Jacksonville State University Online Physical Education - Human Performance (Master of Science in Education)

Jacksonville State's online human performance master's is a 30-credit graduate degree in exercise physiology from a public university, priced at $443 per credit for in-state and out-of-state students alike. You need an exercise science background to get in, and the degree is a Master of Science in Education with a few physical education courses mixed in. It fits trainers and coaches who want depth, not a clinical credential.

Jacksonville State University is a public school in Jacksonville, Alabama. This degree is the Human Performance concentration inside its Master of Science in Education in Physical Education, taught 100% online. The catalog states plainly that it doesn't lead to teacher certification.

The catalog describes the aim as advanced study in exercise physiology and work in strength and conditioning, adult fitness, wellness and corporate fitness. It also says the program prepares you to work with healthy people and with people who have chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

You need a degree in exercise science or a closely related field to be admitted. The catalog adds that you may have to make up undergraduate deficiencies.

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

Tuition for 2026-27 is $443 per credit for online graduate hours, in-state or out-of-state, so 30 credits is $13,290. Fees come on top. The digital instruction fee is $18 per credit, or $540 across the degree, and the general university fee is $522 flat each fall and spring semester once you take 6 or more credits. JaxBooks course materials are $23 plus tax per credit, and you can opt out.

Expect a $35 application fee and a $50 fee when you apply for graduation.

If you take the certificate first, its 12 credits cost $5,316 in tuition. Compare this against Hardin-Simmons's online kinesiology master's at $17,850.

30 credits at $443 a credit comes to $13,290 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Personal trainers and fitness staff with an exercise science degree who want a second, graduate-level layer of physiology. You'll take Applied Exercise Physiology I and II and Clinical Cardiopulmonary Physiology.
• Budget-focused students. Tuition is $13,290 for the full degree. See where it lands on our cheapest online exercise science degrees list.
• Military members and veterans. JSU lists a $250-per-credit rate for graduate distance learning students, which would bring tuition to $7,500. It can't be combined with other aid or discounts, and the page says it applies only to certain degree programs, so confirm this one qualifies.
• Students testing the waters. A 12-credit graduate certificate uses four of the same courses, so you can start small and move into the master's.

Who Should Skip It

• Career changers without an exercise science degree. The concentration requires one, and the certificate asks for at least an undergraduate minor in exercise science.
• Anyone who needs a CAAHEP- or CASCE-accredited program. The catalog names none, and JSU isn't on our CAAHEP list from September 29, 2026.
• Students who want hands-on clinical hours. The curriculum has no internship, practicum or lab course.

Thirty credits, ten courses. The four core courses are HPE 5240 Law and Ethics in Wellness and Sports Studies, HPE 5892 Diversity Issues and Trends in Wellness and Sport Studies, HPE 5337 Applied Exercise Physiology I and HPE 5702 Research in Wellness and Sports Studies.

The concentration adds HPE 5334 Clinical Cardiopulmonary Physiology, HPE 5338 Applied Exercise Physiology II, HPE 5336 Diet and Performance and an advanced nutrition course, either FCS 5536 or 5537. You also choose HPE 5340 Perceptual Motor Development or HPE 5452 Skill Analysis, and take HPE 5880 Directed Studies, where you work with a faculty member on a research or literature review project.

Be honest with yourself about the mix. The exercise physiology courses are the heart of it. Diversity Issues covers teaching all students in physical education settings, and Skill Analysis covers basic skills in individual and team sports. Several required courses lean toward physical education.

