Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (BS) / Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer) (3+3)
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Professional Competence: To utilize knowledge, skills, and abilities to evaluate health behavior and risk factors; develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based exercise and wellness programs, and employ behavioral strategies to motivate individuals to adopt and maintain positive lifestyle behaviors. UO 3,4,5
- Professional Interaction and Communication: To interact and communicate effectively by presenting information in oral and written formats, collaborating with professionals and peers, expressing ideas clearly, and giving and receiving feedback. UO 1
- Professional Behavior and Involvement: To model professional behaviors (including preparedness, engagement, and appearance), and demonstrate professional involvement across the major. UO 5,7,9
- Ethical Reasoning: To make well-informed and unbiased decisions to enhance the well-being of others. UO 8, 10
- Critical Thinking: To demonstrate clear and accurate reasoning to make decisions and solve problems. UO 2
What Are Your Options?
Pre-Chiropractic Palmer 3+3: Earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in six years rather than seven. In the first three years, you complete your major courses and pre-requisites for the Palmer College of Chiropractic DC graduate program. All students who successfully complete the Pre-Chiropractic program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and meet all other criteria for admission will be accepted and transfer to Palmer’s DC program. On completion of your first year and minimally 30 credits, you will receive your bachelor’s degree from SRU. You will then continue at Palmer to complete the requirements for the DC degree. The accelerated option is for incoming freshmen only.
Academic Policies for Students in the Exercise Science Major
Effective for all Exercise Science Majors beginning Spring 2021
- Policy for earning acceptable grades in the Exercise Science program:
- A student must earn a grade of “C” or better in ALL Required Basic Courses (EXER 100’s, EXER 200’s, EXER 300’s) and Required Upper Level Courses (EXER 400’s, EXER 410’s, EXER 424, EXER 450).
- A student must earn a grade of “C” or better in ALL Natural Science and Math College-Wide Requirements (BIOL 216/BIOL 217 or BIOL 209/BIOL 309, STAT 152, PHYS 201).
- The Exercise Science curriculum is structured with pre-requisites. A student must earn a “C” or better in the pre-requisite course to be able to take the next course. See course catalog for pre-requisites.
- If a student does not earn a “C” or better, they will be required to:
- Retake the course
- They will be dropped from any course(s) in the following semester that requires a “C” or better as a pre-requisite (see course catalog for pre-requisites)
- Students will need to meet with their Academic Advisor and change their schedule accordingly
- SRU has a Repeat of Courses Policy as follows and it can be found in the course catalog: Repeat of Courses < Slippery Rock University (sru.edu)
- Students may attempt to improve their grade point average by repeating courses. The most recent grade earned is used in calculating the GPA even if the earlier grade was higher. If a passed course is repeated and failed (or NC), the student will lose both the grade points and credits previously earned. However, all grades will appear on the transcript. Courses in which a grade was earned at Slippery Rock University may not be repeated at any institution. A grade of W (withdraw) does not count as an earned grade.
Students who repeat a course must do so using the same grading system under which they originally took the course. For example, a student who originally took a course graded A-F may not repeat the course on a P/NC, P/F, or audit basis. Students may not repeat a course by using any Credit by Examination program if they originally took the course on a graded A-F, P/NC, P/F, or audit basis.
Undergraduate students will be limited to a maximum total of six repeats during their entire SRU academic career, excluding withdrawal grades.
In addition, repeats of a single course will be limited to a maximum of two. This means, no single course may be taken more than three times (excluding withdrawal grades). The course repeat policy for post-baccalaureate students is the same as the undergraduate student policy.
- Students may attempt to improve their grade point average by repeating courses. The most recent grade earned is used in calculating the GPA even if the earlier grade was higher. If a passed course is repeated and failed (or NC), the student will lose both the grade points and credits previously earned. However, all grades will appear on the transcript. Courses in which a grade was earned at Slippery Rock University may not be repeated at any institution. A grade of W (withdraw) does not count as an earned grade.
- Once the student has exceeded the SRU Repeat of Courses Policy, the student will no longer remain in the Exercise Science major and all EXER - Exercise Science Major courses will be removed from their schedule. The student should change their major as soon as possible and meet with the new major to register for classes.
- Policy for changing to the Exercise Science major:
- A Slippery Rock University student wishing to change their major to Exercise Science MUST have an overall GPA of 2.00.
- A transfer student who enters from another University must have an overall GPA of 2.00.
- Additional costs associated with the Exercise Science major:
- Lab fees will be collected for exercise science classes with a lab component. This fee enhances the department's ability to offer a high-quality program.
- A student in the Exercise Science major is required to maintain current CPR/AED, First Aid, and Student Professional Liability Insurance while enrolled in EXER 412 and EXER 450 at their own cost. More information will be provided to students in the upper level EXER courses.
- EXER 450 Internship: Certain sites may require one or more of the following: physical examinations, record of immunizations, TB test, criminal background checks, drug testing, specific certifications for CPR/AED (e.g., American Heart Association), and HIPAA training. These may require additional costs for students. Fulfilling these requirements and obtaining appropriate documentation is the responsibility of the student.
