Ignite your passion for helping others in their health, fitness, sport and physical activity journeys.

Join the Department of Sports Medicine and Human Performance and become part of our “Exercise is Medicine” campus. Our community values hands-on experiences, fosters professional growth, and equips candidates for success in the dynamic fields of human movement. 

As a Movement Science Major, you’ll kickstart your adventure with 27 credits of interdisciplinary Movement Science core courses, paving your way to comprehensive understanding, critical thinking, and community building. That’s just the beginning. Choose one of our five dynamic concentrations for specialization, including: Sports Medicine, Physical Education Licensure, Exercise Science, Preventive Care and Physical Activity, or Adventure Education.

Round out your experiences with one of our minors. Whatever your concentration, you will graduate with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be career ready in your path of interest.

Choose from Five Concentrations

Sports Medicine

The Sports Medicine Concentration is a pre-professional track that prepares candidates for graduate school in areas such as physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, physician assistant, and medicine. This concentration is unique because it provides candidates with hands-on classroom experiences, a focus on fitness, wellness and movement, and the clinical opportunities that give graduate applicants an upper-hand. Moreover, this concentration is flexible to the needs of your chosen field and graduate schools you select.

Physical Education Licensure (Elementary or Secondary)

The Physical Education Concentration prepares candidates with necessary knowledge and skills to obtain a Physical Education teaching license in the state of Massachusetts, and to teach elementary or secondary Physical Education. Candidates may choose to follow a non-licensure track, which prepares them to work in after-school or day activity programs that do not require a teaching license. 

Exercise Science

The Exercise Science Concentration is designed for candidates interested in preventive, performance and post-rehabilitative fitness positions in community, commercial, corporate, and hospital settings or to continue in related professional or graduate work. Candidates are prepared for nationally recognized certifications, specifically those offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Candidates will gain the knowledge and skills to conduct and interpret physical fitness assessments, design and implement scientifically based exercise prescriptions, counsel behavior modification and manage physical activity programs and facilities. Exercise science candidates work with individual and groups of athletes as well as people across the lifespan who are healthy or have medically controlled disease to improve function and maintain behaviors to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Preventative Care and Physical Activity

The Preventive Care and Physical Activity Concentration is designed for candidates interested in preventive health interventions and becoming advocates and agents of change in their communities. Candidates focus on health equity and preventive health interventions through the lens of multiple health-behavior models, as well as inter-professional- and team-based- leadership. This track is flexible to student areas of interest, including business, coaching, psychology, communication, etc.

Adventure Education

Adventure Education administers an experiential curriculum to provide an outdoor education degree for traditional and alternative teaching methods both in the classroom and in the field. This meets the needs of the student’s technical and theoretical foundation of becoming a professional in the field of outdoor adventure leadership.

Program Highlights

  • Hands-on-and active-learning
  • State of the art facilities including: movement laboratories, gymnasium, fitness center, and ball fields
  • Professional conferencing
  • Clinical/practical volunteer experiences
  • Professional simulations
  • 1-on-1 advising

Join us in promoting active and healthy lifestyles for all!

Explore the possibilities within the vibrant and growing industry of human movement as it relates to health, fitness, sport and physical activity.

  • Student at Movement Science PE Day on a field with bowling pins.

    Internships that shape futures

    Embark on a personalized journey with us, where tailored advising and hands-on experiences await you. Dive into a diverse range of internships, each designed to match your unique professional and personal interests. Picture yourself training at the dynamic Strides, fostering community fitness at the YMCA, contributing to cardiac rehabilitation at Baystate Medical Center, or honing strength and conditioning skills at prestigious institutions like Yale and Notre Dame Universities. Your volunteer experiences are equally impactful, from supporting the iconic Boston Marathon to making a difference with Griffin’s Friends, the Kev Foundation, Shriner’s Hospital, and the exhilarating Run Stanley.

  • A Westfield State University student adjusts a walking boot cast worn by another student.

    Hands on learning

    As a passionate student in the field of movement science, your journey with us goes beyond textbooks and lectures. You'll immerse yourself in hands-on experiences that shape you into a skilled professional. Whether you aspire to make a difference in diverse settings or aim to pursue advanced studies, our program is your gateway to a dynamic future.

  • Fitness Center interior photo with exercise equipment.

    State-of-the-art facilities 

    Immerse yourself in an unparalleled learning environment with our state-of-the-art facilities. Picture this: Human performance laboratories buzzing with innovation, an athletic training center equipped for excellence, an aerobic studio pulsating with energy, and a fitness and conditioning room designed for peak performance. That's not all – our multi-purpose field house boasts an indoor track and a thrilling climbing wall, setting the stage for an extraordinary journey of exploration and achievement.

Program Details

Program Mission

The mission of the Department of Sports Medicine and Human Performance is to provide a broad-based liberal arts education that integrates multidisciplinary theory and practice. Through active learning, discovery, and practical experiences, students will develop skills for problem-solving and decision-making. Students will learn to use evidence-based practice in their roles as future leaders to advance the environments of healthcare, physical education, sport performance, rehabilitation, wellness, and physical activity. With specific training for specialized fields, our graduates are career ready, graduate school ready, and are motivated to enhance the health, productivity, and quality of life of the diverse individuals they will serve.

Program Vision

Our mission is guided by the following principles;

  • We connect learners to faculty, to community and to themselves.
  • We provide high quality academic and career advising.
  • We commit to connecting the disciplines using evidence-based practice.
  • We steward the future of our professions through ongoing professional development, research, and the empowerment of students as leaders.
Learning outcomes

Vision is grounded in SMHP student outcomes:

  • Respect others
  • Communicate effectively
  • Reflect thoughtfully
  • Think critically
  • Be professional
  • Value physical activity
  • Engage civically

What can you do with a movement science degree?

No matter what concentration you are interested in, your movement science degree will prepare you for success. Possible careers include:

  • Personal trainer
  • Strength and conditioning coach
  • Youth sport coach
  • Physical educator
  • Certified health education specialist
  • Coordinated school physical activity director
  • Recreation administrator
  • Researcher
  • Obtain pre-requisites for graduate school in: physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, and athletic training
Movement science student instructing a class in gym.

Staying active, that’s something I focus on a lot… and one of my favorite things about movement science is how hands-on it is. Sometimes, that’s the best way to learn. Especially in that major.

Jessica Gardner, '24

Ready to learn more?

Get big school features with small school advantages.  

We offer high-quality academics, unique learning opportunities, and a welcoming campus—and we have small classes, accessible faculty, and one-on-one support. 

You'll join fellow motivated students ready to make the most of the college experience through active participation. Become part of a caring and committed community that understands and embraces the bridge between academic study and civic responsibility.

  • 87%

    Of students receive financial aid

  • 92%+

    Of faculty hold doctorates

  • 700+

    Internship opportunities

Personalized attention from dedicated faculty.

At our institution, faculty members hold advanced degrees in the subjects they teach. Imagine a learning environment where personalized attention is not just a promise but a reality. Your professors are not just educators; they are mentors committed to expanding your horizons. Through a blend of dynamic coursework and hands-on projects, we're dedicated to not just teaching but elevating your knowledge and skills.

Movement Science faculty member wearing sunglass holding a sweatshirt that says Sports Medicine.

Request Information

We’re here to answer your questions and deliver the support you need along your academic journey. Please provide your contact information and area of interest, and we’ll be in touch shortly.

Name

Movement Science, B.S.