Exercise Science - Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies Concentration (B.S.)

This concentration will be closed as of Spring 2025.

Exercise Science is a multi-disciplinary program that applies scientific knowledge from anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, psychology, motor control, and biomechanics to understand how the human body functions during physical activity, and how the body adapts to exercise training. The Exercise Science program prepares students to acquire skills in fitness evaluation, exercise program design, and instructing functional movement patterns. Students who want to enter the undergraduate Exercise Science degree must choose one of two concentrations, Sports Conditioning or Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies.

About the Concentration in Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies

The objective of the Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies concentration within the Exercise Science major is to prepare students for entry into clinical fields and/or graduate education. The Clinical & Pre-Professional Studies concentration focuses on developing knowledge and skills that are required for allied health professionals and professional degree graduate education.

Admission Requirements

  • Incoming freshman may declare the Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies concentration upon admission.
  • Students with an established GPA at Montclair State University or another institution must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 to be admitted into the Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies concentration.

Students with more than 60 credits may be admitted into the Clinical and Pre-Professional Studies concentration by departmental permission

Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements30
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-9
Major Requirements67
Free Electives20-14
Total Credits120

Major Requirements

Required Theory Courses
HLTH 101Personal Health Issues3
HPEM 150Principles and Practice of Emergency Care3
HPEM 199Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education1
EXSC 255Research Methods and Data Interpretation3
EXSC 300Seminar I in Exercise Science2
PEMJ 320Physiology of Exercise4
PEMJ 321Kinesiology3
PEMJ 324Basic Motor Learning3
Required Activity Courses
PEMJ 131Fitness Activities3
EXSC 234Leadership in Anaerobic Exercise3
EXSC 331Exercise Assessment and Prescription4
Theory Specialization Core
EXSC 430Exercise for Special Populations3
EXSC 475Foundations and Practices in Cardiac Rehabilitation3
Exercise Science Collateral Courses
BIOL 112Principles of Biology: Introduction to the Cell4
BIOL 244Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIOL 245Anatomy and Physiology II4
CHEM 120General Chemistry I4
NUFD 182Nutrition: A Socioecological Perspective3
PHYS 193College Physics I4
PSYC 101Introduction to Psychology3
STAT 109Statistics3
Total Credits67

All students must also fulfill the university general education requirements and complete 120 credits. Recommended free electives for those interested in PA, PT and OT: General Chemistry II CHEM 121 (4), College Physics II PHYS 194 (4), Principles of Biology II BIOL 113 (4). For AT programs: ATTR 101(3), ATTR 402 (3). Other recommendations for free electives will be advised (e.g. EXSC 476 and EXSC 480). Those who do not pass the math readiness exam and chemistry readiness exam must take MATH 100 as prerequisite for BIOL 112, CHEM 120, and PHYS 193. Those who do not pass the chemistry readiness exam must take CHEM 106 before CHEM 120.

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education (Fulfilled in the major.)
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication3
D. Fine and Performing Arts
Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course.3
F. Humanities
1. Great Works and Their Influences3
2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives 3
G. Computer Science
Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course.3
H. Mathematics
Statistics (Fulfilled in the major.)
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Anatomy and Physiology I (Fulfilled in the major.)
J. Physical Education
Fulfilled by PEMJ 131 in the major.
K. Social Science
1. American and European History 3
2. Global Cultural Perspectives3
3. Social Science Perspectives
Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the major.)
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course.3
Total Credits30

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses.3-6
World Cultures
Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses.0-3
Total Credits3-9

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing3GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature3
GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication3BIOL 2454
BIOL 2444HLTH 1013
HPEM 1991HPEM 1503
PEMJ 1313MATH 100 (or Free Elective)3
 STAT 1093
 14 19
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives3World Language 23
World Language 13NUFD 1823
EXSC 2553PEMJ 3204
PHYS 1934CHEM 106 (or Free Elective)3
PSYC 1013Free Elective13
 16 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts3GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science3
CHEM 1204GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History3
EXSC 3314World Cultures3
PEMJ 3213PEMJ 3243
 Free Elective13
 14 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives3GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences3
GENERAL EDUCATION: (L) Interdisciplinary Studies3EXSC 4303
BIOL 1124EXSC 4753
EXSC 3002Free Elective2-0
EXSC 2343Free Elective13
 15 14-12
Total Credits 123-121
1

Recommended free electives for those interested in PA, PT and OT: General Chemistry II CHEM 121 (4), College Physics II PHYS194 (4), Principles of Biology II BIOL 113 (4). For AT programs: ATTR 101(3), ATTR 240 (3). Other recommendations for free electives will be advised (e.g. EXSC 476 and EXSC 480). Those who do not pass the math readiness exam and chemistry readiness exam must take MATH 100 as prerequisite for BIOL 112, CHEM 120, and PHYS 193. Those who do not pass the chemistry readiness exam must take CHEM 106 before CHEM 120.