Master’s Degree in Exercise Prescription

UConn’s Master of Science in Exercise Prescription is an online master's program deeply rooted in the use of exercise as medicine for a variety of clinical populations with chronic diseases and health conditions, as well as healthy populations with special considerations. It’s perfect for healthcare professionals, fitness experts, strength coaches, personal trainers, or anyone passionate about understanding the principles of exercise prescription. This program equips you with the knowledge and skills to use exercise as a preventive and therapeutic tool for chronic diseases and health conditions, for healthy populations with special considerations, and for emerging topics in the field.

This 30-credit online Master of Science in Exercise Prescription is designed for professionals working in or entering the field to advance their practice by utilizing exercise as a therapeutic lifestyle approach to promote health and wellness for individuals with chronic diseases and health conditions, as well as populations with special considerations.

You'll learn to design personalized exercise plans that incorporate the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (FITT) principle of exercise prescription. The program culminates in a capstone project, where you have the flexibility to publish and present on a topic related to exercise prescription—either one that involves your work or one that you want to learn more about. Most students complete the program within 2 to 3 years. Applicants should have completed a Baccalaureate degree or higher in any area of concentration from a regionally accredited college or university.

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Graduate Certificate in Exercise Prescription

The Exercise Prescription Online Graduate Certificate program is an excellent way to expand your knowledge in this dynamic industry and prepare you to take advantage of the growing fields of exercise science, personal training, fitness, and kinesiology.

This four-course, 12-credit, 100% online program provides advanced knowledge in exercise prescription, designed for individuals in the healthcare, personal training, fitness, and kinesiology industries, who have careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, athletic training, and strength and conditioning.  Applicants should have completed a Baccalaureate degree or higher in any area of concentration from a regionally accredited college or university.

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In UConn’s Exercise Prescription 100% online graduate programs, you will:

Experience gold standard content in what employers are looking for: The content for UConn’s program is based on the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (GETP), considered the “gold standard” in the fields of sports medicine, kinesiology, and health and fitness—or for anyone conducting exercise testing and leading exercise programs. The senior editor of the 9th edition is UConn’s own Linda Pescatello, PhD, FACSM, FAHA, FNAK, who designed the graduate exercise prescription certificate and master’s programs and will be teaching much of the coursework. Learn more

Learn from the experts who drive the industry: In addition to Dr. Pescatello, frequent guest speakers—leading experts in their fields—will provide course content and lecture on an ongoing basis. This means you’ll have the opportunity to learn from and network with the people who are on the cutting edge of the exercise science industry. Learn more

Gain a head start on earning certifications from other prestigious professional organizations in the field: UConn’s program content will help prepare you with the requisite knowledge you will need to know to take specialty exercise certifications from various professional associations, including the ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM EP-C) and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM CEP) designations, among other professional organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Coursework can also help prepare you for entering a doctoral program.

Explore some of our students’ testimonials and stories to hear about the paths they took and how they found us.

Prepare for the opportunity to present and publish: As part of your coursework, you’ll learn the best practices for presenting and conducting systematic reviews that enable students to present at their professional meetings and publish in leading journals in their field.

Is an Exercise Prescription degree or certificate a good fit for you?

The Exercise Prescription online graduate certificate and master's degree at UConn are ideal if you’re a professional who wants to:

• Advance your career by learning from leading experts in exercise science and health and fitness promotion.
• Conduct pre-participation exercise health screenings.
• Identify the components of a comprehensive health fitness evaluation, including maximal and submaximal graded exercise tests, muscle and neuromotor fitness, body composition, and flexibility assessments.
• Design personalized exercise plans for healthy adults and adults with chronic diseases and health conditions, and populations with special considerations.

What types of health and exercise professionals may benefit from these programs?

 

• Allied Health Education Professionals
• Athletic Trainers
• Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialists
• Chiropractors
• Clinical Exercise Physiologists
• Corporate Health & Wellness Professionals
• Dietitians
• Medical Fitness Professionals
• Nurses
• Personal Trainers seeking personal training certifications
• Physical and Occupational Therapists
• Physical Educators
• Physicians
• Registered Dieticians
• Respiratory Therapists
• Strength and Conditioning specialists, among others.