Elizabeth Harper, assistant professor of Biology at Mount Saint Mary College, teaching students in her classroom.
Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce that the Division of Natural Sciences will begin offering an Exercise Science major in the Fall 2020 semester.
The program, recently approved by New York State, will yield a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science.
The Exercise Science major will immerse students in the workings of the body, its needs under physical and emotional stress, and how these factors affect life. Graduates of the program will be primed for careers in health and wellness, such as nutrition, public health, health education, and fitness. They will also be ready to begin graduate studies in athletic training, physical or occupational therapy, and even MD or OD degree programs.
Coursework for the new program will include training in exercise physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and injury prevention. An understanding of these critical topics is key to approaching health and fitness problems from a holistic perspective and becoming a well-versed professional.
The Mount’s unique service-based approach to Exercise Science will allow students to make a difference in the community as they learn. Exercise Science majors will conduct research on the effects of Exercise Science in at-risk populations, among other community outreach projects.
Students will also have the opportunity to take their research in many other directions, including more molecular approaches.
The program is being spearheaded by Elizabeth Harper, assistant professor of Biology at the Mount. Harper holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Dance from the Gallatin Program at New York University, a master’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Doctoral degree in Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health from The Steinhardt School of Education at New York University.