The goal of the health and exercise sciences major is to examine how movement-based physical activities, exercise and sport contribute to the quality of human life. We do this from a wide range of perspectives including biology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, business, education and philosophy to ensure that you can conceptualize and analyze health and human movement in a holistic manner.
Many of our students go on to graduate programs in physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, nursing, medicine and athletic training. You will take the pre-requisite courses needed for graduate program admission as you complete the course requirements, and gain hands-on experience during your internship.
You will learn the fundamentals of exercise physiology, clinical epidemiology, health care, public health and disease prevention in core classes and participate in faculty research and internships. Elective classes will help you to pursue your interests and professional goals.
You have the option to earn your bachelor鈥檚 degree in three years. Do your part to stay on track, and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work. That means significant savings on tuition and you get a jumpstart on your career.
Melissa Trujillo鈥檚 '20 Pacific education gave her a strong foundation to pursue Duke University鈥檚 Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Since she was in high school, Melissa is determined to be a physical therapist and serve the diverse population of the Central Valley. As a Spanish-speaker and a member of the LatinX community, she wants to diversify health care and become a role model for others who identify with her.
For her future professional career, Maddy would like to become a physician assistant or an occupational therapist. She was excited to find Pacific鈥檚 Health and Exercise Sciences program because the classes it offers and the hands-on experience she gets will help her realize her goals.
The health and exercise sciences major features immersive learning experiences through hands-on lab work like taking patient鈥檚 blood pressure, meeting distinguished speakers and going on field trips. You will go beyond the classroom through a variety of experiential learning opportunities and internships.
We recognize we live in an ever-changing world, so our health and exercise sciences major will adopt, model and promote innovative teaching/clinician practices as well as assessment strategies. Your coursework will include instruction about relevant technologies and, when possible, employ these technologies for assignments, development and assessment.
Knowledge, research and careers in health and exercise sciences draw from numerous disciplines. As a result, our program maintains a broad curriculum. This provides you with the experience needed to operate in a dynamic environment, exposes you to a variety of career possibilities in the field and ultimately enables you to become a more complete practitioner.
