Master of Science in Exercise Science

Change lives through enhanced health and performance.

Further your education and career with an advanced degree in exercise science. The Master of Science in Exercise Science (MEXS) program at the University of Indianapolis expands on your previous knowledge and provides you with the specialized skills needed for a career working with athletic, tactical, or clinical populations.

UIndy MEXS students will dive deep into a wide spectrum of exercise science concepts designed to help them better understand exercise theory and develop evidence-based exercise programming and interventions across multiple domains. Additionally, practical hands-on experiences built into the curriculum provide students with specialized skills within the assessment and human performance monitoring domains. Allowing for the effective evaluation of exercise programs and interventions. Currently enrolled students are participating in some exciting clinical sites including St. Vincent Sport Performance, Indiana Cancer Wellness Center, local professional soccer team Indy Eleven, and UIndy Athletics.

Advantages

  • Complete your graduate work in one calendar year (3 semesters – fall, spring, and summer).
  • Research opportunities using a wide spectrum of advanced clinical and human performance-based equipment (see below for a non-comprehensive list of available equipment).
  • Students are thoroughly prepared for advanced exercise science careers. 
  • Classes on Tuesday/Thursday only with MWF and weekends for work and experiential learning.
  • Students will be eligible to register for various national based certification exams within their field of choice such as ACSM or NSCA.
  • As a part of the City of Indianapolis, students have access to a wealth of opportunities for interesting and high-impact practicum experiences.
  • In conjunction with MEXS, UIndy offers a dietetics internship for those that qualify.
  • Students interested in pursuing their DPT after completion of their Masters degree can concurrently apply for PT school and will be guaranteed an interview with the Krannert School of Physical Therapy.

Student being fitted for face mask for metabolic testing in the human performance lab.

Learn More

Open Houses

Join us to learn more about the accelerated Master of Science in Exercise Science (MEXS) program from our program director, Dr. Nathan Eckert. He will cover the program, the benefits of the MEXS program at UIndy, career paths, and will leave time at the end for questions.

View Graduate Admission Events

For questions, please contact the College of Health Sciences Admissions Counselors (chsadmissions@uindy.edu).

  • ranked as a national university by u.s. news and world report
  • 10 mins to downtown Indy for internship opportunities
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Careers in Exercise Science

The Master of Science in Exercise Science (MEXS) program will prepare students for a variety of careers in settings such as hospitals, sports performance centers, collegiate and professional athletics, tactical groups, community health programs, and universities. These include:

  • Strength and Conditioning Coach
  • Performance Analyst
  • Tactical Performance Coach
  • Sports Coach (youth, collegiate, elite)
  • Sports Scientist
  • Clinical Exercise Physiologist
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist
  • Cancer Exercise Specialist
  • Health Educator
  • Wellness Manager
  • Researcher
  • Doctoral Degree Candidate

Students using the Bod Pod in the human performance lab

About the Master of Science in Exercise Science (MEXS) Program

The Master of Science in Exercise Science program at UIndy develops students across two distinct areas of academic and experiential focus effectively providing students the necessary knowledge and skills to acquire an advanced exercise science career:

  • Human performance - Human performance is designed and focused to provide you with the knowledge and skill sets for a career as a strength and conditioning practitioner across many diverse settings. These include working with collegiate/elite athletes, youth sports coaching, tactical populations, performance analysis, and sports-specific programming.
  • Clinical exercise physiology - Clinical exercise physiology is designed and focused to provide you with the knowledge and expertise to guide preventative and rehabilitative exercise programs for clinical populations. You will gain in-depth knowledge of disease pathophysiology, related exercise challenges, and an ability to apply the latest evidence-based practice in your area of interest.
  • BioPac MP 150 Data Acquisition System
  • BioNomadix Wireless Surface Electromyography (EMG) Sensors
  • Moxy Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) Sensors
  • Cosmed Quark CPET (Breath By Breath) Pulmonary Gas Exchange System
  • Cosmed Portable k5 (Breath by Breath) Pulmonary Gas Exchange System with GPS
  • VacuMed (Mixing Chamber) Pulmonary Gas Exchange System
  • Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) System
  • Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer System 4
  • Cosmed Treadmills
  • Wattbike Cycle Ergometer
  • Monark Cycle Ergometers
  • Force Plates (Kistler, AMTI)
  • PUSH Wireless Velocity/Power Meters
  • Just Jump Contact Mat
  • Vertec
  • Brower Timing System

MEXS students may pursue several professional certifications, including:

Program Length & Format

The class format is on-campus. Program includes 34.5 credits and is completed in 3 semesters (Fall, Winter and Summer). 

Curriculum

See curriculum and courses

When can I start?

Cohorts in our MS Exercise Science program begin every August. Applications are being accepted now. 

MS in Exercise Science Admission Requirements

Programs within the Department of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Sciences, utilize a holistic approach to applicant review. We consider ALL aspects of the application, not just academic history. If your GPA falls below the suggested GPA requirement, please reach out to our Admissions Counselors to discuss your options.

To apply for the Master of Science in Exercise Science (MEXS) program, you will need:

  • A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • An official transcript for all colleges/universities attended, 3.0 GPA or higher is preferred
  • Record of any current certifications/credentials (e.g., CPT, CSCS, EP-C, etc.)
  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • A two to three-page, double-spaced personal statement describing your interest in the field of Exercise Science and our program. Also, you will need to identify one or two UIndy Exercise Science faculty members you'd like to align yourself with based on their research area. View a list of MEXS faculty and their areas of research.
  • Indication of your interest in either the Human Performance tract or the Clinical Exercise Physiology tract
  • $25 application fee for graduate programs
  • Two letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters may be written by your supervisors, colleagues, peers or former college professors. Individuals providing recommendations must be outside of your immediate family. At least one recommendation should be written by an individual who is familiar with your academic accomplishments as an undergraduate and/or graduate student.

Due to the accelerated nature of the program, students need to successfully complete undergraduate courses in the areas of Human Physiology and Physics (Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics preferred). If you have not taken these courses, please reach out to the Graduate Admissions team at chsadmissions@uindy.edu, for options.

  • Preferred application deadline: April 15
  • Final application deadline: July 1

Email supporting application documents to: gradadmissions@uindy.edu (preferred)

You can also send them via USPS to:

University of Indianapolis
Office of Admissions
1400 East Hanna Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697 USA

Criminal Background Check

In order to protect future patients/clients and sites, internship and practicum students may be required to have criminal background checks prior to being accepted at a specific site placement. In some circumstances, this process may be required to meet professional licensure requirements. A criminal history may affect placement and/or licensure, and in some cases, disqualify a student from a specific placement.

Required Health Documentation

Students in the KHSS programs must comply with all health requirements. Health requirements are tracked throughout the program in order to ensure students remain in compliance with internship, practicum, and/or site requirements. Proof of immunity and/or vaccinations may be required. Additionally, some students may be required to have a physical exam completed by a primary health provider, as well as, proof of health insurance prior to acceptance for certain site placements.

Tuition & Aid

Stay Informed About This Program

Share your information and we'll be in touch soon with more details about how UIndy can help you meet your goals.

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