 495 | Clinical Experience II (fulfills senior capstone) | 6 | Major (HPEX Core) |
| HPEX 350 | Nutrition | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 371 | Psychology of Physical Activity | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 374 | Musculoskeletal Structure and Movement | 4 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 375 + HPEZ 375 | Physiology of Exercise and Laboratory | 4 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 380 | Resistance Training for Health and Performance | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 440 | Chronic Disease and Exercise Management | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 441 | Assessment and Exercise Intervention in Health and Disease | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 470 | Exercise Programming and Leadership | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 475 | Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Pharmacology | 3 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| HPEX 480 | Professional Certification Seminar | 1 | Major (Exercise Science Core) |
| Approved electives (check with VCU advisor) | 6 to 14 | Elective | |
| Credits Completed at VCU | 59 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||