University of Memphis Online Master of Science in Exercise Nutrition (Health Studies)

Memphis offers this online master's to people already working in fitness, wellness or healthcare who want a graduate degree without a thesis. It costs $697 per credit, or $20,910 for 30 credits, and can take as few as 12 months. It isn't a clinical exercise physiology degree, and it has no internship. Pick it for the exercise and nutrition mix and for prior-learning credit.

The University of Memphis is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. This degree is a Master of Science in Health Studies with an Exercise Nutrition concentration, delivered through UofM Global, the school's online division. Memphis calls it a practice-focused alternative to its research-heavy master's programs. There's no laboratory research and no thesis. Dr. Lawrence Weiss is listed as program coordinator.

Admission asks for a bachelor's degree and a basic understanding of exercise and nutrition science, which you can show through coursework or extensive self-study. Memphis weighs your GPA, your work experience and a narrative statement about your career goals. GRE scores aren't required. The college's graduate application also asks for a resume, two letters of recommendation and a one-page personal statement.

Memphis says the degree is fully online through UofM Global, and you can complete it on your own schedule. Finishing in 12 months means carrying about 10 credits in each of three terms, which is a real load beside a full-time job. Stretch it out if your schedule needs it.

Instructors are reachable by virtual one-on-one and group meetings. The college lists priority application deadlines of May 1 for fall and October 1 for spring, with official deadlines of August 1 and December 1. Transcripts can be unofficial at application, and your final official transcript is due by the end of your first semester's second week.

Who It Fits

• Personal trainers and fitness staff with years of floor time. Credit for Prior Learning can cover up to six of the 12 elective hours, based on health and fitness employment or an industry certification. That shortens the degree and lowers the bill, so ask early which of your certifications count.
• Corporate wellness and healthcare workers who want exercise and nutrition in one degree. The core pairs exercise physiology with cellular nutrition, and your 12 elective hours let you lean toward whatever your employer needs.
• Working adults who want a graduate degree without a research project. The page says as few as 12 months, and the typical instructor-to-student ratio is 1:15 with virtual one-on-one and group meetings.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone aiming for the ACSM clinical exercise physiologist credential or a CAAHEP-accredited degree. Memphis lists no programmatic accreditation here, and the program isn't on the CAAHEP list we pulled on September 29, 2026. Browse online exercise physiology degrees instead.
• Students who want a research master's before a Ph.D. Nothing here requires lab work or a thesis, so an online master's in exercise science with a thesis option fits better.
• Anyone who needs supervised hands-on hours. The program page lists no internship or practicum.

Memphis describes the plan in two blocks. The core is 18 credit hours in research methods and statistics, exercise physiology and cellular nutrition. The other 12 hours are electives in supportive areas of your choosing, either four three-credit courses or up to six hours through Credit for Prior Learning. There's no culminating requirement, so no capstone, no thesis and no lab research.

The public pages name subject areas instead of course numbers, and the program page links to a degree sheet that's marked subject to change. Exercise physiology is one of three core areas, and nutrition gets equal weight. Read this as an exercise and nutrition degree, not a pure exercise science one. Memphis also lists a separate on-campus master's in exercise, sport and movement sciences, which is the research-focused version.

Courses the School Names

• Research Methods
• Statistics
• Exercise Physiology
• Cellular Nutrition
• Guided Electives

Standout Features

• Credit for Prior Learning (ELC) can satisfy up to 6 of the 12 elective hours for health and fitness work experience or industry certifications
• Typical instructor-to-student ratio 1:15 with virtual one-on-one and group meetings

Memphis charges the UofM Global graduate rate of $697 per credit hour for 2026-2027. Residents, non-residents and international students all pay the same rate, so 30 credits comes to $20,910. The fees page also states a per-term tuition cap of $6,970, which equals 10 credits at $697.

Credit for Prior Learning could trim the bill. If the six elective hours it covers carry no per-credit charge, you'd pay for 24 credits, or $16,728. Ask whether that credit has its own fee. The application fee is $35 for domestic students, and other university fees may apply.

30 credits at $697 a credit comes to $20,910 in tuition, before fees.

The University of Memphis is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, a regional accreditor. The program itself lists no programmatic accreditation and no certification prep.

That matters less here than it would for a bachelor's. ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) exercise physiologist candidates need a bachelor's in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology, and from August 15, 2027 the ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP credentials require a CAAHEP-accredited program. The NSCA rule starting January 1, 2030 is about the bachelor's behind the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist).

Personal trainer certifications need no degree, which makes the prior-learning credit the useful bridge between the two.

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.

• No internship, practicum or lab is listed, so you finish with coursework and no supervised experience on your transcript.
• The public pages give subject areas, not a course list. You can't judge how much of the 30 credits is exercise science until you see the degree sheet.
• Memphis has a federal graduation rate of 51 percent. That covers the whole university, not this program.
• The same college runs an on-campus master's with a similar name that requires the GRE. Make sure you apply to the Exercise Nutrition concentration through UofM Global.

• Can I see the current degree sheet with the exact courses for the 18 core hours and the electives?
• Are courses asynchronous, or do any meet at set times?
• Which certifications and kinds of work count for Credit for Prior Learning, what does it cost, and is that credit billed at $697?
• Which start dates and deadlines apply to UofM Global sections, and how many times a year can I begin?
• What fees come on top of the per-credit rate?
• Does the program offer any supervised experience, or would I arrange it myself?

The University of Memphis is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Its College of Health and Human Sciences has a Human Performance Center and research labs in cardiorespiratory/metabolic and neuromechanics work; online degrees are delivered through UofM Global.

• Best Online Exercise Science Degrees Rank 92 of 99, master's
• Best Online Master's Programs Rank 92 of 99, master's
• Accelerated Online Programs Rank 35 of 46, master's
• No-GRE Online Master's Programs Rank 41 of 44, master's
• Best for Personal Trainers Rank 32 of 32, master's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 74 of 78, master's
• Best Online Programs in Tennessee Rank 3 of 4, master's

Also at University of Memphis, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Master of Science in Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences (Health Studies) (master's, hybrid); Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences Concentration (bachelor's, on campus).

• Walsh University

  Master of Science in Exercise Physiology

  Ohio $785 per credit Score 39.3

• Tiffin University

  Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology

  Ohio $755 per credit Score 39.4

• Logan University

  Master of Science in Sports Science & Rehabilitation (MSSSR)

  Missouri $700 per credit Score 40.8

• Logan University

  Master of Science in Strength & Conditioning (MSSC)

  Missouri $700 per credit Score 40.8