Concordia University-Chicago Applied Exercise Science (MS), Online

Concordia Chicago's online master's is a flexible, certification-minded degree with five concentrations, self-paced courses and tuition of $17,250 to $20,700. It fits coaches, trainers and career changers who want exam preparation and a science foundation. Its Exercise Physiology concentration advertises ACSM exam prep, but the program isn't on CAAHEP's list, and that matters after August 15, 2027.

Concordia University Chicago is a private Lutheran university in River Forest, Illinois. The Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science is delivered 100% online, asynchronous and self-paced, with 30 to 36 credits depending on your concentration. The school says it was designed in partnership with ACSM, NASM, ISSN and NSCA.

Every student takes an 18-credit core: kinesiology or biomechanics, research design, applied or advanced exercise physiology, exercise and sport nutrition, and a capstone. Then you add 12 to 18 credits in your concentration. Admission asks for an online application, transcripts, two letters of recommendation and an objective statement, and you can start in fall, spring or summer.

The full rubric is on the methodology page. A factor marked Peer Median had no published input, so it counts at half weight.

The Higher Learning Commission accredits Concordia Chicago. The program has no CAAHEP accreditation, and CAAHEP's list from September 29, 2026 doesn't include it. After August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program or one that has started the process. The Exercise Physiology concentration says it prepares you to sit for the ACSM exam, so ask what has been filed.

The Strength and Conditioning concentration is described as recognized by NSCA's Education Recognition Program. NSCA no longer publishes that list and now runs CASCE accreditation, where Concordia isn't listed. The CSCS change on January 1, 2030 looks at your bachelor's degree, not this master's.

NASM and ISSN credentials are separate exams you take yourself. The degree prepares you for them but doesn't confer them.

Where this degree can lead: Exercise Science Jobs, ACSM Exercise Physiologist Certification.

Who It Fits

• Strength coaches and trainers who want a credential map. Strength and Conditioning lines up with the NSCA CSCS, Sports Performance Training with NASM's Performance Enhancement Specialist, Human Movement Science with NASM's Corrective Exercise Specialist and Sports Nutrition with the ISSN's CISSN exam.
• Career changers without an exercise science degree. Exercise Physiology has two tracks. Track 1, at 18 credits, adds anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and a first strength and conditioning course for people who haven't met ACSM's course requirements. Track 2, at 12 credits, is for people who already hold an exercise science bachelor's.
• Anyone thinking about a doctorate. Up to 12 credits can move into Concordia's online PhD in exercise science if you earned a B or higher and start the PhD within three calendar years.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone who needs a CAAHEP-accredited degree for the ACSM path. The Exercise Physiology concentration promises preparation for ACSM's exercise physiologist exam, but the program isn't on CAAHEP's list from September 29, 2026. See the online exercise physiology degrees that are.
• Students who want hospital-based clinical hours. The practicum courses in Human Movement Science, Sports Nutrition and Sports Performance Training are case studies on a member of your community. The Exercise Physiology concentration has no practicum course at all.
• Anyone who dislikes chained prerequisites. Most upper courses ask for a B or higher in the one before, so one weak grade can stall your schedule.

AES-6020 Kinesiology I covers upper-extremity anatomy and AES-6030 Kinesiology II covers the trunk and lower body, both with movement analysis. AES-6050 Research Design and Methods in Exercise Science teaches statistics, research ethics and scientific writing. AES-6300 Exercise and Sport Nutrition digs into energy metabolism and supplements. You'll also take AES-6200 Applied Exercise Physiology or AES-6250 Advanced Exercise Physiology.

The concentrations feel different. Exercise Physiology Track 1 stacks AES-6700 Principles of Exercise Testing, Prescription and Health Risk Appraisal, AES-6770 for special populations such as cardiopulmonary and metabolic disease patients, and AES-6780 Patient Education and Behavioral Change Strategies. Human Movement Science and Sports Performance Training follow NASM models and include practicums. Strength and Conditioning adds two field experiences of 150 hours each.

The capstone, AES-6990, can be a publishable article, a professional field experience, a conference presentation or a program design. Strength and Conditioning students take AES-6830 instead. The program page lists five concentrations, while the 2026-27 catalog lists six, adding Professional Strength & Conditioning for people who already hold the CSCS.

Courses the School Names

• Applied Exercise Physiology
• Advanced Exercise Physiology
• Research Design and Methods in Exercise Science
• Exercise and Sport Nutrition
• Principles of Exercise Testing, Prescription and Health Risk Appraisal
• Exercise Testing and Prescription for Special Populations
• Patient Education and Behavioral Change Strategies
• Principles of Human Movement Science
• Program Design in Corrective Exercise Training
• Tactical Strength & Conditioning

Standout Features

• Designed in partnership with ACSM, NASM, ISSN and NSCA; concentrations map to certification exams
• Strength and Conditioning concentration recognized by the NSCA Education Recognition Program
• Dual-concentration options available
• Up to 12 credits can transfer toward CUC's PhD in Exercise Science

Tuition is $575 per credit hour plus an $18 per credit technology fee, and you buy your own textbooks. The school estimates tuition at $17,250 to $20,700, which is 30 to 36 credits. Add the technology fee and the range becomes $17,790 to $21,348.

The Strength and Conditioning concentration runs 33 credits, or $18,975 in tuition, and its field experiences carry a one-time $100 fee charged at the first registration. Exercise Physiology Track 1 is 36 credits and Track 2 is 30. Payment is due before each course starts.

Everything is online and asynchronous, with no set class times. You start in fall, spring or summer and set your own pace, so the number of courses you take per term decides how long the degree takes. The school quotes graduates who call the program challenging but doable for working adults, and it advertises small classes and faculty who work in clinical, athletic and research settings.

The S&C field experiences ask for 150 hours each, and the practicums ask you to work with a person in your community. Line that up early. Order matters more than speed here, because the prerequisite chain is strict.

• The ACSM path has an accreditation gap, so only the NASM, ISSN and NSCA exams have a clear route today.
• The pages disagree. The program page lists five concentrations, the catalog lists six, and the program page's credit range (30 to 36) hides that Strength and Conditioning is 33.
• Prerequisites chain most concentration courses at a B or higher, so a B minus could cost you a term.
• Completion time depends entirely on how many courses you take per term, which means cost and speed both need an advisor's plan.
• Concordia Chicago's federal graduation rate is 36 percent. That figure covers the whole university, not this master's.

• Has the program started CAAHEP's formal inquiry or Request for Accreditation Services process, and can I get that in writing?
• Which Exercise Physiology track fits my bachelor's, and which courses from my transcript count?
• Is Professional Strength & Conditioning open now, and does it require the CSCS before admission?
• How do the S&C field experiences work online, where do the 150 hours happen, and can my current job count?
• How many courses can I take at once, and what happens if I earn a B minus in a prerequisite?
• What's the next start date, and what's the deadline for the fall, spring or summer sessions?
• What does the dual-concentration option add in credits and cost?

Private Christian university in River Forest, Illinois, just outside Chicago. Its College of Health, Science & Technology houses a Health Sciences & Human Performance division that runs an on-campus BA in Exercise Science plus fully online kinesiology, applied exercise science and exercise science PhD programs, with the online master's described as one of its most-enrolled.

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