East Central University Online Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

East Central's online B.S. in Kinesiology is a low-cost option for Oklahoma residents at $331.80 per credit, and it takes up to 90 transfer credits. It's a broad kinesiology degree that mixes exercise science courses with coaching, sport administration and adapted physical education, and it lists no accreditation beyond the university's or any certification prep. Out-of-state students pay $668.80 per credit unless they qualify for a waiver.

East Central University is a public regional university in Ada, Oklahoma. Its online degrees are run with the education company Risepoint, which maintains the website while the university keeps control of curriculum, admissions and tuition.

The B.S. in Kinesiology is 120 credits, split into 40 general education, 63 major and 19 elective credits. Courses run eight weeks, and the page estimates 2 to 4 years. Transfer applicants need at least 24 college credits and a 2.0 GPA. With fewer than 24, you send a high school transcript and ACT or SAT scores.

All of East Central's online classes are asynchronous, so you have deadlines, not login times. Courses last eight weeks. In a typical week you review the syllabus, work through assignments when it suits you and talk with instructors and classmates on the learning platform.

The practicum is the piece that isn't remote by default. The school's FAQ says kinesiology programs expect students to complete practicums, and this degree lists KIN 4284 for four credits. Ask how you arrange a site near home. The page also lists August 17 as the next start date, which has passed, so ask when the next eight-week term begins.

Who It Fits

• Oklahoma residents who already have college credit. Up to 90 credits transfer, and the remaining 30 credits cost $9,954 at the resident rate.
• Working adults and military members. All of East Central's online classes are asynchronous, and the school grants four credits for basic or recruit training after a year or more of active full-time service.
• Future coaches, trainers and fitness directors. The major includes Strength and Conditioning, Exercise Testing and Prescription, Physiology of Exercise, Biomechanics, Sports Nutrition and Theory of Coaching.

Who Should Skip It

• Students headed to physical therapy or another clinical graduate school. The science is Applied Anatomy, described as having limited physiological applications, plus Physiology of Exercise. Chemistry, physics and a full anatomy and physiology sequence aren't in the major, so see our pre-physical therapy programs.
• Out-of-state students with no waiver. At $668.80 per credit, 120 credits is $80,256, more than double the resident price.
• Anyone who needs a fully remote degree. The 4-credit practicum is supervised by a kinesiology faculty member, and the program page cites 80 hours of hands-on training.

The 63-credit major has 21 courses. The exercise science core is KIN 3733 Physiology of Exercise, KIN 3723 Biomechanics, KIN 4623 Exercise Testing and Prescription, KIN 4223 Strength and Conditioning and KIN 2223 Sports Nutrition. Exercise Testing and Prescription teaches you to choose and perform fitness assessments in four areas and prescribe exercise from the results.

The rest is broader: Theory of Coaching, Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, Adapted Physical Education, Fundamentals of Sports Administration, Legal Aspects of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, Motor Learning, Psychology of Sports and Technology in Kinesiology.

KIN 4284 Practicum is a structured experience in exercise science, recreation or athletic training, supervised by a Kinesiology faculty member.

Courses the School Names

• KIN 3733 Physiology of Exercise
• KIN 3723 Biomechanics
• KIN 4623 Exercise Testing & Prescription
• KIN 4223 Strength & Conditioning
• KIN 2713 Care & Prevention of Athletic Injuries
• KIN 3613 Motor Learning
• KIN 3233 Adapted Physical Education
• KIN 4593 Psychology of Sports
• KIN 2223 Sports Nutrition
• KIN 4284 Practicum

Standout Features

• Curriculum blends exercise science courses (Physiology of Exercise, Biomechanics, Exercise Testing & Prescription, Strength & Conditioning) with coaching, athletic injury care and sports administration
• $331.80 per credit for Oklahoma residents, with a 120-credit sticker price of $39,816 before transfer credit
• Transfer partnerships with local community colleges; up to 90 transfer credits, which ECU's cost page says reduces the discounted program cost to $9,954

Oklahoma residents pay $331.80 per credit, so 120 credits is $39,816. Non-residents pay $668.80 per credit, or $80,256, though a non-resident tuition waiver is available when you meet certain requirements. There's also an $89 fee each semester, possible course fees and a $20 undergraduate application fee.

Transfer credit changes the math. With the 90 credits the program page allows, the remaining 30 cost $9,954. The cost page says up to 94 credits can transfer but prints that same $9,954. Ninety-four credits would leave 26, or $8,626.80, so ask which number is real.

Advanced standing exam credits carry a $5 per credit fee.

120 credits at $668.80 a credit comes to $80,256 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $331.80, the same 120 credits come to $39,816.

East Central is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditor. The kinesiology degree lists no programmatic accreditation and no certification prep, and it isn't on the CAAHEP or CASCE lists we pulled on September 29, 2026.

For a bachelor's, that matters twice. Starting August 15, 2027, ACSM exercise physiologist candidates must graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Starting January 1, 2030, U.S. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) candidates need a bachelor's from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE). Personal trainer exams need no degree.

The page's career list includes athletic trainer. Athletic trainers now need a master's in athletic training and the Board of Certification (BOC) exam, so treat that as a reason to plan for graduate school, not a finish line.

Where this degree can lead: Exercise Science Jobs.

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

• The credit math doesn't add up. The page lists 40 general education, 63 major and 19 elective credits, which is 122, for a 120-credit degree.
• The transfer limit is 90 credits on the program page and 94 on the cost page.
• The science is light for a bachelor's meant to feed clinical graduate school. The federal graduation rate is 34 percent across the whole university.
• Non-residents start at $668.80 per credit, and the waiver has requirements you'll need to confirm.

• How many transfer credits will count, 90 or 94, and what will my remaining cost be?
• Does the 122-credit total on the program page mean I need more than 120 credits to graduate?
• Can I complete the KIN 4284 practicum near home, and what do the 80 hours involve?
• What are the requirements for the non-resident tuition waiver, and do they apply to kinesiology?
• What's the next eight-week start date, and how many starts are there a year?
• Which electives would cover anatomy, chemistry and physics prerequisites if I plan to apply to physical therapy school?
• Does the $89 fee apply to every semester, including summer?

East Central University is a public regional university in Ada, Oklahoma, and a member of the Regional University System of Oklahoma. Its online degrees are delivered with Risepoint and its kinesiology degree sits in the College of Education and Psychology.

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