Exercise Science - B.S.

The Exercise Science B.S. involves a science-based curriculum that is centered on understanding the relationship between physical activity, nutrition and health.

Our degree prepares the student for entry into post-baccalaureate graduate and professional programs that include medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, physician assistants, health promotion education and behavior, and other career directions.

The program integrates knowledge from disciplines such as anatomy, biochemistry, biology, computer science, physics, physiology and psychology. Students can also gain experience with competencies, such as coronary artery disease risk factor screening, exercise testing, counseling individuals to increase daily physical activity levels and reduce factors associated with cardiovascular disease risk, and develop proficiency in the delivery of adult fitness and rehabilitation programming to improve cardiovascular function and foster healthy lifestyles.

Founded in 1801, then-South Carolina College flourished pre-Civil War, overcame post-war struggles, was rechartered in 1906 as a university and transformed itself as a national institution in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Palmetto State established South Carolina College — the precursor to the University of South Carolina — on Dec. 19, 1801, as part of an effort to unite South Carolinians in the wake of the American Revolution. South Carolina's leaders saw the new college as a way to promote "the good order and harmony" of the state.

The founding of South Carolina College was also a part of the Southern public college movement spurred by Thomas Jefferson. Within 20 years of one another, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia established state-supported colleges.