Program Requirements
All standard majors require a minor in a second discipline or a second major.
Exercise and Sport Science Emphasis
A minimum of 41 credits is required, including the 15-credit Exercise and Sport Science Nucleus:
To graduate, all exercise and sport science majors must complete ESS 181 Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 185 Lifetime Wellness with a minimum grade of “C-”:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise and Sport Science Nucleus | ||
| ESS 181 | Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| ESS 185 | Lifetime Wellness | 3 |
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| Select one of the following ESS Capstone courses: | 3 | |
| Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science | ||
or ESS 498 | Internship in Exercise and Sport Science | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
First Aid/CPR competency, and the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESS 201 | Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab) | 4 |
| ESS 275 | Human Motor Development and Learning | 3 |
| ESS 282 | Principles of Sport Management | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab | 1 |
| ESS 363 | Inclusive Physical Activity | 3 |
| Nine upper division ESS elective credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 26 | |
Capstone Course Requirement
Students can choose to take either ESS 495 Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science or ESS 498 Internship in Exercise and Sport Science to fulfill the Capstone Requirement.
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Sample Plan
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
“Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
"C-" or better required for both ESS 181 Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 185 Lifetime Wellness to receive credit toward ESS degree.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| ESS 181 or ESS 185 |
Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science or Lifetime Wellness |
3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 9 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters (select one) | 2 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| ESS 181 or ESS 185 |
Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science ("C" or better required to receive credit toward ESS degree.) or Lifetime Wellness |
3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 201 | Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab) milestone course & prerequisite for ESS 330 & ESS 380 | 4 |
| ESS 282 | Principles of Sport Management | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 9 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 275 | Human Motor Development and Learning | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 7 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 6 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab | 1 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 9 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 363 | Inclusive Physical Activity | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 9 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 12 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 495 or ESS 498 |
Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science or Internship in Exercise and Sport Science |
3 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 9 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 122 | |
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.