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Exercise Science

If you like learning about the body and how it works, playing sports, participating in exercise, or helping others reach their goals, then Exercise Science is the major for you! This program is very hands-on and includes many opportunities to practice the skills needed to be in healthcare or physical wellness-related careers. You will learn how to train the body for overall health and longevity or to maximize performance in a sport. You will learn all the foundational science skills you will need if you would like to pursue a graduate program in healthcare. Bonus, our faculty are fun, innovative, and dedicated to all their students!

Graduates of the program are prepared to enter a variety of fields related to exercise physiology, cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and personal training. In addition, graduates are prepared for advanced study in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, exercise physiology, chiropractic, nursing, and physician assistants. Many go into graduate programs to become highly specialized. Apply today!

Why earn your Exercise Science degree at BHSU?

Prepare to play an integral role in the future health of our society
Study in the state-of-the-art Young Sports and Fitness Center at BHSU
Become involved in a variety of professional organizations that support the profession

Exercise Science Transcript

Unnamed Individual, "I wanna help people be healthy. I wanna help people you know have a higher quality of life and I want them to maintain their independence longer."

Dr. Craig Triplett, "It's all about the human connection. So I want a student that: A) Will make that connection and that's what they're ultimately looking for is somebody that is you know is going to help people."

Sean, "You have to have the passion for it, it's not just about knowing the sets and reps. Like I said, it's about wanting to help people."

Dr. Craig Triplett, "And what I have found here is that I can have that one on one connection with the students. and then they go out and help people when they get into their careers and so it's kind of an exponential growth of helping people."

Tyler, "My professors have been very hands on and very open to meeting times and things like that in order for me to you know get a better understanding for what we just went over in class."

Sarah Aid, "I loved the hands on stuff umm...going into the working field I feel super prepared and having hands on labs and talking about real life situations in class. I think that helped tremendously."

Dr. Corey Selland, "The facilities at Black Hills State University for the Exercise Science Program umm...are very nice. Our classrooms are large umm...so that we can do content based learning in the class."

Sean, "...On a large facility we have a lot of different things, and we're getting a lot more things with the new professors bring a lot more things like pressure plates and things of that nature."

Tyler, "It means a lot to be hands on. You can go to the back where there's the Bod Pod umm...there's umm... you know the tables too where you can work on your functional movement screens. I just want to jump right into the field of possibly getting a position as a strength and conditioning coach. My golden goal would be to have my own gym and train athletes there and prepare athletes for the next level. Whether that be elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to college, college to pros. Umm...I just really wanna train athletes and enhance their athletic performance."

Dr. Craig Triplett, "We all work really well together and umm...looking at things from a different perspective."

Unnamed Individual, "I really love my job and I love the students here."

Unnamed Individual, "Our students branch out to the entire world and the country and do incredibly different things."

Current Job Opportunities

Monument: https://monumenthealth.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Goldcareers?source=Web

NSCA: https://www.nsca.com/professional-development/nsca-job-board/

AACRPR: https://careers.aacvpr.org/jobs/

ACSM: https://careers.acsm.org/jobs/?keywords=&place=

Graduate School Application

Physical Therapy: https://ptcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

Athletic Training: https://atcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

Occupational Therapy: https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

Graduate Programs: https://gradcas2024.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login