Texas Tech University Online Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology

Texas Tech's online Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology is a full four-year-style degree from a large public research university, delivered asynchronously in 8-week courses. It's a strong pick if you're headed toward physical therapy, occupational therapy, or coaching and want the same diploma campus students get. It costs more than most public schools, requires a minor and a language course, and lists no CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation.

Texas Tech University is a public school in Lubbock, Texas, and this degree sits in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management inside the College of Arts and Sciences. It runs 120 credits and lists no prerequisites. The Online+ catalog entry says you need a 2.75 GPA for acceptance into kinesiology courses and to stay enrolled in them.

The curriculum leans toward the science of movement and health rather than sport business. Texas Tech says it prepares you for advanced study in physical therapy and occupational therapy, and for work in strength and conditioning and cardiac rehabilitation. You also pick an 18-credit minor, which lets you steer the degree toward business, nutrition, psychology, or public health.

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

Courses are 100% asynchronous and eight weeks long, with multiple start dates. The next two start on October 19, 2026 (apply by October 10) and January 8, 2027 (apply by January 1). Texas Tech says you're not locked into log-in times, though courses use weekly assignments and deadlines.

Texas Tech says most Online+ students finish in 2 to 4 years, depending on transfer credits and course load. Support includes enrollment specialists, online student advocates, and career counseling. Your diploma and transcript say Texas Tech University, with no note that you studied online. The degree also includes free self-paced career certificates from companies like Google, IBM, and Meta, though those are general career skills, not exercise credentials.

Who It Fits

• Working adults who plan to apply to physical therapy or occupational therapy school later. Texas Tech names both as advanced-study targets, and the coursework covers exercise physiology, biomechanics, and exercise testing. Pre-health students are told to check required courses with a departmental adviser, so start that conversation early.
• Coaches and trainers who want a business or nutrition angle. The minor list includes Athletic Coaching, General Business, Nutrition, Sport Management, and Sports Medicine, so you can build a degree around the job you want.
• Students with credits already in hand. Texas Tech evaluates transfer credit case by case and lets you request up to 9 credits through Prior Learning Assessment for work, military, or certification experience.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone counting on a CAAHEP-accredited degree for the ACSM exercise physiologist exam. Texas Tech's pages list only institutional accreditation, and the program isn't on the CAAHEP list we pulled September 29, 2026. Compare online exercise physiology degrees if that credential matters.
• People who want a degree that's all exercise science. The required minor and a sophomore-level language course take real credits away from the major.
• Budget shoppers. At $415 to $500 per credit, a bachelor's costs more than several programs on our cheapest online exercise science degrees list.

Four courses get full descriptions on the online page. KIN 3305 Exercise Physiology covers energy systems, the heart, lungs, and skeletal muscle. KIN 3306 Applied Exercise Physiology adds heat, cold, altitude, ergogenic aids, and special populations. KIN 3347 Nutrition for Exercise and Performance covers macronutrients, supplements, and nutrient timing. KIN 4306 Exercise Testing and Prescription teaches screening and program design for healthy adults and people with chronic disease.

The sample plan also includes Anatomical Kinesiology, Introduction to Biomechanics, Motor Control and Learning, Exercise and Sport Psychology, Medical Terminology, and KIN 4305 Advanced Strength and Conditioning, plus 6 credits of kinesiology electives. General education brings in chemistry, college algebra, and Human Anatomy and Physiology II.

Courses the School Names

• KIN 3305 Exercise Physiology
• KIN 3306 Applied Exercise Physiology
• KIN 3347 Nutrition for Exercise and Performance
• KIN 4306 Exercise Testing and Prescription
• KIN 3346 Anatomical Kinesiology
• KIN 4301 Introduction to Biomechanics
• KIN 3318 Exercise and Sport Psychology
• KIN 4372 Management in Kinesiology Programs

Standout Features

• Same Texas Tech University diploma and transcript as on-campus
• Free industry career certificates included with the degree
• Mandatory 18-hour minor (e.g., General Business or Health Professions) lets students add a business or pre-health focus
• Applied Exercise Physiology course covers heat, cold, and altitude adaptations

Texas Tech quotes $415 to $500 per credit hour, and the rate is based on whether you count as an in-state, out-of-state, or international student. It doesn't publish a separate rate for each group on that page.

Over 120 credits, that's $49,800 at the low end and $60,000 at the high end, before fees and before transfer or prior-learning credit. If you earn the maximum 9 credits through Prior Learning Assessment, you skip $3,735 to $4,500 of that bill. The school says there's no application fee. Ask the online team for your exact rate and fee list in writing.

Texas Tech is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a regional accreditor. None of the program pages claim programmatic accreditation, and the degree doesn't appear on the CAAHEP or CASCE lists we checked.

That matters for two dates. From August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program or one that has started the process. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the NSCA's CSCS need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. Until then, a bachelor's plus CPR/AED certification is enough for the CSCS. Ask Texas Tech directly whether it has applied to either accreditor.

Where this degree can lead: Exercise Science Jobs.

• The main Texas Tech page describes the on-campus program as 120 credits over four years and mentions an optional 200-hour capstone internship at approved sites. The Online+ sample plan shows no internship, so you can't assume you'll get one.
• The required 18-credit minor and a sophomore-level language course mean the exercise science content is a portion of the 120 credits, not all of it.
• Asynchronous coursework means no scheduled lab sessions. Ask how exercise testing skills are practiced and assessed.
• Texas Tech's federal graduation rate is 69 percent. That covers the whole university, not this program.

• What is my exact per-credit rate as a Texas resident or non-resident, and what fees are added each term?
• Can online students complete the optional 200-hour capstone internship, and who approves the site?
• Has the program applied for CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation, and when do you expect a decision?
• Which minors work best for physical therapy school prerequisites, and does the degree cover every DPT prerequisite I'll need?
• How are exercise testing and biomechanics skills assessed in an asynchronous format?
• How much of my prior work or military experience can Prior Learning Assessment count, and what does the assessment involve?
• Is the 2.75 GPA rule applied when I start, when I declare the major, or both?

Large public research university in Lubbock, Texas, accredited by SACSCOC. The Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management in the College of Arts and Sciences offers a B.S. in Kinesiology in an asynchronous online format through Texas Tech Online, plus on-campus M.S. Kinesiology and Ph.D. Exercise Physiology.

• Best Online Exercise Science Degrees Rank 5 of 46, bachelor's
• Best Online Bachelor's Programs Rank 5 of 46, bachelor's
• Best Online Kinesiology Degrees Rank 2 of 18, bachelor's
• Accelerated Online Programs Rank 9 of 12, bachelor's
• Best for Working Adults Rank 5 of 23, bachelor's
• Best for Parents Rank 2 of 6, bachelor's
• Best Degree Completion Programs Rank 5 of 34, bachelor's
• Best for Personal Trainers Rank 3 of 33, bachelor's
• Best Pre-Physical Therapy Programs Rank 2 of 24, bachelor's
• Best Pre-Health Programs Rank 2 of 23, bachelor's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 5 of 34, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Texas Rank 1 of 6, bachelor's

Also at Texas Tech University, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Master of Science in Kinesiology (Exercise Physiology, Human Performance, Motor Behavior and Exercise and Sport Psychology) (master's, on campus); Exercise Physiology, Ph.D. (doctorate, on campus).

• Northeastern State University

  Health and Human Performance

  Oklahoma $279 per credit Score 67.7

• University of Louisiana at Lafayette

  Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Online)

  Louisiana $380 per credit Score 68.7

• 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

• Lionel University

  Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

  California $333 per quarter credit Score 69.3