Elevate Your Career:
Dive into Bastyr's Online
Master's Degree in Exercise
Science and Integrated Wellness
How to Navigate This Resource
We invite you to explore this guide in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Read it from top to bottom, or drop down to the section that appeals to you.
Exercise Science applies the philosophy and practice behind whole-person wellness through exercise and movement. It acknowledges that exercise can be medicine, helping people achieve health and well-being. Integrated wellness helps individuals incorporate multiple pillars of health such as exercise, mindfulness, and nutrition into their individualized health and wellness journey.
There’s a growing popularity surrounding the time-tested practice of a holistic approach to physical fitness and wellness, and exercise science supports this emphasis, giving professionals the tools they need to help their clients achieve optimal health through evidence-based exercise prescriptions and practical tools for behavior change.
Bastyr University meets the need for qualified, competent professionals in this space.
Our unique exercise science program guides students beyond the basic scientific knowledge of how the human body works and dives deeper into applying the knowledge to help clients reach their personal fitness and wellness goals. Combining exercise prescription, research, mind-body connection, and behavior modification, our program equips students to create individualized exercise and wellness programs that close the gap between goal and achievement.
How Do Exercise Science and Integrated Wellness Work Together to Create Behavior Change?
Exercise science and integrated wellness work in tandem to meet individuals where they are, assess their goals, and build a plan to reach those goals. Professionals with these skillsets go beyond recommending exercise plans. They apply scientific methods to craft individualized plans that include tools to promote self-confidence, self-efficacy, and motiviation, creating a sustainable path for fitness and wellness.
Exercise science provides the foundation of the human body's form and function needed to create effective exercise plans, and integrated wellness provides the holistic lens on how different pillars of wellness connect and influence overall health.
An Integrated Wellness approach allows exercise science professionals to better understand clients' needs and work in partnership to holistically create sustainable habits that drive individual goals.
More universities than ever offer programs online, allowing professionals to upskill with a graduate degree without uprooting their lives. Online programs also increase accessibility, empowering students to connect with peers and faculty virtually while staying involved in their community, balancing their education with work and personal commitments.
Online degrees offer unique learning opportunities across the globe, broadening perspectives and stimulating the exchange of diverse ideas and experiences, further enriching the learning experience.
The Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Integrated Wellness program at Bastyr University is offered online without real-time sessions, making it flexible for those with other commitments. We pride ourselves on meeting students where they are so they can receive the education and training that enables them to meet their clients where they are. In as little as 18 months, students can earn their degree and start to engage in meaningful work with clients quickly. The accelerated 45-credit format is perfect for working professionals.
Since its foundation, Bastyr University has been committed to holistic wellness and health education. Our programs emphasize natural health, and we believe that nature and our bodies hold the keys to health and wellness.
With this belief in mind, we built the Master of Science in Exercise Science and Integrated Wellness (MSES). This unique program equips graduates with the tools to craft tailored exercise programs for diverse populations that are sustainable, rooted in research, and incorporate the many dimensions of wellness.
Bastyr offers fall, winter, and spring starts, so students can choose a start date that best fits their needs and goals. By taking one 4.5-credit-hour course at a time, students are given the opportunity to truly absorb the information, while fitting their studies into their established daily lives.
3 Reasons to Choose Bastyr’s M.S. in Exercise Science and Integrated Wellness
We Specialize in Mind-Body Wellness
One of the standout features of our program is its focus on evidenced-based excercise prescription within a wellness context. Students learn how to assess overall wellness and incorporate clients' individual needs into effective holistic plans—a critical skill for healthcare and fitness professionals.
We Foster an Inclusive and Collaborative Approach
Our MSES program is designed to meet students where they are in their own journeys. Our students are not expected to “look the part” of a traditional personal trainer, making this program accessible to a wide range of individuals. We foster inclusive collaboration through our robust online community and direct access to faculty and student support.
We Emphasize Applied Behavior Modification
Our belief in the crucial nature of behavior modification extends beyond our curriculum. We teach professionals practical ways to help themselves and their clients develop movement and holistic health habits, providing tools to overcome barriers in building sustainable health habits.
Online Convenience
The MSES program at Bastyr University has competitive pricing and an accelerated format. It's also completely online and there are no mandatory real-time sessions, increasing flexibility for working professionals.
Integrated Wellness Approach
Our faculty pride themselves on being able to meet students where they’re at. It's our goal to make sure students feel valued, seen, cared for, and at home in the program. This same attitude is present in students as they graduate and apply the integrated wellness approach to their clients, meeting them where they are and helping them reach their goals by looking at all aspects of their lives for inspiration and motivation.
Behavior Modification Focus
Bastyr’s Exercise Science program emphasizes behavior modification, helping students learn how to set their clients up for long-term success as they make changes to meet their goals. The coursework is rooted in application, so students learn how to apply what they learn right away.
