
Michael Welch
- Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Exercise Science Program
Exercise science prepares students to pursue rewarding health and fitness careers.
You'll get a solid foundation in the science of exercise and health with& hands-on experience in the health/fitness industry. Our students are prepared for graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, clinical exercise physiology, kinesiology, and exercise science and careers in commercial fitness centers, health clubs, community centers, corporate wellness programs, and non-profit health promotion organizations.
Our students conduct clinical research, lead group exercise and personal training sessions, coach sports teams, and work in rehabilitation settings — with skills mastered in service learning with community organizations, at the Holmes Sports Center on campus, and in our world-class neighboring health centers.
Learn more about the Exercise Science Program.
Majors will complete four prerequisite courses, a core consisting of ten courses plus one elective spread out across their four years. All Majors are required to have CPR and First Aid Certifications by March 1 of their senior year. 3+3 Exercise Science/DPT students should refer to the undergraduate DPT course sequence in the course catalog. The suggested four-year sequence for core courses is:
BIOL 113 | General Biology | 4 |
OR | ||
BIOL 115 | Advanced General Biology | 4 |
CHEM 111 | Principles of General Chemistry | 4 |
CHEM 112 | Principles of Organic Chemistry | 4 |
BIOL 113, BIOL 115, CHEM 111, CHEM 113, and CHEM 112 include labs
BIOL 113 or BIOL 115, and STAT 118 or STAT 227: prereq. for BIOL 246
CHEM 111, CHEM 112: prereq. for BIOL 231
Students may complete BIOL 113 or BIOL 115 to fulfill Introductory Biology requirement.
Students may complete CHEM 111 or CHEM 113 to fulfill Introductory Chemistry requirement.
STAT 118 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychological Science | 4 |
NUTR 112 | Introduction to Nutrition Science | 4 |
EXSC 100 | Introduction to Exercise Science | 2 |
EXSC 110 | Form and Function in Resistance Exercise | 2 |
BIOL 231 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
BIOL 232 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
BIOL 246 | Foundations of Exercise and Health | 4 |
BIOL 332 | Exercise Physiology | 4 |
PSYC 232 | Health Psychology | 4 |
EXSC 361 | Exercise Assessment & Prescription | 4 |
CPR with AED Training -offered during DPT orientation-junior year summer |
BIOL 332 and EXSC 361 include labs
BIOL 332: prereq. for EXSC 361
First Aid Certification offered during EXSC 361 lab at cost
PHYS 110 | Introductory Physics I | 4 |
BIOL 362 | Kinesiology | 4 |
BIOL 370 | Internship | 0 |
BIOL 362 includes lab
**Students in the 3+3 Exercise Science/DPT program require 2 semesters of physics prior to entering the grad program:
PHYS 110 Introductory Physics I
PHYS 111 Introductory Physics II
PHYS 110 & PHYS 111 include labs
DPT 612 | Professional Seminar | 1 |
DPT 672 | Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculoskeletal I | 7 |
DPT 613 | Professional Seminar | 1 |
DPT 673 | Frameworks of Physical Therapy: Musculos keletal II | 7 |
DPT 621 | Human Anatomy | 7 |
DPT 622 | Movement Science I | 3 |
DPT 652 | Evidence Based Practice I | 2 |
AST 232 | Race, Gender & Health | 4 |
EXSC 233 | Strength and Conditioning | 4 |
CHEM 223 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
SOCI 241 | Health, Illness & Society | 4 |
SOCI 345 | Health Systems & Policy | 4 |
SOCI 266 | Sociology of Sports | 4 |
NUTR 110 | Sociocultural Implications of Nutrition | 4 |
NUTR 215 | Sports Nutrition | 4 |
NUTR 311 | Nutrient Metabolism | 4 |
NUTR 360 | Lifestyle Rx | 4 |
Mind-Body Medicine | ||
PHYS 110 | Introductory Physics I | 4 |
NUTR 311: CHEM 223 prereq.
SOCI 345: SOCI 101 prereq.
BIOL 246 | Foundations of Exercise and Health | 4 |
BIOL 332 | Exercise Physiology | 4 |
EXSC 100 | Introduction to Exercise Science | 2 |
EXSC 110 | Form and Function in Resistance Exercise | 2 |
STAT 118 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
AST 232 | Race, Gender & Health | 4 |
EXSC 233 | Strength and Conditioning | 4 |
CHEM 223 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
SOCI 241 | Health, Illness & Society | 4 |
SOCI 266 | Sociology of Sports | 4 |
SOCI 345 | Health Systems & Policy | 4 |
NUTR 110 | Sociocultural Implications of Nutrition | 4 |
NUTR 215 | Sports Nutrition | 4 |
NUTR 360 | Lifestyle Rx | 4 |
NUTR 311 | Nutrient Metabolism | 4 |
PHYS 110 | Introductory Physics I | 4 |
You'll work with a faculty advisor to tailor your program to your interests and career goals. Simmons students have many opportunities to further customize with dual majors, accelerated programs and complementary minors — including the accelerated 5-year BS in Exercise Science/MS in Nutrition and Health Promotion and the 6-year combined BS in Exercise Science/ Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT).
Facilities and Equipment:
The Exercise Physiology lab contains a metabolic cart, five computerized data acquisition workstations, exercise ergometers and a treadmill.
Our students master skills in measurement and assessment of oxygen consumption (VO2), neuromuscular activation (EMG), thermogenic, metabolic, pulmonary and cardiovascular responses to exercise. The Holmes Sports Center serves as a living lab for Exercise Assessment and Prescription skills. The Holmes Sports Center is also the home to two new classes at Simmons University; "Strength and Conditioning and Form" and "Function: Resistant Training."
Internship and Research Opportunities:
Simmons is located in the Longwood Medical area, home to world class medical, clinical and research facilities. Our students have done research in childhood asthma and in obesity at Children's Hospital, in amenorrhea at Brigham and Women's Hospital, interned in fitness/wellness at the BI/Deaconess Tanger Center and led exercise classes for cancer survivors at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
So you know that Simmons is a great place to be, you've learned about our programs, maybe even come for a visit...now you're ready to apply! Let's get started.