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Dedicate Yourself to a Career Motivating Others
Explore movement and nutrition from a multifaceted scientific perspective to prepare for an entry-level fitness career or to enter a professional program. Our vibrant, virtual Christ-centered community supports you as you undertake this new and exciting journey.Â
Lock In Your Tuition, Unlock Your Future.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire undergraduate degree.
About the Program
To approach health holistically, one must understand the many aspects that make up a human being. With ACU’s online Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science program, you’ll study the psychological, structural, physiological, and mechanical aspects of health and human movement activities.
Program Structure
All the Details on Your Degree
Understand the scientific basis for fitness and why the body responds the way it does. You’ll pair this foundation with courses covering movement, nutrition, kinesiology, exercise science, leadership, and research to develop fitness and wellness plans that deliver results. Review all courses and descriptions.Â
Required Hours
Total: 120 hours
University Requirements: 56 hours (including 9-15 hours in Bible)
Major: 64 hours (up to 17 hours in electives)
Cost: $395/Hour with $300 resource fee per term
Example Coursework
Professional Certifications in Health & Human Performance
Strength and Conditioning for Performance
Exercise and Special Populations
Health Psychology
Upcoming Start Dates
January 13, 2026
March 10, 2026
Common Job Titles
Exercise Physiologist
Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
Fitness Trainer or Instructor
Coach
Sports Scout
Objectives
Fitness allows for a degree of empowerment when it comes to health and wellbeing. Exercise routines, considering this, can have broad-reaching ramifications across one’s physical and mental health. Yet, someone new to structured activity can easily come overwhelmed with a deluge of options — some of which may even prove ineffective.
Movement, starting from anatomy and physiology, is a science, and ACU’s online Bachelor’s in Exercise Science degree program begins from this baseline. You’ll learn to provide targeted, in-depth instruction on how the body moves and operates and guide others toward their fitness goals.Â
- Learn how the body functions and responds, including before and after fitness, to optimize performance.Â
- Acquire a comprehensive scientific perspective of health, from movement, anatomy, and nutrition to psychology, to create fitness and wellness plans.
- Help people live healthier, more active lives, both on individual and community levels.
- Understand how to develop fitness plans using science, research, and data to meet an individual’s needs and help them reach their goals.
Curriculum
With the online Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, you’ll comprehensively tackle mechanical, structural, physiological, and psychological factors influencing fitness outcomes. You’ll start to establish this mindset through required courses in psychology, statistics, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology before uncovering more fitness- and nutrition-specific applications. Over 64 credit hours, you’ll learn about:
- the foundation and relationship between fitness, performance, and health;
- nutrition in relation to exercise levels and activity to improve performance;
- kinesiology, or how the body moves at an anatomical level, as well as motor development and control;
- exercise science principles for developing fitness programs and goals, including for specific demographic groups and audiences;
- leadership and management skills for the health promotion and wellness field;
- acute and chronic physiological responses to exercises;
- research methods used in kinesiology, exercise science, and nutrition;
- the scientific principles of strengthening and conditioning; and
- key industry certifications.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Kathy Carroll, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science
Dr. Kathy Carroll is an assistant professor and the Program Director for the online Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She received her bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Pharmacy), her master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University (Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology) and her doctorate from The University of Toledo (Health and Human Performance/Exercise Physiology). Kathy worked for several years as a pharmacist, before a career change that led her into higher education. She previously taught natural science and exercise science and served as department chair for Exercise and Sport Science. Kathy has a passion for teaching and a heart for helping people and is excited to bring these qualities into her role as program director.
Spotlight
Top Three Traits You’ll Learn in Exercise Science
Flex your passion for health and wellness with our B.S. in Exercise Science. With courses ranging from strength and conditioning to leadership and training, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the fitness expert you’ve always wanted to be.
Accelerate Your Exercise Science Degree with NASM Certifications
Already certified with NASM? You can now fast-track your Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at ACU Online! Earn up to 9 credit hours for NASM certifications, including: NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), NASM Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (CSNC), NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES). Save time, money and take your career to the next level!
Student Spotlight: Lori Ruiz
From high school athlete to high school nurse, Lori Ruiz is proud of the journey she’s taken to become who she is today. Graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance, Lori is proud to serve her students and athletes as a dual-degree holder and advocate for her student’s success while simultaneously reaching her next career goals to become a licensed school counselor.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Kathy Carroll
Practicing healthy habits are essential in this modern age of pandemics, sedentary lifestyles, and worsening health outcomes. For Dr. Kathy Carroll that means a greater call to properly educate the next generation of exercise professionals. Learn how she’s impacting students as program director for ACU Online’s Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.
Through a unique partnership between Abilene Christian University and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), you can now combine your industry-leading NASM certifications with an accredited bachelor’s degree to accelerate your career in exercise science, health and wellness.
Already Have a NASM Certification?
If you hold NASM credentials, such as Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (CSNC) or Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES), you may be eligible to receive up to 9 hours of academic credit toward ACU’s Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. That’s a savings of more than $3,500 in tuition and a faster pathway to completing your degree.
Want to Earn Your NASM Certification While Completing Your Degree?
This Spring, students pursuing ACU’s Exercise Science degree will have the opportunity to prepare for and sit for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam through a dedicated course that integrates NASM curriculum directly into your studies. This means you can graduate with both a respected bachelor’s degree and an industry-recognized certification – two powerful credentials that open doors in fitness, health and performance coaching.
The drive you feel at the gym can help propel you forward toward a career serving others through fitness and wellness. As the industry continues to expand, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 39% more positions for fitness trainers and instructors between 2020 and 2030.Â
Opportunities after you complete your online Bachelor’s in Exercise Science include:
- fitness and wellness coordinator;
- exercise psychologist;
- fitness instructor;
- coach;
- personal trainer;
- health educator;
- fitness management;
- conditioning; and
- corporate wellness professional.Â
As you evaluate your path forward, this degree equips you to pursue graduate study in aging and gerontology, athletic training, chiropractic exercise, physiology, sports management, exercise science, sports psychology, or another related area.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Submit official high school with a minimum 2.5 GPA and/or college transcripts with a minimum 2.0 GPA.
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
Students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores.
Graduation Requirements: Students must earn a 2.0 GPA or higher to meet graduation requirements and complete at least 33 advanced hours.
Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of ACU.
Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).