William Paterson University of New Jersey MS in Exercise Physiology (Online)

William Paterson's online M.S. in Exercise Physiology is a 36-credit master's with real physiology courses, a required internship or thesis and access to campus labs if you live nearby. In-state tuition is $903 per credit, or $32,508 for the degree. Out-of-state students pay $1,408.50 per credit, or $50,706, unless they qualify for the in-state waiver. Start dates differ across William Paterson's own pages, so confirm them before you apply.

William Paterson University is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The online master's belongs to its Department of Kinesiology, which runs a human performance lab, a biomechanics lab and a motor behavior lab. The department page says it prepares students for strength and conditioning, cardiac rehabilitation, sport-specific and personal training, health promotion and wellness.

Learning outcomes include performing fitness and cardiovascular stress tests, assessing risk with blood pressure, oxygen use and heart rhythm, and writing exercise prescriptions. Admission asks for a related bachelor's degree, a 2.75 GPA, two references and an application fee.

The department's 2020-21 handbook lays out the structure. It's 36 credits: 9 in research and seminar (EXSC 5010 Introduction to Research, EXSC 5020 Research Methods and Design, EXSC 5030 Seminar in Exercise Science), 15 in exercise physiology, 6 in electives and 6 in an internship (EXSC 7700) or thesis (EXSC 7800).

The five physiology courses are EXSC 6100 Advanced Physiological Principles of Performance, EXSC 6110 Applied Nutrition, Exercise and Performance, EXSC 6120 Cardiovascular Physiology and Metabolic Diseases, EXSC 6130 Neuromuscular Physiology and EXSC 6140 Physical Activity and Aging. Electives include biomechanics, motor behavior and sport psychology.

The 2023 flyer names Physiology of Aging and Chronic Conditions, so titles may have changed. The handbook says the internship track adds a concluding report and a comprehensive exam.

Courses the School Names

• Physiology of Aging and Chronic Conditions
• Applied Nutrition, Exercise, and Performance
• Cardiovascular Physiology and Metabolic Diseases
• Research Methods and Design
• Neuromuscular Physiology

Standout Features

• Faculty hold ACSM RCEP and EP-C, NSCA CSCS and other credentials; specialties include sport biomechanics, motivational interviewing, exercise for special populations, exercise prescription for high-risk individuals and training in reduced-gravity environments
• Online students may use all campus facilities including human performance lab, biomechanics lab, motor behavior lab and phlebotomy lab
• Graduate assistantships provide tuition waivers and a stipend for select students
• Learning outcomes include performing fitness and cardiovascular stress tests and designing exercise prescriptions

Who It Fits

• Exercise science graduates who want an internship built into the degree. Past placements listed on the program flyer include the New York Jets, New York Giants and New York Islanders, cardiac rehabilitation centers, chiropractic offices and hospital medical fitness programs.
• Out-of-state students who can use the waiver. William Paterson says qualified out-of-state and international students can pay the in-state rate, which takes $505.50 off the tuition for each credit.
• Students who might want a thesis. Thesis students can do research alongside faculty in campus labs, and online students may meet faculty in person by choice. Faculty hold ACSM RCEP and EP-C and NSCA CSCS certifications, according to the flyer.

Who Should Skip It

• Skip it if your bachelor's isn't in exercise science, human performance, kinesiology, physical education or a related field. That's the stated admission requirement, so career changers should look at our degrees for career changers.
• Skip it if you need a CAAHEP-accredited program for the ACSM-EP or ACSM-CEP after August 15, 2027. The master's isn't on the CAAHEP list we pulled on September 29, 2026.
• Skip it if you need a firm start date and price today. The program page and flyer describe admissions differently, and the program isn't on the WPOnline degrees list we checked.

For 2026-27, graduate tuition is $903.00 per credit in state and $1,408.50 out of state. Mandatory fees add $12.00 for technology and $7.62 for the student government association, bringing the totals to $922.62 and $1,428.12. Across 36 credits that's $33,214.32 in state and $51,412.32 out of state, fees included.

The tuition page says qualified out-of-state and international students can now pay the in-state rate. It also points to separate WPOnline pricing, and this program isn't on that list, so ask which rate applies. Graduate assistantships for select students provide tuition waivers and a stipend.

36 credits at $1,408.50 a credit comes to $50,706 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $903, the same 36 credits come to $32,508.

The program is described as fully online, with no campus attendance required. The flyer says full-time students can finish in 18 months and part-time students in 24. It also promises rolling admission with numerous start dates, but the program page lists August 1 for fall and December 1 for spring, and says later applications are reviewed by space availability.

Treat the flyer as a 2023 document. You must complete an internship or fieldwork experience, or a thesis, and you must keep a 3.0 GPA each semester after admission. Online students are welcome to use campus facilities, including the human performance lab, but nothing requires it.

William Paterson is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which reaffirmed it in 2021. The master's lists no programmatic accreditation and no certification prep.

That matters for two rules. From August 15, 2027, ACSM-EP and ACSM-CEP candidates must graduate from a CAAHEP-accredited program or one that has started the process, and ACSM's master's route to the clinical credential also asks for 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience. The NSCA's CSCS rule from January 1, 2030 concerns the bachelor's behind the exam. See our accreditation guide for details.

Where this degree can lead: Exercise Physiologist Careers, 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.

• Start-date information conflicts. One page lists August 1 and December 1 deadlines, while the flyer promises rolling admission with numerous starts.
• The tuition page points to separate WPOnline pricing, and this program isn't on that list, so the figures here use the standard graduate rate plus $19.62 per credit in fees.
• Out of state, tuition alone is $50,706, which is $18,198 above the in-state figure unless the waiver applies to you.
• The internship or thesis is required, yet no page publishes hours, site approval steps or supervision rules, and you have to hold a 3.0 GPA every semester.

• Which start dates and application deadlines are current, and does rolling admission still exist?
• Does the current catalog match the 2020-21 handbook course list, and what are the current course titles?
• Is the online program billed at the standard graduate rate or at a WPOnline rate, and what fees show up each term?
• Do I qualify for the out-of-state waiver, and what paperwork does it take?
• How many internship hours are required, and can I complete them at my own workplace or clinic?
• Do the lab portions of the physiology courses happen online or on campus?
• Are graduate assistantships open to students who are fully online?

Public university at 300 Pompton Road in Wayne, New Jersey. Its Department of Kinesiology runs a human performance lab, biomechanics lab, motor behavior lab and phlebotomy lab, and offers on-campus BS Exercise Physiology and MS Athletic Training alongside the online MS in Exercise Physiology.

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