Exercise & Sport Science program
Undergrad major Teacher license Graduate degreeJoin a career path where exercise is medicine
UWL's Exercise and Sport Science Department has an international reputation and a more than 100-year history of preparing professionals for careers in sport management, fitness, physical education, adapted physical education, school health education and more.
Students are assigned a faculty adviser to assist with academic and career decisions and many gain hands-on experience working alongside leading researchers. Students can focus their major on a variety of emphasis areas: physical, adapted or school health education teaching; sport management; or exercise science. The exercise science emphasis prepares students for careers in fitness, health, and related fields, and they can choose a fitness track or pre-professional track.
A pre-professional track prepares students for graduate fields that use exercise as medicine such as athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation and more. ESS also offers graduate programs in Athletic Training, Clinical Exercise Physiology, and Physical Education Teaching.
My time here at UWL has been nothing short of amazing. I am happy to call this beautiful city my second home.
Hannah Schwartz
Exercise and Sport Science jobs
UWL's Exercise and Sport Science Department prepares graduates for diverse careers worldwide related to exercise and sports. Whether your interest is in sport management, teaching, coaching, fitness, medicine, or therapeutic exercise, program faculty are committed to helping you achieve your maximum potential.
- Teach: Graduates of the Physical, Adapted, and School Health Education Teaching program are prepared and licensed to teach K-12 physical education, adapted physical education, and school health education in Wisconsin, nationally, and internationally. Supply exceeds the demand for physical education, adapted, and school health teachers, and graduates of the UWL program are highly sought after.
- Work in the fitness industry: Students who select the Exercise Science Fitness Track are prepared for employment in the fitness industry including positions in fitness testing/assessment, program design, and instruction in a wide variety of fitness-related areas. Students are also prepared to enter a variety of graduate programs including fitness, health, human performance, and related areas. Internship sites and employers nationwide seek UWL fitness-emphasis majors including U.S. Olympic Training Centers.
- Find a career in sport management: Students who select the Sport Management emphasis become highly-trained managers who find success in a variety of careers within the sport enterprise. Most graduates are employed in the field, including positions in professional sports, athletic clubs, golf/tennis clubs, fitness centers, marketing directors, sport merchandising, university recreational sports and athletics programs, facility management, swim fitness instruction, and YM/YWCA leadership positions.
- Work in clinical exercise: The Pre-professional Track is specifically designed for students interested in going on to graduate school for a career that uses the clinical application of exercise or activity (uses exercise as medicine) such as athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation and more.
Positions
- Activity specialist
- Aquatics specialist
- Coach
- Exercise/fitness specialist
- Health/fitness club program director
- Industrial/corporate health promotion
- Personal trainer
- Physical education teacher (with teacher certification)
- School health education teacher (with teacher certification)
- Sports director (youth or adult)
- Strength and conditioning specialist
- Ticket sales and service representative
- Athletic communications and events coordinator
What is exercise & sport science?
Exercise and sport science is the study of human movement as it relates to exercise and sport. Study ranges from how the body works at the cellular level to the broad, overarching activities and sports that can become a prescription to promote health and improve performance.
What distinguishes UWL's Exercise and Sport Science program?
Excellent faculty, staff, and facilities have helped UWL's ESS-related programs earn outstanding regional, national, and international reputations in student education and professional preparation.
Professors are well-known in the industry and have conducted hundreds of exercise-related studies in collaboration with the American Council on Exercise. UWL professors have consulted with Olympic coaches and frequently serve as sources on exercise and fitness topics in national news.
Each student is assigned a faculty adviser to assist with academic and career decision. Also, students will learn from faculty instead of teaching assistants.
The program's highly acclaimed “learn by doing” reputation is enhanced by providing students with hands-on educational experiences in their area of choice. Students have many opportunities to get involved in undergraduate research projects, internships, and other professional activities.
UWL has one of the finest physical education, exercise science and sport facilities in the Midwest. Indoor facilities include gymnasiums, gymnastics area, dance studio, wrestling room, strength training centers, racquetball/wallyball courts, and swimming pools, a 200-meter track, 12 volleyball and badminton courts, six tennis courts, an indoor climbing wall, and high ropes elements, well-equipped athletic training room, and anatomy-physiology and human performance laboratories. Outdoor facilities include softball, baseball, soccer, general purpose fields, and the high ropes challenge course, Marsh Quest.
The Sport Management emphasis follows guidelines created by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), which was established by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM).
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