Passionate about health, movement, and helping others thrive? The Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science at Regis University prepares you to turn that passion into a meaningful career.
You’ll build a strong foundation in health, exercise, and wellness while learning to address the physical, mental, and social factors that influence health. Grounded in Regis’s Jesuit value of cura personalis—care for the whole person—this program empowers you to become a change agent who promotes equity, well-being, and healthier communities.
Whether you’re preparing for graduate study or a career in health and wellness, this program helps you make an impact where it matters most.
The Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science (HES) combines the following principles to optimize physical, mental and social wellbeing: behavioral health, biomechanics, exercise physiology, health psychology, motor behavior, and nutrition. In addition to the course work included in this degree, students complete a required internship to gain practical experience in such areas as physical therapy, occupational therapy, strength and conditioning, fitness, sports medicine, interprofessional pediatric care, or nutrition.
Flexibility of career choice is a hallmark of the HES degree. Diverse career opportunities include employment as an exercise specialist, health and wellness coach, personal trainer, sport performance coach or occupational and community health specialist. In addition, this program prepares graduates for application to professional graduate programs in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, sports psychology, nutrition and other health related disciplines, as well as academic graduate programs in areas such as health and behavioral science, public health, exercise physiology and kinesiology.
The HES major provides a strong foundation in the natural and behavioral sciences and encourages students to tailor their course of study specific to their career goals with optional specializations in pre-physical therapy, or pre-occupational therapy.
The four-year, 120 semester hour, Bachelor of Science in HES degree includes preparation for various American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) certifications.
The HES Department recommends the following to fulfill the RHCHP Core Studies Requirements.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
SHs |
| FYE 200 | Writing & Speaking in Our Common Home | 3.00 |
| FYE 201 | Magis Lab I | 0.00 |
| 3.00 |
| 3.00 |
| 3.00 |
| BL 258 | General Biology I: Organismic | 3.00 |
| NS 260 | Introduction to Brain and Behavior | 3.00 |
| HES 311 | Research Design & Statistics | 3.00 |
| HES 445 | Ethics and Health | 3.00 |
| BL 259 | Organismic Biology Laboratory | 1.00 |
| BL 260 | General Biology II: Mlclr & Cellular | 3.00 |
| BL 261 | Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory | 1.00 |
| NS 261 | Intro to Brain and Behavior Laboratory | 1.00 |
| PSY 250 | General Psychology | 3.00 |
| PSY 358 | Lifespan Human Development | 3.00 |
| 3.00 |
| 3.00 |
| HES 374 | Applied Human Anatomy | 3.00 |
| HES 375 | Applied Human Anatomy Lab | 1.00 |
| HES 376 | Applied Human Physiology | 3.00 |
| HES 377 | Applied Human Physiology Lab | 1.00 |
| 1 | 27.00 |
| HES 210 | Intro to Health & Exercise Science | 3.00 |
| HES 350 | Normal & Therapeutic Nutrition | 3.00 |
| HES 418 | Health Psychology | 3.00 |
| HES 420 | Kinesiology | 3.00 |
| HES 421 | Kinesiology Laboratory | 1.00 |
| HES 430 | Physiology of Exercise | 3.00 |
| HES 431 | Physiology of Exercise Lab | 1.00 |
| HES 434 | Exercise Prescription | 3.00 |
| HES 435 | Exercise Prescription Lab | 1.00 |
| HES 438 | Nutrition Across the Lifespan | 3.00 |
| HES 440 | Concepts of Motor Behavior | 3.00 |
| HES 441 | Concepts of Motor Behavior Lab | 1.00 |
| HES 460 | Community Health Behavior Change | 3.00 |
| HES 498E-W | Internship in Health & Exercise Science | 3.00 |
| HES 450 | Biomechanics of Exercise | 3.00 |
| HES 471 | Social Determinants of Health | 3.00 |
| 3.00 |
| Total SHs | 120 |
Optional Pre-Physical Therapy Specialization
BL 258 General Biology I: Organismic (3 credits)
BL 259 Organismic Biology Lab (1 credit)
MT 260 Pre-Calculus (4 credits)
PH 202A General Physics w/ Trigonometry I (3 credits)
PH 205A General Physics w/ Trigonometry Lab (1 credit)
PH 202B General Physics w/ Trigonometry II (3 credits)
PH 205B General Physics w/ Trigonometry II Lab (1 credit)
CH 210 General Chemistry I (4 credits)
CH 211 General Chemistry I Lab (1 credit)
CH 230 General Chemistry II (4 credits)
CH 231 General Chemistry II Lab (1 credits)
BL 296 Introduction to Biomedical Terminology (1 credit)
HES 450 Biomechanics of Exercise (3 credits)
*Note that many physical therapy programs stipulate that you cannot have more than 6 credits of pre-requisites outstanding at the time of application, so take these 200-level courses prior to senior year.
**Always check the requirements set forth by the specific physical therapy programs you intend to apply to.
Optional Pre-Occupational Therapy Specialization
BL 296 Introduction to Biomedical Terminology (1 credit)
PSY 471 Psychological Disorders (3 credits)
PSY 468 Developmental Disabilities (3 credits)
BL 258 General Biology I: Organismic (3 credits)
BL 259 Organismic Biology Lab (1 credit)
**Always check the requirements set forth by the specific occupational therapy programs you intend to apply to.
3+3 HES to OTD (Accelerated Pathway from Health and Exercise Science to Doctor of Occupational Therapy)
This accelerated pathway reduces the traditional seven-year trajectory to six years by allowing academic overlap between the final undergraduate year and the first year of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy curriculum. Students complete three years as Regis undergraduates, then matriculate as Creighton OTD students for three years, with the first two OTD semesters transferring back to Regis to fulfill elective requirements and confer the BS degree. The 3+3 students have a guaranteed interview with the graduate program and conditional admittance and, must complete the full graduate application to ensure all pre-requisite requirements and admissions requirements are met.