2025-2026
Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science in Health Sciences (Reynolds Community College)
Associate degree
Associate of Science in Health Sciences
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
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
Depending on the concentration, the major is designed for students who wish to enter a health care-related field that does not require licensure, certification or registry status such as corporate wellness, human services, nonprofit health promotion and medical and pharmaceutical sales, or exercise physiologist, corporate fitness director, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialist, strength and conditioning specialist and wellness director.
Graduates can also be qualified to enter either graduate or professional health science programs, such as public health, health education and promotion, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, nursing, speech-language pathology, audiology, radiation safety, clinical laboratory science and health care administration. Additionally, the exercise science concentration prepares students for graduate study in exercise science or athletic training.
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
Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:
- Completion of the associate degree
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 151
- STAT 210
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0 to graduate, grade of C or better required in all major and concentration courses
Transfer major map
2025-2026
Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Health Sciences)
| 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
- Register for SDV 101.
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor and review your Reynolds advising workbook.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
- Explore the accelerated BS and MS programs.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the Kinesiology and Health Sciences department website to become familiar with the degree.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Find out if you are eligible for the NEXT STEP VCU program.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Familiarize yourself with Handshake and explore Career Pathways on the VCU Career Services’ Website.
- Browse careers and occupations related to exercise science.
- Explore iGrad to look into building a career and financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Take a career assessment to explore job options.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an advising appointment with your Reynolds advisor.
- Meet with your NEXT STEP advisor or submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Submit the NEXT Step Interest Form.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Kinesiology and Health Sciences department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
- Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Use Handshake to explore jobs and internships that match your interests and skills.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
2025-2026
Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)
Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Health Sciences)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||||
| SDV 101 | Orientation to Health Science | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 161 | Precalculus I | MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
| HLT 143 | Medical Terminology | HPEX 250 | 3 | Elective (Counts toward restricted electives for major) |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| HLT 206 | HLT 206 Introduction to Kinesiology Note: Both HLT 206 + HLT 230 Principles of Nutrition must be taken to transfer as VCU equivalents for HPEX majors. | BIOL 217 + HPEX 310 | 3 | Major (For HPEX majors at VCU only) |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHM 111 | General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Arts/Literature | Select one from: ART 100, CST 151, MUS 121, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 258 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Year 2 | ||||
| BIO 141 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Note: both BIO 141 and BIO 142 must be completed to transfer as VCU equivalents | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| HLT | HLT 215 Personal Stress and Stress Management Note: students must complete both HLT 206 and HLT 215 to receive credit for HPEX 371 | HPEX 371 | 3 | Major (For HPEX majors at VCU only) |
| Select one: CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking or CST 110 Introduction to Human Communication | SPCH 221 or SPCH 121 | 3 | General education | |
| Select from: ASL 101, FRE 101, or SPA 101 Note: VCU's foreign language 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. VCU does not offer ASL 101-102. Student planning to take ASL 101 at Reynolds CC will need to complete ASL 102 at community college. | VCU equivalent | 4 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| BIO 142 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Note: both BIO 141 and BIO 142 must be completed to transfer as VCU equivalents | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| HLT 230 | Principles of Nutrition and Human Development Note: Both HLT 206 + HLT 230 must be taken to transfer as VCU equivalents for HPEX majors. | BIOL 217 + HPEX 310 | 3 | Major |
| PHI 220 | Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | General education (Counts toward restricted electives for major) |
| History | Select one from: HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 | HIST | 3 | General education |
| Reynolds credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration in Exercise Science | |||
| Year 3 | |||
| Foreign language | Foreign language (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 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MATH 151 | Precalculus Mathematics | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| HPEX 300 | Health Care Delivery in the U.S. | 3 | Major |
| HPEX/Z 375 | Physiology of Exercise + Laboratory | 4 | Major |
| STAT 210 | Basic Practice of Statistics | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| HPEX 380 | Resistance Training for Health and Performance | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 395 | Clinical Experience I | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 440 | Chronic Disease and Exercise Management | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 441 | Assessment and Exercise Intervention in Health and Disease | 3 | Major |
| PHYS 201 | General Physics I | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Year 4 | |||
| HPEX 350 | Nutrition | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 470 | Exercise Programming and Leadership | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 475 | Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Pharmacology | 3 | Major |
| HPEX 374 | Musculoskeletal Structure and Movement | 4 | Major |
| HPEX 480 | Professional Certification Seminar | 1 | Major |
| HPEX 495 | Clinical Experience II | 6 | Major |
| HPEX Electives | 7 to 10 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 120 | ||