Best Online Exercise Science Degrees for Career Changers (2026)

• Top Master's79.2 out of 100

  University of Florida

  Online Master of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (Human Performance concentration)

  Florida · M.S.

  University of Florida's M.S. Review
• Top Bachelor's73.6 out of 100

  American Public University System

  Bachelor of Science in Sports and Health Sciences

  West Virginia · B.S.

  American Public University System's B.S. Review

A master's program qualifies when its admissions page accepts a bachelor's in any field, or when the school says the degree suits career changers. A bachelor's program qualifies when it accepts at least 60 transfer credits, or admits people who already hold a first bachelor's.

We note the prerequisites each program lists. Programs are ordered inside each level by the six-factor score in our methodology, and career-change fit never raises a score.

• Admissions text that accepts any bachelor's degree, or a stated career-changer audience
• Bachelor's programs qualify with a stated transfer limit of 60 credits or more
• Prerequisite courses noted for each program

Scores are the weighted sum of six factors (Cost 25%, Outcomes 20%, Online Flexibility 20%, Credential Alignment 15%, Program Depth 10%, Track Record 10%), version 1.0. The methodology page shows the rubric for each factor.

Can You Get Into an Online Exercise Science Master's With a Different Bachelor's?

Yes, and six master's programs on this list open the door plainly. University of Florida takes any major. Wayne State College accepts all bachelor's degrees. Ouachita Baptist University requires no specific undergraduate degree, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi accepts any subject. Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania welcomes biology, psychology and other majors, and Colby-Sawyer College considers any field.

Open still isn't automatic. Florida's admissions page wants a 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours, and non-STEM majors should show math or science coursework, relevant experience, or a certification from the NSCA, ACSM or the military. The application costs $30, and the deadline for the January 11, 2027 start is November 2, 2026.

Most other programs handle your missing science background in one of three ways. Some want prerequisites first. Colby-Sawyer requires Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab at a C or higher, and Logan University accepts business and psychology degrees if you've completed six credits of physics, kinesiology, exercise science, biomechanics or statistics plus six of biological science.

Others let you catch up inside the degree. Commonwealth lets you address anatomy, physiology and exercise physiology gaps during the master's without degree credit, and Fort Hays State offers up to 18 credits of leveling coursework.

A third group sets a test. University of Louisiana at Monroe dismisses students without a related degree unless they earn a B or higher in their first 12 hours.

Read all of that as time and money. Fort Hays lists 32 credits at $362.73, or $11,607.36, and leveling credits come on top. Trevecca Nazarene University offers conditional admission if you lack full science prerequisites, with a 2.75 GPA and a 500-word essay. Ask each admissions office in writing which prerequisite courses it accepts from other schools.

Two programs need a closer look. Wayne State's degree is a Master of Science in Organizational Management with a human performance and wellness focus, so it points toward wellness management more than clinical exercise work. And East Carolina University's only online concentration is physical education pedagogy.

How the 2027 and 2030 Credential Rules Change Your Plan

Two rule changes matter more to you than to someone who starts with an exercise science bachelor's. ACSM says that starting August 15, 2027, candidates for the ACSM-EP (Certified Exercise Physiologist) and ACSM-CEP (Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist) must graduate from an Exercise Science or Exercise Physiology program accredited by CAAHEP, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

A program that has filed a formal inquiry or a Request for Accreditation Services also counts.

Our data shows no program on this list with CAAHEP accreditation verified for its online degree. Ask the school whether it's accredited or has filed with CAAHEP, and get the answer in writing.

The degree rules for each credential differ. The ACSM-EP page lists a minimum of a bachelor's degree in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology. If your bachelor's is in something else, ask ACSM how it would count a related master's before you pay tuition.

The ACSM-CEP page allows a master's in clinical exercise physiology or equivalent plus 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience, or a bachelor's plus 1,200 hours. Calvin University's cardiac rehab certificate page says its master's graduates would need 600 hours instead of 1,200.

The CSCS is friendlier today. The NSCA's current rule asks for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and CPR/AED certification, and it stays in place through December 31, 2029. That rule names no required major, so you may not need a master's just to sit for the exam. In 2024, only 41% of candidates passed both sections, so the coursework can still help.

From January 1, 2030, U.S. candidates need a bachelor's from a CASCE-accredited program. CASCE stands for Collegiate Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is the only program here with verified CASCE accreditation, for its Strength and Conditioning specialization, and it accepts any undergraduate major with a 3.0 GPA.

The NSCA wording names a bachelor's degree, and a master's isn't the same thing. Ask the NSCA how it will treat an unrelated bachelor's plus a CASCE master's before you count on the CSCS after 2029.

Master's or Second Bachelor's for an Exercise Science Career Change?

Cost is the first difference. The median master's in our data costs $20,200 in tuition and the median bachelor's costs $54,240, so a second bachelor's only competes when your earlier credits transfer.

The transfer limits are generous at several bachelor's programs here. American Public University System accepts up to 90 of 120 credits at $360 a credit, and Franklin University also takes up to 90.

Lionel University accepts up to 120 of 180 quarter credits at $333, and California Baptist University takes up to 100 credits at $541, with a decision and transfer breakdown in one to three days after it has your transcripts.

Eastern Oregon University accepts up to 135 of 180 quarter credits at $338, though it lists internship or capstone hours you may have to arrange locally.

The most direct second-bachelor's option is California State University, Monterey Bay's kinesiology degree completion program. Post-baccalaureate students whose first bachelor's isn't in kinesiology take 41 units at $550 a unit, or $22,550, compared with 50 units and $27,500 for first-bachelor's students. You need anatomy with lab and physiology with lab, each at a C- or better, and a 2.5 GPA. The program takes two years.

Check each entry rule before you get attached. Mississippi State University's degree admits only holders of an Associate of Applied Science or Technology degree, and Bryan University's completion program is built for graduates of its own associate degrees or similar college credit.

A bachelor's makes the most sense when a credential requires one in the right field. None of the 20 bachelor's programs here shows verified CAAHEP or CASCE accreditation, so a second bachelor's doesn't settle the 2027 and 2030 rules by itself. Our certification-ready ranking lists programs that do.

If you already hold a bachelor's and want the shortest path, compare this list with our master's ranking and degree completion ranking.

What Do Exercise Science Jobs Pay Compared With Your Current Job?

Run this comparison before you enroll. The BLS OEWS data for May 2025 puts exercise physiologists at a median of $59,460, with the lowest tenth earning $42,760 and the highest tenth earning $80,560. About 8,560 people hold that title nationwide.

O*NET projects 1,700 openings for exercise physiologists from 2024 to 2034, which is a small market. Clinical exercise jobs in cardiac and pulmonary rehab, hospitals and wellness programs make up much of it, so a master's aimed at ACSM-CEP work fits it better than a general kinesiology degree.

Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors are the volume job. There are 322,930 of them, with a median of $47,160, and the O*NET summary tracks their outlook. Personal trainer certifications from the NSCA and ACSM don't require a degree, so the master's isn't your ticket into that job. Health education specialists have a median of $64,070 across 65,690 jobs, and wellness-focused master's programs like Wayne State's point that way.

If you earn more than these medians now, the degree may cost you income for a while. Tuition for a master's on this list runs from $11,607.36 to $29,400, before books, lab fees or leveling courses. No degree promises a job, so read postings in your city and ask employers what they hire for.