University of the Southwest Online Exercise Science, B.S.

University of the Southwest's Exercise Science B.S. is really a biology-heavy degree with an exercise specialization. The plan is full of chemistry, genetics, cell biology and anatomy labs, which suits a student aiming at physical therapy or another health program. At $575 per credit and $69,000 for 120 credits it's pricey, and the school's own pages disagree about whether undergraduate programs are online, so confirm that first.

University of the Southwest is a small private Christian university in Hobbs, New Mexico, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It lists a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science aimed at health and wellness, personal training, work site health promotion, clinical exercise physiology and cardiac rehabilitation.

The degree plan, revised February 2024, has four parts: 45 credits of core curriculum, 34 credits of biology major requirements, 30 credits of supplemental courses and 11 credits of electives, for a 120-credit minimum. Only the supplemental block is mostly exercise-specific, so plan on a science-heavy program rather than a training-focused one.

USW's Academics page says all undergraduate programs are offered both in person and online, and the advising page lists a remote advisor for online undergraduates. That's the only delivery detail we could confirm for this degree.

The school's separate online site lists only master's, doctoral and business programs, and it says classes start every eight weeks. The degree plan also refers to credits completed in residence, which reads like a campus form. Nothing we found says how the nine science labs are delivered to a student who lives elsewhere. Get that in writing.

Who It Fits

• You're building toward physical therapy, occupational therapy or another clinical program. The plan includes General Biology I and II, Principles of Chemistry I and II, Genetics, Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Pathophysiology I and Medical Terminology, each with labs where listed.
• You want a Christian university and a small school. USW says it's built on servant leadership, and enrollment is about 1,130 students.
• You're a transfer student. Admission needs a 2.0 GPA and good standing at previous schools, and classes start every eight weeks, so you don't wait for a fall start.

Who Should Skip It

• Skip it if you're watching cost. At $575 per credit it's above most online exercise science bachelor's programs we track, and our cheapest online exercise science degrees list shows lower-priced options.
• Skip it if you need a confirmed online path today. Only a general statement on the Academics page says all undergraduate programs are offered online, and the school's online site lists master's and doctoral programs.
• Skip it if you're aiming for the ACSM exercise physiologist exam after August 15, 2027. No CAAHEP accreditation is listed for this degree.

The science block is the heart of it. Chemistry I and II, General Biology I and II, Genetics, Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Nutrition each come with a lab. That's nine one-credit labs, and Pathophysiology I and Medical Terminology sit beside them.

The exercise block is nine KES courses plus Statistical Methods: KES 1303 Intro to Sports and Fitness, KES 1403 First Aid/CPR, KES 3303 Health and Aging, KES 3403 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, KES 3503 Physiology of Exercise, KES 3603 Motor Learning, KES 3703 Kinesiology and Biomechanics, KES 4203 Test and Measurements and KES 4303 Fitness Testing and Exercise Prescription.

The plan lists no physics course and no internship.

Courses the School Names

• KES 1303 Intro to Sports and Fitness
• KES 3503 Physiology of Exercise
• KES 3703 Kinesiology & Biomechanics
• KES 4203 Test and Measurements
• KES 4303 Fitness Testing and Exercise Prescription
• KES 3603 Motor Learning
• KES 3403 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries
• KES 3303 Health and Aging
• BIO 4103 Pathophysiology I

Standout Features

• Science-heavy plan: Genetics, Cell Biology, two Chemistry courses, Pathophysiology I and Medical Terminology alongside exercise courses
• Page lists clinical exercise physiology and cardiac rehabilitation among career preparation

Undergraduate tuition for 2026-2027 is $575 per credit hour. Multiplied by the 120-credit minimum, that's $69,000. On top of tuition, the cost page lists an administrative fee of $100 per term or $200 per semester, and lab fees appear in individual course descriptions in the catalog.

The page also lists a $100-per-semester undergraduate student activity fee. It doesn't say whether online students pay it, so ask. Transfer credit is the main way to bring the total down, and a nine-lab science plan means you'd want your chemistry and biology labs to arrive already completed.

120 credits at $575 a credit comes to $69,000 in tuition, before fees.

USW is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditor. The exercise science degree lists no CAAHEP accreditation and doesn't appear on our CAAHEP or CASCE lists. CAAHEP is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and CASCE is the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education.

From August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program or one in the process. From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates for the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program.

The program page also doesn't say the plan meets any specific physical therapy prerequisite list. Check the DPT programs you want.

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.

• The price is high. At $575 per credit, USW sits above most of the online bachelor's programs in our data, and the total is $69,000.
• Online delivery for this degree rests on one general sentence. The online site's transfer page describes only master's, doctoral and business programs.
• The plan is lab-heavy and has no physics. Nine labs may be hard to complete remotely, and many physical therapy programs ask for physics.
• The exercise content is thin next to the science load. Nine KES courses cover fitness testing, prescription and kinesiology, but there's no strength and conditioning course or supervised practicum.
• The federal graduation rate for the school is 17 percent. It tracks first-time, full-time students, so it says less about transfer students, but it's worth asking about.

• Is the Exercise Science B.S. offered online right now, and can I finish it without coming to Hobbs?
• How do the chemistry, biology, genetics and anatomy labs work for an online student?
• Do online undergraduates pay the $100 activity fee and the administrative fee each term?
• What does the plan's "credits completed in residence" requirement mean for an online student?
• Which physical therapy or occupational therapy prerequisites does the plan cover, and where would physics fit?
• The online site says transferred courses need a B or higher, while the admissions page asks for a 2.0 GPA. Which rule applies to transfer credit?
• Is there any supervised practicum or internship I can arrange?

Private four-year Christian university in Hobbs, NM, founded in 1962 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers undergraduate programs both on campus and online and all graduate programs 100 percent online.

• Best Online Exercise Science Degrees Rank 46 of 46, bachelor's
• Best Online Bachelor's Programs Rank 46 of 46, bachelor's
• Best Degree Completion Programs Rank 34 of 34, bachelor's
• Best Pre-Physical Therapy Programs Rank 24 of 24, bachelor's
• Best Christian Programs Rank 11 of 11, bachelor's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 34 of 34, bachelor's

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