The exercise science degree at Goshen College helped me discover my passion for strength and conditioning while exploring the many career opportunities within the field. Through extensive laboratory work and hands-on experiences, I was able to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings, building the knowledge and confidence needed to begin my professional career.
Bachelor of Arts
Exercise Science
MAJOR | MINOR
Study How the Body Performs and Build a Career Out of It
At Goshen College, you won’t just study exercise science—you’ll live it.
Our Exercise Science major explores physical activity, exercise and human performance to prepare you for a career as a personal fitness trainer, strength and conditioning coach, cardiopulmonary rehab technician and others. This major also equips you for success in graduate school programs in athletic training/sports medicine, exercise physiology, physical therapy or chiropractic care. By blending classroom learning with real-world practice, you’ll gain the hands-on experience you need to jump straight into a job or excel in graduate school. Throughout it all, small classes and dedicated faculty mentors ensure you’re supported and known by name every step of the way.
Made for People Who Love Performance and Exercise
If you love sport and movement and you want a career built on understanding the body, this major is for you. As an exercise science major, every student does an internship or significant practical experience. You’ll have opportunity to spend time in athletic training rooms, physical therapy clinics and in other organizations and businesses programs around Goshen. Those placements often grow out of the college’s connections with local hospitals, sports teams and wellness centers.
Goshen College also brings together students from a wide range of backgrounds, including a large international community, so you’ll learn next to people whose experiences don’t look like your own.
What You’ll Study
Here you’ll study the body from the inside out, starting with anatomy and physiology, then moving into kinesiology through courses in biomechanics, exercise physiology, exercise prescription and fitness testing. You’ll learn how the body responds under physical and mental exertion, adapts to training and recovers from injury. You”ll apply it directly with athletes and clients and through a community internship before you graduate. That foundation prepares you for a career in strength and conditioning coaching, athletic training, wellness education or graduate study in fields like physical therapy.
View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Thiago Serejo '26
Goshen College Men's Soccer Assistant Coach and Personal Trainer
Paying for Goshen
All exercise science majors are eligible to apply for Goshen College academic and need-based scholarships, and most students receive financial aid.
To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator, or explore your options at the financial aid and scholarships pages.
Common Questions About the Exercise Science Major
A required practical experience plus chances to assist in faculty-led research. You might work in athletic training rooms, physical therapy clinics, or exercise and sport related facilities, and complete internships with local hospitals, sports teams and wellness centers, using the on-campus Human Performance Lab and athletic training facilities along the way.
Yes. The foundation in anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology, combined with internships and research, is built for students headed to graduate programs in athletic training, exercise physiology, biomechanics, physical therapy and kinesiology. Many Goshen exercise science graduates go on to exactly those programs.
All exercise science majors are eligible to apply for Goshen College academic and need-based scholarships, and most students receive financial aid. Use the net price calculator on the financial aid page to see your real number, explore available scholarships, and talk with a financial aid counselor about your situation.
Start your application at the Goshen College apply page, or request information first if you’d like to talk through fit, the internships and outcomes before committing. You can also schedule a visit to meet faculty and see the Human Performance Lab.
Justin DeWeese
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
Jewel Lehman
Professor of Kinesiology
