Pitt-Bradford program to give students more options with undergraduate degree

BRADFORD, PA – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has remade its former sports medicine program into exercise science, a field that will provide students with more options for their undergraduate degrees.

The program has removed classes that crossed over with the university’s athletic training program and created new classes to explore health careers, study the human body in motion and assess and prescribe wellness plans.

Dr. Mark Kelley, assistant professor and director of the new exercise science program, explained that the program is meant for students who have a variety of goals, from personal training or wellness coaching to going on to graduate programs in occupational therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, chiropractic, medicine, physical therapy and more.

Teaching some of the new courses will be a new faculty member for the program. A search is currently under way, and the new faculty member will begin teaching in Fall 2015.

The multi-disciplinary major is science-heavy, with required courses in anatomy and physiology, nutrition, psychology and biomechanics and recommended courses in physics and chemistry. Students also perform fieldwork, internships and clinical rotations.

The program teaches students how to conduct fitness assessments, evaluate risk factors and health behaviors and implement safe and effective exercise prescriptions.

In the current climate of health care reform and concern about obesity and an aging population, Kelley said job prospects for graduates from the program should be strong. He expects the program to graduate its first students during the 2017-2018 academic year. Currently, there are 85 students identifying themselves as a sports medicine or exercise science major.

For more information, contact Kelley at mfk7@pitt.edu or 814-362-0984.

Molly Carson, a junior sports medicine major from Medina, Ohio, working with Dr. Mark Kelley, director of the exercise science program, on a cycle ergometer test for cardiovascular fitness.