Program: Health and Physical Activity - Clinical Exercise Physiology, MS - University of Pittsburgh

Admissions Requirements

The admission requirements include the following:

Applicants who possess an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science or a closely related field, or who can demonstrate foundational knowledge in key areas (human anatomy, human physiology, exercise physiology, exercise testing and prescription) are admitted to the Master of Science degree program provided that they meet all other School of Education admission requirements.
Applicants who do not possess an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science or a closely related field, or who cannot demonstrate foundational knowledge in key areas are provisionally admitted to the Master of Science Program provided that they complete coursework in the following areas prior to admission into the Master of Science Program in the Department of Health and Human Development (this was previously approved by the University in Spring 2018):
1. Human Anatomy
2. Human Physiology
3. Exercise Physiology
4. Exercise Testing and Prescription

Undergraduate Degree Requirement or Foundational Knowledge Requirement for Admission to the Master of Science Program in the Department of Health and Human Development	Provisional Admission Requirement*
Undergraduate degree in Exercise Science or a related field of study. OR Foundational knowledge in Anatomy, Human Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Testing and Prescription	*Completion of courses in the following areas:	Options for Completing this Admission Requirement
	Human Anatomy	Complete HHD 1011/12 (Applied Human Anatomy) or complete a comparable course.
	Human Physiology	Complete HHD 1033 (Human Physiology) or complete a comparable course.
	Exercise Physiology	Complete HHD 1042 (Physiology of Exercise) or complete a comparable course.
* Indicates that when the application is reviewed, only those courses where a gap in the core knowledge is identified will be required for admission.	Exercise Testing and Prescription	Complete HHD 1224 (Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription) or complete a comparable course.

Academic Requirements

A minimum of 30 credits for the non-thesis degree and 36 credits for the thesis degree option are required for the Clinical Exercise Physiology degree.
Students must complete a comprehensive exam based on core competencies prior to graduation. Students will complete this exam at the end of spring term as a part of a core spring course requirement, which includes both a practical and written assessment. Students will be provided guidance and practice time to assist in their preparation for the comprehensive exam.
Students must complete courses in the appropriate order as outlined on the Plan of Study to be given permission to register for the appropriate courses in this degree.

Course Requirement	Non-Thesis Option	Thesis Option
HHD 2268 - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2381 - CLINICAL EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PHYSIOLOGY 1	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2380 - BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND HEALTH COACHING	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2320 - PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2382 - CLINICAL EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PHYSIOLOGY 2	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2383 - ADVANCED CLINICAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2384 - MOVEMENT SCIENCE IN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
Selects one of the following 2 options:
Option 1: Research Design - HHD 2375 or EFOP 2030 + Statistics - HHD 2410 or EFOP 2018 (Option 1 is required of students in the Thesis Option) Option 2: 2 Electives (within or outside HHD)	X (6 credits)	X (6 credits)
Selects one of the following 2 options:
Option 1: (Non-Thesis option): HHD 2385 - INTERNSHIP IN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Option 2: (Thesis option): Elective (within or outside of HHD)	X (3 credits)	X (3 credits)
HHD 2999 - MASTER’S THESIS RESEARCH		X (6 credits)
TOTAL CREDITS	30	36

Comprehensive Requirement

Students must complete a comprehensive exam based on core competencies prior to graduation. Students will complete this exam at the end of spring term (or approximately 24 credits) as a part of a core spring course requirement, which includes both a practical and written assessment. Students will be provided guidance and practice time to assist in their preparation for the comprehensive exam. An 80% or pass is required for graduation.

Accreditation and External Credentials

Our MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology degree is fully accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This national accreditation - considered the gold standard in the industry - is based on a rigorous review of our curriculum, faculty, facilities, and more.

This accreditation enables our students to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine Clinical Exercise Physiologist Certification following graduation and accumulation of 600 hours of clinical experience. Starting in 2027, all students who wish to sit for this certification must have graduated from an accredited program