Kinesiology Major

The Clinical Exercise Physiology concentration is a 24-credit optional concentration for students in the Kinesiology major in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. The concentration provides students with the knowledge and practical experience to become leading professionals in the field of health and fitness focused on promoting healthy lifestyles as well as preventing and treating chronic conditions. Students will be prepared for careers in specialties including cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, preventative cardiology, diabetes prevention and management, obesity prevention and treatment, and oncology rehabilitation.  Students will be well positioned to sit for and pass certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and more. Students completing the concentration will also be competitive candidates for advanced training and education in areas such as physical therapy, clinical exercise physiology, occupational therapy, medicine, and other related disciplines.

Note: If you would like to major in kinesiology with a concentration in clinical exercise physiology, apply to kinesiology using the Common Application. Your academic advisor will add the concentration during a future appointment.

Career Opportunities

• Cardiac rehabilitation specialist
• Wellness manager/coordinator
• Group exercise instructor
• Personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach
• Fitness manager/coordinator/specialist

Potential Areas of Advanced Study

• Athletic trainer
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Exercise physiology
• Medicine
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Physician assistant
• Recreational therapy
• University recreational sports

Learning Experiences

• Gain more than 200 hours of hands-on clinical experience in the clinical exercise physiology courses.
• Learn the knowledge and skills needed to become a certified personal trainer.
• Spend a summer at one of our study abroad programs.

In this optional concentration, you’ll participate in 75 hours of hands-on clinical experience in athletic training courses, and you’ll have training fieldwork opportunities in collegiate, high school and clinical/industry settings. You’ll gain the base knowledge to pursue graduate coursework in a variety of areas, including athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine or chiropractic medicine. Students in this program may choose to apply to Purdue University’s Master of Science in Athletic Training program.

Note: If you would like to major in kinesiology with a concentration in sports medicine, apply to kinesiology using the Common Application. Your academic advisor will add the concentration during a future appointment.

Potential Areas of Advanced Study

• Athletic training
• Chiropractic
• Medicine
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Physician assistant

Learning Experiences

• Gain 75 hours of hands-on clinical experience in the athletic training courses.
• Spend a summer at one of our study abroad programs.

This concentration provides foundational knowledge and profession-specific learning opportunities for students interested in pursuing graduate school and/or a future career within the sport industry. Coursework builds student skills in the business practices of the sport industry at multiple levels including recreational, interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional environments.

Kinesiology offers excellent preparation for students who plan to attend graduate school in an area of kinesiology or professional school. Examples include athletic training, physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), medicine, physician assistant (PA), chiropractic, biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor learning, motor development, sport and exercise psychology, sport management, etc.