The curriculum is designed to promote critical thinking, effective writing, clear articulation and presentation, and to promote analytical skills that transcend the subject matter. Students also participate in, and learn to appreciate, the application of scientific research to real world problems and/or service for the benefit of the community, with consideration of the moral and ethical issues involved.

Upon graduation, Exercise and Health Science majors should be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in graduate school and/or professional fields of study, and will have a diverse array of career options.

Our departmental mission is achieved by:

  • Integration with other departments
  • Small to moderate sized classes
  • An emphasis on the importance of communications skills (oral and electronic)
  • A faculty and staff that interacts with the students in and out of the classroom, as well as after graduating
  • Promoting undergraduate research in many sub-disciplines
  • Employing faculty that is active in research and have leadership roles in their professional organizations

  • Offering a variety of opportunities in activity classes and professional internships

The Exercise and Health Science program aims at developing those cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills that equip students to perform competently in the program's science based core and selected electives. The interdisciplinary academic structure of the program arises from the belief that critical thinking, effective writing, clear articulation, and strong analytical skills are crucial elements in the mastery of all subject matter. In this, and in its emphasis on developing the well-rounded person, the Exercise and Health Science program pursues goals and objectives that are congruent with those of the College of Liberal Arts curriculum.

The Exercise and Health Science program at Willamette University is designed to meet the needs of our student population, focusing on the development of the total person as it is expressed in the classical Greek emphasis on the interaction of mind, body, and spirit. The department achieves these ends by offering an Exercise and Health Science major and service classes.

The major provides students with the essential knowledge and training to pursue a wide variety of career opportunities. In the past decade, the majority of graduates from the program have continued on to graduate studies in fields such as allied health and medicine, teaching, research in Exercise and Health Science, and activity related business. Individual internship programs and field experiences are available to expand students' practical knowledge in their particular areas of interest.