As an exercise science major with a pre-athletic training concentration at Grace, you’ll explore the relationship between the human body and physical activity, along with best practices in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance training. After completing the degree, you’ll be prepared for graduate school in athletic training or a post-undergraduate career in fields such as sports medicine, coaching, strength and conditioning, and physical therapy.
At Grace College, the exercise science program is founded on the truth that God designed the human body for movement and activity. In our study, we honor the Creator and steward the body God has given us to use, move, and manage during this lifetime.
The program’s foundational courses provide an overview of the exercise science field, featuring classes such as Kinesiology, Strength and Conditioning, and Principles of Coaching. The pre-athletic training concentration builds on this foundation with coursework designed to prepare you for a graduate athletic training program, including classes in Advanced Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Care and Prevention of Injuries, and Sports Psychology— giving you a head start on the knowledge and skills athletic training graduate programs expect incoming students to have.
At Grace, we stress experiential learning. That’s why you’ll experience engaging and hands-on courses that include lab components and interactive exercises. Through your pre-athletic training coursework, you’ll practice injury assessment, taping and bracing techniques, and rehabilitation protocols firsthand before applying them with real athletes and clients.
A distinguishing characteristic of Grace’s exercise science program is that each student is required to complete field learning. As a pre-athletic training student, you may shadow or assist certified athletic trainers with Grace’s own athletic teams, gaining direct exposure to the sideline, the training room, and the rehab process. You may also intern at a fitness or wellness center in your hometown, or work at Grace’s own Center for Movement and Wellbeing, a center dedicated to fostering the movement, health, and wellbeing of Kosciusko County through research, education, and collaboration.
Upon graduating with an exercise science pre-athletic training degree, you’ll have a variety of options. You may enter a graduate athletic training program to earn your certification, or pursue graduate training in fields such as physical therapy or sports medicine. You may also enter the career field immediately, working in professions such as strength and conditioning, coaching, health education, or any career that calls for an understanding of the human body’s movement.
