Move into Your Future with Confidence
Turn your passion for movement into a meaningful career with Calvin's online MS in Exercise Science. Designed for recent graduates, career changers, and working professionals, the program launches you into health, rehab, or performance science careers in as little as 12 months.
Choose from two concentrations: Health and Exercise Rehabilitation or Performance and Sport Science. Complete the program fully online from Grand Rapids, Michigan, or anywhere else. Tuition is $720 per credit. No GRE required.
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What sets Calvin apart?
Faculty with expertise and years of industry experience.
Hands-on focus preparing you to step straight into a career.
Values shaping every course, providing a faith-based perspective foundational to transformative leadership.
Certifications You'll Be Prepared For
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) — National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) — NSCA
Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) — NSCA
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OnlineOnline courses, start dates in fall or spring
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12-25 monthsChoose a full- or part-time schedule
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$720Cost per credit$21,600 total cost
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Easy applicationNo GRE required for admission
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Two concentrationsHealth and Exercise Rehabilitation or Performance and Sport Science.
At a Glance
Which Specialization Fits Your Career Goals?
Health and Exercise Rehabilitation
Prepare for a career that helps people develop achievable goals and maintain healthy lifestyle changes.
You'll experience:
Seven exercise science core courses and three concentration-specific courses that cover topics like cardiac rehabilitation, clinical exercise physiology, and more.
You’ll gain:
Lots of practical experience through a clinical placement, along with skills in specific areas such as administrative procedures and EKG use.
Performance and Sports Science
Combine essential physiology education with the skills it takes to impact the performance of athletes.
You’ll experience:
Seven exercise science core courses and three concentration-specific courses that cover topics like injury prevention, sport psychology, and more.
You’ll gain:
Skills to sit for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and CSCS exams, as well as the TSAC-F and CPSS certifications.
Careers you can build with those skills
Cardiac rehabilitation specialist – step into an in-demand role confronting rising health challenges like obesity, heart disease, diabetes.
Exercise physiologist – work in hospitals, wellness centers, or private practice.
Strength and conditioning coach – support athletes and teams in performance optimization.
Health and wellness coach – guide individuals in lifestyle change and chronic disease prevention.
Graduate school candidate – build your GPA and credentials for programs like physical therapy or occupational therapy.
Corporate or community fitness director – lead wellness initiatives in organizations or public health settings.
The skills you'll gain at Calvin
EKG interpretation and cardiac rehab protocols that prepare you for a clinical role in health and rehabilitation.
Exercise testing and prescription strategies tailored to diverse populations and performance goals.
Data analysis and performance tracking to evaluate rehabilitation progress and empower your clients and patients.
Clinical decision-making and ethical reasoning grounded in a unique, Reformed Christian perspective.
Hands-on experience through an externship or clinical placement, typically under professionals in your chosen career path.
Calvin works really well with my life and allows me to do things I love like coaching cross country and working at a cardiac rehab facility. I get to pursue my master's degree while living in a different time zone
Faculty highlight
Have questions? Contact us!
FAQs
The program can be completed in as little as 12 months on a full-time schedule, or 25 months on a part-time schedule. Your timeline depends on how many credits you take per term.
Tuition is $720 per credit, with a total program cost of $21,600. Financial aid is available, and some employers offer tuition reimbursement that can be applied to the program.
No. Calvin is a Christian university, and our exercise science curriculum reflects a commitment to the dignity of the human body and ethical reasoning informed by faith. Students from all backgrounds and beliefs are welcome, and there is no requirement for religious participation.
Graduates are prepared to sit for NSCA certifications, including the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), and Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS), or American College of Sports Medicine’s CEP certification.
The program has part- and full-time options depending on your preference.
Yes. This program accepts transfer credit with program director approval.
Yes. You may choose from two concentrations: health and exercise rehabilitation or performance and sport science. Students can also pursue both concentrations.
Courses in the program were designed by mostly tenured professors and are taught by a combination of full-time and adjunct faculty who are experts in the field.
Students are responsible for purchasing their textbooks and required materials. Consider these costs when budgeting for your education.
Faculty
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Brian BoltDean for the School of Education, Professor of Kinesiology, Men's Golf Coach616 526-7526 -
John SparksAssistant Professor of kinesiologyPre-PT faculty advisor for kinesiology majors526-7618
MS in Exercise Science: Turn Your Passion for Exercise into a Career
Deepen your impact by promoting wellness and optimizing human performance.