Bastyr focuses on a holistic perspective of exercise for longevity. Much like the “food is medicine” philosophy, our program positions exercise as a prescription for good health. Our exercise science program helps you have the tools you need to combine the medicine of exercise and give your clients science-based plans that are individualized and holistic.
Graduates of this program are also equipped to sit for nationally recognized professional certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Council on Exercise. Bastyr provides a flexible learning environment and student-centered focus taught by highly qualified faculty.
Foundations of Exercise Science
This course introduces students to basic human anatomy and exercise physiology principles; provides the foundation for an optimized and integrated training approach; and identifies the standards and scope of practice for fitness trainers/coaches.
Practical Integrated Approach for General Populations
This course examines the theory and practice of designing exercise programs to improve or maintain flexibility, metabolic health, neuromuscular control, and muscular fitness. Students will study the principles of prescribing safe and effective exercise training programs for apparently healthy individuals.
Practical Integrated Approach for Special Populations
This course will continue to build off "Program Design for General Population," with a focused approach on the special considerations for initial intake assessments, assessment analysis, and program design when working with special populations. Special populations will include those with diabetes, obesity, bone disease, heart disease, pregnancy; pediatric population and the elderly population.
Nutrition for Physical Activity
This course provides evidenced-based nutrition information and advice that trainers/coaches and clients need to operate at individualized peak efficiency. This course will present nutritional concepts tailored for application by the physically active population by discussing the role nutrients play in optimizing human performance. Special consideration is given to gender, athletic needs, nutritional ergogenic aids, and disordered eating.
Wellness: The Mind-Body Connection
In this course, students examine the psychological aspects of mental and emotional wellbeing focused on theories and principles that influence human behavior from the psychological context. Course topics include cognitive processing and performance, psychological recovery, social wellness, and coaching the brain and how these psychological processes and interventions affect the human response and behavior.
Behavior Change in Health and Physical Activity
In this course, students examine the physiological aspects of mental and emotional wellbeing focusing on theories and principles that influence human behavior from the brain-body context. Course topics include movement for emotional wellbeing, an introduction to brain health, emotion processing, stress, and sleep and how these physiological processes affect psychological response and behavior.
Graduation Requirements for the Master of Science in Exercise Science and Intergrated Wellness:
MSES students must complete a minimum of 45 credits (with a minimum of 31.5 credits at Bastyr) and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The degree must also be completed within five years following matriculation into the program.
Students must also complete the Practicum in Exercise Science, which is the culminating course in the program, where students work one-on-one with a client of their choosing. They will conduct a comprehensive intake assessment, build an individualized program, execute their created program, and at the conclusion analyze the effectiveness of their program & reflect on avenues for future improvements.
The recreation and fitness industries are growing rapidly, and professionals in this field are expected to see 10% job growth by 2033, with at least 1,600 openings for positions in this field.
With a Master of Science in Exercise Science from Bastyr University, you will gain:
- The ability to implement exercise and wellness plans for a diverse population.
- The chance to work full-time with a physically active population.
- The opportunity to help motivate those who aren’t typically physically active to modify their behaviors for the sake of their health.
- The knowledge you need to apply the skills you learn to assist clients with a whole-person approach to wellness.
Here are some potential careers you could pursue with a Master of Science in Exercise Science.
Fitness Coach
These professionals help their clients assess and reach their goals through personalized exercise programs, allowing them to meet each client where they are in their goals and needs. Coaches in this field often work long-term and one-on-one with their clients to determine where to start and what benchmarks to aim for.
Personal Trainer
Personal trainers work with clients to reach their fitness goals through customized plans targeting their exercise and nutrition needs. Professionals in this position often work in gyms or other fitness settings, and they can find their own clients or have their clients sourced by their employer.
Wellness Coach
A wellness coach meets with clients to understand their overall health and wellness goals, from their nutrition struggles to their mental health journeys. Coaches can make plans for their clients and help connect them with other resources so they can reach their goals.
Application Requirements for Bastyr’s Online Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Integrated Wellness
Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university to apply to the MSES program at Bastyr University. The minimum cumulative GPA is 2.75. Students with a lower GPA may still be considered for the program, but they will need to complete a personal statement and get the program chair's approval.
The online application at Bastyr is straightforward and easy to complete. We’ve included some tips and tricks for applying to our graduate program here.
The Master of Science in Exercise Science at Bastyr University equips students to approach their clients’ health goals with a holistic view of integrated wellness and health. By focusing on behavior modification at their core, Bastyr teaches students the best practices of holistic wellness and how to help individuals stick to long-term healthy habits to achieve their goals. The application focus is infused throughout the program, so MSES students start to understand the importance of practical applications from day one.