Exercise Physiology

Purpose	Prepare professional practitioners for working with exercising adults	Credentialed Exercise Physiologist
Degree Program Accreditation	Yes   (< 1% of programs are accredited nationwide)	Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Limited Degree Access	Yes	Must apply for fall or spring B.S. EP admission
Jr/Sr Degree Length (after completion of the core)	4 consecutive terms – including summer	Fa, Sp, Su, Fa – for fall admission Sp, Su, Fa, Sp – for spring admission
Degree Format	Face-to-Face with small class sizes	Didactic instruction combined with laboratory and practical experiences including those in the VSU Center for Exercise Medicine and Rehabilitation
Required Internship	Yes	40 hrs/week for 12 academic credits
Exercise Physiology Majors Club	Yes	Actively engaged in professional, community and social events
Eligible to sit for professional licensure	No	Only the state of Louisiana has a licensure for clinical Exercise Physiologists
Eligible to Sit for an Accredited Certification by National Commission of Certifying Agencies	Yes	Certified Exercise Physiologist Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
ACSM Certification Exam Results	Students take exam upon graduation from B.S.E.P. program	Summer 2012-Current
Employment Opportunities upon Graduation	Yes	Including clinical, corporate, commercial, community, hospitals, military and private
Prepares graduates for advanced degrees in selected health professions	Yes	Including Physician, Physician Assistant, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Athletic Training, Chiropractic Medicine
Prepares graduates for entrance into selected M.S. degree programs	Yes	Including exercise physiology, sports sciences, public health, health care administration
Alumni	Over 500 graduates since degree inception in 1992	Including professional careers as exercise physiologists, strength and conditioning specialists, physicians, physical therapists, nurses, dieticians, health coaches, medical and pharmaceutical sales, public health officials, sports administrators, educators
Faculty	Five full time EP faculty combined with others from Health Sciences	Student orientated with a passion for teaching and mentoring students for careers as practitioners

Accreditation

The Valdosta State University undergraduate Exercise Physiology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Exercises. The undergraduate Exercise Physiology program was awarded initial accreditation effective July 31, 2014 through July 31, 2019.

     Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
            25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158
            Clearwater, FL  33763
            727-210-2350
            www.caahep.org

Mission

To educate and train students through a structured, innovative and engaged learning construct to become credentialed Exercise Physiologists.

Vision

To be recognized and respected by pertinent professional organizations and employers as one of the premier Exercise Physiology programs in the United States.       

History

The Exercise Physiology program at Valdosta State University has undergone a history of academic and numerical growth.  The program of study first appeared in the 1994-1995 undergraduate catalog as a Bachelor of Science in Health Fitness within the Department of Health, Physical Education and Athletics. In October 1998, the program of study transitioned from the Bachelor of Science in Health Fitness to the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.  The Department of Health, Physical Education and Athletics was changed to the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in 1999.  In July 2001, the status of “Educational Recognition Program” was conferred upon the Exercise Science program by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).  The Exercise Science curriculum received recognition by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) University Connection Program (UCEP) which was developed to assure program quality and consistency among colleges and universities. The Exercise Science program was recognized by the ACSM Committee on Certification and Registry Boards (CCRB) as meeting the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) for the ACSM Health Fitness Instructor® certification and for the ACSM Exercise Specialist® in November 2001 and May 2005 respectively. Two years later, the program of study was renamed as a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology with approval by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and is one of a handful of undergraduate programs nationwide that officially confers the “Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology” on the graduation diploma.  The Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology curriculum is based upon the desired educational content and outcomes recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. 

 “The ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals worldwide, ACSM is dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.”  www.acsm.org     

 Since 1994, the program of study was located on the main campus in the Physical Education Complex and was one of many programs within the Dewar College of Education.  On July 1, 2013, the Exercise Physiology, Athletic Training, Nutritional Science minor and Dental Hygiene programs officially became the School of Health Sciences and merged with the College of Nursing to form the College of Nursing and Health Sciences now housed within the newly constructed Health Sciences and Business Administration building on the VSU north campus. Students admitted into the Dental Hygiene program complete the program of study at Wiregrass Technical College.