Southern Nazarene University Online Master of Science in Exercise Science - Health and Human Performance

Southern Nazarene's M.S. in Exercise Science, Health and Human Performance is a master's for working adults who want to take one class at a time. Courses run six weeks, tuition is $629 per credit, and the full degree lists at $22,644.

The coursework leans toward sport performance and research, with one clinical testing course. There's no internship, no thesis and no listed programmatic accreditation, and the page is vague about how the online format works.

Southern Nazarene University is a private school in Bethany, Oklahoma, affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. This master's sits inside its Professional and Graduate Studies division, which runs accelerated programs for adults. You earn 36 credits, which is 12 three-credit courses, taken one at a time in six-week blocks.

Twelve six-week courses add up to about 17 months of class time. The page says you can graduate in 20 months, so expect some breaks between courses.

To apply you need a bachelor's degree from an accredited university plus a prerequisite course, either Exercise Physiology or Anatomy. The program director is Dr. Sylvia Goodman, an EdD and certified athletic trainer whose published work is on ethics education in sport management.

The program page says you learn one night a week on campus or online, and that you take one six-week class at a time. It doesn't say whether the online option means logging in live on a set night or working on your own time. Ask an advisor for the class schedule so you know whether you'll have set meeting times.

The page also disagrees with itself on starts. A stat box says one start date per year, and the admission steps promise rolling start dates. No dates are displayed at all, so you'll need to ask when the next class begins.

Who It Fits

• Adults who want a steady, one-course-at-a-time pace. The page says you learn one night a week on campus or online. Six weeks is short enough that a rough month at work doesn't sink a whole semester.
• Coaches, trainers and wellness staff who want the science behind training. The track includes Strength Development & Conditioning Methods, Biomechanics and Neuromuscular Control, Sport Psychology and Nutrition for Sport Performance. SNU's own career list starts with strength and conditioning coach, human performance specialist and applied sport scientist.
• Students who want a faith-based campus culture. SNU is approved by the Church of the Nazarene as a four-year college, and its site describes a Christ-centered community. See the full list of Christian online exercise science degrees.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone counting on the ACSM clinical exercise physiologist credential. ACSM's master's route asks for 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience, and this program lists no internship or clinical hours. Start with the online clinical exercise physiology master's degrees instead.
• Students who want a thesis, a capstone or a placement. The closest thing to a final project is the pilot study in Research Design, an elective.
• Anyone who needs to work with no meeting times at all. The page says one night a week but doesn't say whether the online option meets live, so ask before you enroll. Compare it with other online master's degrees in exercise science before you commit.

Every student takes six core courses. Foundations of Health frames wellness and risk reduction, and Writing for Research covers scholarly writing. Physical Activity Epidemiology and Pathophysiology looks at heart disease, cancer, obesity and mental health through physical activity. Legal Principles in Wellness Management covers the law for health, fitness and sport professionals.

Exercise & Wellness Across the Lifespan focuses on older adults, and Nutrition for Sport Performance covers hydration, energy nutrients and weight management.

You then pick one elective. Grant Writing & Program Design, Implementation & Evaluation has you develop a project for a health-related organization. Research Design has you produce an original pilot research project with statistical design.

The track adds five courses. Advanced Exercise Physiology studies how the body responds and adapts to exercise. Strength Development & Conditioning Methods lists both classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Exercise Testing and Prescription covers programs for patients with cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and other conditions. Sport Psychology and Biomechanics and Neuromuscular Control, which includes gait and running analysis, finish the list.

Courses the School Names

• Physical Activity Epidemiology and Pathophysiology
• Legal Principles in Wellness Management
• Exercise & Wellness Across the Lifespan
• Nutrition for Sport Performance
• Sport Psychology
• Advanced Exercise Physiology
• Strength Development & Conditioning Methods
• Exercise Testing and Prescription
• Biomechanics and Neuromuscular Control

Standout Features

• Course titled Strength Development & Conditioning Methods plus Sport Psychology, Biomechanics and Neuromuscular Control in the track
• Grant Writing & Program Design elective aimed at nonprofit health organizations

Tuition is $629 per credit. Over 36 credits that's $22,644, or $1,887 for each three-credit course. SNU's program costs page attaches that rate to July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, so ask what the 2026-27 rate is before you plan around it.

The same page says students are automatically opted into textbook rentals through Slingshot, with a choice to opt out, and that laptops are required. Ask what the rental plan costs per class.

SNU's graduate transfer policy accepts a maximum of nine credit hours, and only for courses the program requires. Nine credits at $629 would save $5,661 and leave $16,983 for the remaining 27.

36 credits at $629 a credit comes to $22,644 in tuition, before fees.

Southern Nazarene is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the regional accreditor. SNU's accreditation page lists programmatic accreditation for nursing, physical therapist assistant, teacher education, music and business, and exercise science isn't among them.

The Exercise Testing and Prescription course says it prepares you to pursue certification as an ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist. ACSM's current name for that credential is the Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, or ACSM-CEP. Its master's route names a master's in clinical exercise physiology or equivalent, plus 600 clinical hours. Ask ACSM whether an exercise science master's counts.

From August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program, or one that has started the process. SNU lists neither. The NSCA-CSCS rule starting January 1, 2030 concerns the bachelor's degree behind your CSCS, not this master's.

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

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

• No internship, practicum or clinical hours are listed, so nothing in the degree builds toward ACSM's 600 clinical hours.
• The page says one start date per year and also promises rolling starts, and it shows no actual dates.
• The costs page shows a rate that ended June 30, 2026, so the current price needs confirming.
• SNU's federal graduation rate is 51 percent. That figure covers the whole university, but it's the only outcome number we have.

• Which start dates are open this year, and is it one start a year or rolling admission?
• Is the online option live on set nights, or can I finish coursework on my own time?
• How does an online student complete the hands-on part of Strength Development & Conditioning Methods?
• What's the 2026-27 tuition per credit, and what do the Slingshot textbook rentals cost per class?
• Has the program started the CAAHEP accreditation process, and does ACSM accept this degree for the master's route to the CEP exam?
• Does my bachelor's have to be in exercise science, and which anatomy or exercise physiology course meets the prerequisite?
• How many transfer credits will you accept, given the nine-credit graduate limit?

Private Nazarene university in Bethany, Oklahoma with a School of Kinesiology and a Professional and Graduate Studies division that runs accelerated adult programs for working students.

• Best Online Exercise Science Degrees Rank 58 of 99, master's
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• Best for Working Adults Rank 35 of 50, master's
• Best Christian Programs Rank 19 of 27, master's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 47 of 78, master's
• Best Online Programs in Oklahoma Rank 2 of 2, master's

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