Courses the School Names

• HPE 5337 Applied Exercise Physiology I
• HPE 5338 Applied Exercise Physiology II
• HPE 5334 Clinical Cardiopulmonary Physiology
• HPE 5336 Diet and Performance
• HPE 5340 Perceptual Motor Development
• HPE 5452 Skill Analysis
• HPE 5702 Research in Wellness and Sports Studies
• HPE 5240 Law and Ethics in Wellness and Sports Studies
• FCS 5536 Advanced Nutritional Therapy
• HPE 5892 Diversity Issues and Trends in Wellness and Sport Studies
• HPE 5880 Directed Studies in Wellness and Sports Studies
• FCS 5537 Advanced Methods of Nutritional Assessment

Standout Features

• Two-course applied exercise physiology sequence plus Clinical Cardiopulmonary Physiology, addressing healthy populations and chronic disease (CVD, diabetes)
• Stackable 12-credit online Graduate Certificate in Human Performance (Clinical Cardiopulmonary Physiology, Applied Exercise Physiology I and II, Perceptual Motor Development) that can lead into the M.S.Ed. with the undergraduate GPA minimum waived at 3.0 certificate GPA
• Human performance track built around advanced exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, adult fitness and corporate wellness

The program is 100% online. Applications are due one month before the semester begins, and JSU says it can't guarantee a decision if you apply later.

The finish line is a comprehensive exam. Most candidates take one, and the department sets whether it's oral, written or both. You schedule it in the semester when you take your last course, and you get a maximum of two attempts. Each time you file a new graduation application it costs $50, so a failed attempt has a price.

You also need a 3.00 GPA across all master's coursework. Transfer credit can't be used to raise it.

JSU's catalog says the program pays special attention to the knowledge needed for the NSCA CSCS and for ACSM certifications such as Personal Trainer and Exercise Physiologist. That's coursework alignment. It isn't accreditation, and the catalog lists no programmatic accreditation.

The rules are moving. Starting August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program. Starting January 1, 2030, U.S. CSCS candidates need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. Both rules point to your undergraduate degree, so check that one before you count on this master's for credentials.

The ACSM Certified Personal Trainer exam doesn't require a degree at all.

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

• It isn't for beginners. Without an exercise science degree you can't enter the concentration, and you may be asked to make up undergraduate courses first.
• Some coursework is about teaching physical education, which may not match a training or performance goal.
• The degree title is Master of Science in Education, and the concentration is filed under physical education, so you'll want to explain it clearly on a resume.
• No internship or clinical component, and no accreditation for the credentials you might want next.

• Which start terms are available, and do courses run for 8 weeks or a full semester?
• What undergraduate deficiencies might I have to make up, and do they add credits or cost?
• Does the $250 military rate apply to this degree, and can I use it with the digital instruction and general fees?
• What form does the comprehensive exam take for Human Performance students, and how do I prepare?
• Which electives can I choose, and how often are HPE 5340, HPE 5452 and the nutrition courses offered?
• If I start with the graduate certificate, do all four courses count toward the master's?

Jacksonville State University is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, that markets itself as 'The Friendliest Campus in the South'. Its Department of Kinesiology in the College of Health Professions and Wellness offers online master's options in human performance, nutrition, physical education, and sport industry, plus an on-campus Master's in Athletic Training.

• Best Online Exercise Science Degrees Rank 14 of 99, master's
• Best Online Master's Programs Rank 14 of 99, master's
• Best Online Strength and Conditioning Degrees Rank 8 of 39, master's
• Best Online Sport Science Degrees Rank 5 of 17, master's
• Cheapest Online Programs Rank 10 of 15, master's
• Best for Military Students Rank 7 of 35, master's
• Best for Personal Trainers Rank 7 of 32, master's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 10 of 78, master's
• Best Online Programs in Alabama Rank 1 of 4, master's

• American Public University System

  Master of Science in Coaching and Athletic Development

  West Virginia $470 per credit Score 64.8

• State University of New York at Plattsburgh

  Fitness and Wellness Leadership, M.S. (100% Online)

  New York Score 62.9

• Concordia University-Chicago

  Applied Exercise Science (MS), online

  Illinois $575 per credit Score 62.4

• University of West Alabama

  Online Master of Science (MS) in Exercise Science

  Alabama $429 per credit Score 62.3