Exercise Science BS
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When am I accepted into the ES major?
A: Application to the ES program has two phases. Any freshman or transfer wishing to be in the major and who meets minimum requirements for admission to UB is automatically accepted. All students are then required to complete specific prerequisite courses with a GPA of 2.5 or greater (this usually takes 2 years) before they qualify for acceptance into the professional sequence of courses (the last 2 years of the program). Students submit a promotion to professional sequence form before Jan 31 in the semester before they expect to start the upper level courses. Because of limited space in the laboratory sections of many of our courses, we currently have a cap of 120 students.
Q: Can I still apply to the professional sequence of courses if I have not completed all of my prerequisite courses and/or general education requirements?
A: Yes. First the general education courses do not have to be completed until you are ready to graduate. Second, we sometimes admit exceptional students if they do not have all prerequisites completed.
Q: When does the professional sequence start?
A: The curriculum is set up so that the information is presented in a logical sequence. The first course is the 6-credit course Human Gross Anatomy which starts in mid-May and ends in mid-July. Students are allowed to start the program in the fall semester (without Anatomy) only under exceptional circumstances. No student is allowed to enter the program in the Spring semester.
Q: Is it possible to hold a part-time job and still perform well?
A: The ES curriculum is very demanding and should be considered a full-time job, so working part-time is strongly discouraged. This is the number one cause of poor performance.
Q: Is ES a good preparation for additional degrees?
A: Yes. About 60% of our graduates use the ES degree as preparation for other health-related programs such as physical therapy, medicine, chiropractic and physician assistant or for entry into graduate programs in the exercise sciences. Typically, our graduates are very competitive for admission into these programs.
Q: Are there job opportunities for ES graduates?
A: Yes: Over the past 10-15 years several changes
have occurred in health care that have increased interest and awareness
about physical activity and nutrition.
1. More emphasis has been placed on prevention. Many HMO’s
now pay for membership fees to fitness centers and for educational
classes on topics such as back care, nutrition, obesity, diabetes
etc.
2. The Surgeon General recently released a report identifying physical
inactivity and poor nutrition as the number one cause of major diseases
such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and neuromuscular
disorders.
3. Increased coverage in the news media about combining fitness
and nutrition.
Our students typically find job opportunities in corporate fitness,
cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, community health
and wellness, and sports medicine clinics.
Q: How do I find an internship site?
A: The 12-credit internship is completed in the spring semester of the senior year. We have over 200 affiliation sites across the country (including Florida and California!). You will work with the clinical education coordinator to secure a site in the senior fall semester but it is advised to begin screening sites as early as possible (even in the spring of the junior year). It is possible to choose a non-affiliated site, but an affiliation agreement must be processed before you can intern there. This takes several weeks and should be initiated in the spring or summer preceding the senior year. Click here for a current list of affiliated sites: http://sphhp.buffalo.edu/dce/clinicalsites/.