Updated March 15, 2023
RELATED LINKS
Exercise Science- Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer), BS Program Page
CURRICULUM GUIDE
GPA REQUIREMENT – EXERCISE SCIENCE
1st Major: Exercise Science
- Overall GPA: 2.00 or higher
- Major GPA (includes Major Requirements and College Wide Requirements): 2.00 or higher
2nd Major: Exercise Science 3+3 Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer)
- Overall GPA: 2.75 minimum for consideration in standard admission process
- Overall GPA: 3.00 or higher for acceptance
SUMMARY*
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Studies 2 Requirements | 44 | |
| Major Requirements | 45 | |
| Natural Science and Math College-Wide Requirements | 15 | |
| Additional Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer) 3+3 Exercise Science Requirement | 4 | |
| Electives | 23 | |
* All undergraduate degree programs require a minimum of 120 credits. Some courses meet multiple requirements, but are only counted once toward the 120 credit total required to graduate. However, because this is a pre-professional program, credits taken during the 1st year of the graduate program are applied toward the undergraduate credit hours to meet the 120 credits required for your undergraduate degree.
ROCK STUDIES 2 REQUIREMENTS
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The Rock | ||
| SUBJ 139 | Foundations of Academic Discovery 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Critical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 104 | Critical Reading | 3 |
| STAT 152 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Civil Discourse: Theory & Practice | ||
| Ethics and Civil Discourse | ||
| Civil Discourse and Democracy | ||
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Integrated Inquiry | ||
| Creative and Aesthetic Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Humanities Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Social Science Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences Inquiry | ||
| BIOL 209 | Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Laboratory | 4 |
| Physical Science Inquiry | ||
| PHYS 201 | Elements of Physics I with Lab | 4 |
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Thematic Thread | ||
| Select 12 Credits 2 | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 44 | |
- 1
Course offered in multiple subjects; cannot take course in first major subject
- 2
One course from each category; six credits must be 300-level or above; no more than 4 credits from one subject area; specific courses required in first major, regardless of prefix of course, cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements; any course with same prefix as first major cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements, even if it is not a course in the first major.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION REQUIREMENT
Students must take and pass a course with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) designation prior to graduation. Students can meet this requirement by taking any DEI - designated course in any program at any time during their undergraduate career.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
- If you choose to pursue Exercise Science 3+3 Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer) and are not accepted, then EXER 450: Internship is required to complete a first major of Exercise Science. Please refer to the Exercise Science Curriculum Guide.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Basic Courses | ||
| Must earn a “C” or better in the following courses | ||
| EXER 100 | Introduction to Exercise Science: Careers and Content 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 101 | Applied Anatomy/Lab 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 201 | Exercise Physiology with Lab 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 202 | Biomechanics with Lab 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 300 | Research Methods in Exercise Science 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 301 | Aerobic Exercise Leadership 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 302 | Exercise Leadership: Resistance Training 1,2 | 3 |
| Subtotal | 21 | |
| Required Upper Level Courses (24 credits if accepted to Palmer Doctor of Chiropractic Program) | ||
| Must earn a “C” or better in the following courses | ||
| EXER 400 | Wellness Coaching and Program Management 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 401 | Fitness Assessment 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 402 | Exercise Prescription 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 403 | Advanced Exercise Physiology 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 410 | Clinical Exercise Physiology 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 411 | Exercise Science: Special Populations and Conditions 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 412 | Exercise Science: Senior Synthesis 1,2 | 3 |
| EXER 424 | Nutrition and Exercise 1,2 | 3 |
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 45 | |
- 1
Course counts toward Major GPA
- 2
Course counts for 50% of Major requirements
- *
Some courses may require pre-requisites. Please see course descriptions to determine if there are any pre-requisites for that specific course.
NATURAL SCIENCE AND MATH COLLEGE-WIDE REQUIREMENTS
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a “C” or better in the following courses | ||
| BIOL 209 | Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 309 | Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 201 | Elements of Physics I with Lab 1 | 4 |
| STAT 152 | Elementary Statistics 1 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- 1
Course counts toward Major GPA
ADDITIONAL PRE-CHIROPRACTIC (PaLMER) 3+3 eXERCISE SCIENCE COURSES
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a "C" or better in the following course: | ||
| CHEM 107 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| Total Hours | 4 | |
REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-CHIROPRACTIC (Palmer) 3+3 EXERCISE SCIENCE:
If any of these requirements are not met, the 3+3 designation will be removed from the student's record:
- A minimum of 2.75 overall GPA must be maintained by student for standard admission at the discretion of Palmer College of Chiropractic.
- A 3.0 or higher overall GPA must be maintained by the student for acceptance to Palmer's Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program.
- The student can only be enrolled in the Pre-Chiropractic Program (Palmer) 3+3 Exercise Science program for a maximum of three (3) years, full-time continuous enrollment (fall/spring).
Provision:
Should a student enrolled in the Exercise Science 3+3 Pre-Chiropractic (Palmer) designation be unsuccessful in completing the 1st three semesters (summer or fall or spring terms) of the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program, and want to complete the original undergraduate degree, it is solely up to the discretion of the undergraduate program Department Chair to determine which, if any, graduate level Chiropractic courses will count toward the completion of their undergraduate degree. In addition, students must complete any unfulfilled requirements of their undergraduate major. Students may still be able to apply to Palmer College of Chiropractic with an earned Bachelor's degree.
Important Curriculum Guide Notes
This Curriculum Guide is provided to help SRU students and prospective students better understand their intended major curriculum. Enrolled SRU students should note that the My Rock Audit may place already-earned and/or in progress courses in different, yet valid, curriculum categories. Enrolled SRU students should use the My Rock Audit Report and materials and information provided by their faculty advisers to ensure accurate progress towards degree completion. The information on this guide is current as of the date listed. Students are responsible for curriculum requirements at the time of enrollment at the University.
PASSHE - Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Institutions
EXERCISE SCIENCE - BS (6149)
PRE-CHIROPRACTIC PALMER 3+3 (6ECH)
This program is effective as of Fall 2024
UCC 10.29.2024
Revised 09.19.2025