Northeastern State University Online Health and Human Performance

Northeastern State's online B.S. in Health and Human Performance is one of the few bachelor's programs in our data that lists CAAHEP accreditation, and it costs $278 per credit. That makes it the strongest fit here for the ACSM exercise physiologist exam after August 15, 2027. Two catches: you must add an 18-hour minor, and the school's own page says no certifications relate to the degree. Ask about both.

Northeastern State University is a public university in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow. The degree belongs to its Department of Health and Kinesiology, and the school says online degree students complete all coursework online.

The 120 credits break into 40 of general education, a 35-hour major core, a 21-hour option, 6 open elective hours and an 18-hour minor. You pick one of two options: Clinical Health and Wellness or Exercise Science. Most online courses are asynchronous, though some instructors add live sessions.

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 NSU as an institution. The program page says the B.S. is nationally accredited by CAAHEP, and CAAHEP's list shows a Health and Human Performance bachelor's at NSU with initial accreditation dated March 2022. CAAHEP doesn't flag it as a distance program, so confirm that the accreditation covers the online delivery.

Then there's a contradiction. The same page says, "There are no certifications related to this degree." Graduating from a CAAHEP program is the education step toward the ACSM-EP, but you still have to pass the exam. See our accreditation guide.

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

Who It Fits

• Students heading toward the ACSM-EP (American College of Sports Medicine Exercise Physiologist) exam. From August 15, 2027, candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs), and NSU's catalog and CAAHEP's list both show this bachelor's.
• Pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy students. The catalog calls the degree pre-professional preparation for physical therapy, occupational therapy and chiropractic medicine, and NSU's transfer agreements from a community college associate degree list Pre-PT and Pre-OT emphases.
• Cardiac rehab hopefuls and strength coaches who can pick a specialty. Clinical Health and Wellness includes Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Exercise Modalities, and Exercise Science includes strength training courses.

Who Should Skip It

• Skip it if you need the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) after January 1, 2030. U.S. candidates then need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program (Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education), and NSU isn't on that list.
• Skip it if you can't complete a practicum. Both options require the P ED 4810 practicum, and every major also completes a department capstone and a Professional Development Site.
• Skip it if you hate planning around a minor. The 18-hour minor is required, so you'll need to choose one that fits the other 102 credits.

The 35-hour core is heavy on the body. It includes Human Anatomy and Physiology, Physiology of Exercise, Kinesiology, Advanced Fitness Assessment, Physiology of Aging, Exercise and Sport Pharmacology, Nutrition for Health and Sport, and Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries. You need a C or better in every core course.

The Clinical Health and Wellness option adds Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Advanced Exercise Prescription, Therapeutic Exercise Modalities, Biomechanics, Motor Control and the practicum. Exercise Science swaps in Ethical and Legal Issues, Principles of Strength and Conditioning, Techniques in Strength Training and Sport and Fitness Facility Management.

This is an exercise science curriculum from start to finish.

Courses the School Names

• Physiology of Exercise
• Kinesiology
• Advanced Fitness Assessment
• Exercise and Sport Pharmacology
• Physiology of Aging
• Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
• Advanced Exercise Prescription
• Therapeutic Exercise Modalities
• Principles of Strength and Conditioning
• Techniques in Strength Training

Standout Features

• Two options: Clinical Health and Wellness (cardiopulmonary rehab, therapeutic exercise modalities, biomechanics, motor control) and Exercise Science (strength and conditioning, strength training techniques)
• CAAHEP specialty accreditation stated in the catalog
• Accelerated B.S. to M.S. Health and Sport Science pathway (up to 9 graduate hours count toward both degrees) is listed in the 2025-26 catalog and the Graduate College page, but the live B.S. program page now says there is no accelerated degree program for this degree; confirm with NSU before promoting

NSU's 2026-27 undergraduate online-only rate is $278.00 per credit for Oklahoma residents, made of $245.25 tuition and $32.75 fees. Non-residents studying online pay $279.00. Over 120 credits that's $33,360 or $33,480 before transfer credit.

The fee table also lists a $15 per-credit charge for prior learning credit, and a footnote says online courses may carry additional fees. First-time, full-time freshmen are on a guaranteed rate of $303.25 per credit for 2026-27, so ask which rate applies to you.

120 credits at $279 a credit comes to $33,480 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $278, the same 120 credits come to $33,360.

The program is fully online. NSU says most online courses run asynchronously, without designated log-in times, though certain courses may add live sessions or scheduled group work. There's no minimum credit load, and you can study part-time, but scholarships often require 12 credit hours.

The degree asks for hands-on work. Every major does the P ED 4810 practicum, a department capstone and a Professional Development Site. Ask how online students arrange them before you commit to a start term.

• The minor squeezes your electives. With 40 hours of general education, 56 in the major and option, 6 open hours and an 18-hour minor, there's little room for extra science.
• The school's pages contradict each other twice. The live page says there is no accelerated degree program, while the 2025-26 catalog still lists a bachelor's-to-master's pathway. And the page that claims CAAHEP accreditation says no certifications relate to the degree.
• The core lists one Human Anatomy and Physiology course. Many physical therapy programs ask for more science, so check their prerequisites.
• The practicum, capstone and Professional Development Site are all required, so you can't finish the degree on coursework alone.

• Does the CAAHEP accreditation cover the online version of this degree, and can the program director confirm that in writing?
• Why does the program page say no certifications relate to the degree, and does graduating here satisfy the ACSM-EP education requirement after August 15, 2027?
• How do online students arrange the P ED 4810 practicum and the Professional Development Site, and how many hours do they take?
• Is there an accelerated bachelor's-to-master's pathway, as the catalog says, or not, as the live page says?
• Which minors work fully online, and which one do students use for the pre-physical therapy path?
• Does the $303.25 guaranteed rate for first-time, full-time freshmen apply to online students, and does the College of Education fee show up on my bill?
• How many transfer credits count, and does the 30-hour cap on prior learning credit include military credit?

Public university with campuses in Tahlequah, Muskogee and Broken Arrow, described by NSU Online as Oklahoma's fourth-largest public institution and the oldest institution of higher education in the state; approved by the Higher Learning Commission for distance education.

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• Health and Sport Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $343.50 per credit Score 52.3

• Texas Tech University

  Online Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

  Texas Score 67.2

• University of Louisiana at Lafayette

  Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Online)

  Louisiana $380 per credit Score 68.7

• Lionel University

  Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

  California $333 per quarter credit Score 69.3

• University of Wisconsin-Superior

  Exercise Science, B.S. (listed by Universities of Wisconsin Online as Physical Education - Exercise Science Concentration)

  Wisconsin $377.50 per credit Score 65.5