Best Online Exercise Science Degrees for Pre-Physical Therapy (2026)

Northeastern State's catalog calls this degree pre-professional preparation for physical therapy, occupational therapy and chiropractic, and a transfer agreement lists a Pre-PT emphasis. Oklahoma residents pay $278 per credit hour online and everyone else pays $279. The Exercise Science option adds strength and conditioning courses, and a practicum is required.

Texas Tech's online kinesiology page names advanced study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, strength and conditioning and cardiac rehabilitation as the goals. Courses run in 8-week terms at $415-500 per credit hour, depending on residency. Kinesiology courses need a 2.5 GPA, and an 18-hour minor is required, so check your PT programs' prerequisites against both.

This bachelor's says outright that it prepares you for graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, physician assistant and exercise physiology programs. Tuition is $377.50 per credit, plus a $40 per credit online fee. Plan on the HHP 496 internship, which needs at least 450 hours and can be arranged near home.

New Mexico State says the Applied Exercise Science concentration can incorporate prerequisites for physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic and athletic training. Every online student pays $395.40 per credit hour, wherever they live, in 8-week terms. That flat rate helps if you're out of state, and active military pay $250 per credit hour.

California Baptist says its kinesiology curriculum meets entrance requirements for physical therapy graduate programs, among others. The 50 major units cost $541 each in 8-week terms with six starts a year, and you can transfer in up to 100 credits. That setup suits you if general education is already done. Military students pay $250 per unit.

The University of North Dakota puts an Allied Health stream inside its online kinesiology degree, built around physical therapy prerequisites. The other streams are Teacher Education, Coaching and Sports Management, and Kinesiology Applications. Online students pay one rate regardless of residency and never have to visit campus. Expect a 10-credit internship and a criminal background check.

Kansas State's kinesiology page lists physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician assistant and physician among careers, and it admits that some need more schooling. It doesn't map out prerequisites, so you'll match them to your target program yourself. Online tuition is $435.71 per credit for residents and non-residents alike, with college and department fees added.

The University of Arizona's Nutrition and Human Performance degree names physical therapy among its graduate pathways, along with occupational therapy, kinesiology and physician assistant studies. The nutrition focus gives you a different science mix than the kinesiology degrees around it. It's $525 per credit, and there's no out-of-state tuition, so nonresidents pay the same.

Arizona State says its curriculum includes prerequisites for graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, chiropractic medicine and clinical exercise physiology. Tuition is $580 per credit hour plus program fees, in 7.5-week terms. You can add a 3-credit internship or research course, which ASU frames as a way to earn clinical hours.

Franklin lets you add a Pre-Physical Therapy focus that layers biology, chemistry and physics onto the exercise science degree. Tuition is $398 per credit in 6-week terms with eight starts a year, and up to 90 credits can transfer. Field experience happens on site at a healthcare or fitness organization unless you pick the capstone instead.

Tarleton says its kinesiology degree is a foundation for physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training graduate programs. The catch for this list is delivery. Labs and internships are part of the curriculum, so expect some in-person work. Concentrations include Athletic Training, Exercise and Sport Studies, and a Strength and Conditioning option coming Fall 2027.

University of Saint Mary is a degree completion program, so it fits best if an associate degree or your general education is already finished. The school calls it a foundation for physical therapy graduate study but makes no prerequisite claims. Tuition is $435 per credit in 8-week terms, and the required internship happens in an exercise science setting.

Georgia State describes this associate pathway as providing prerequisites toward physical therapy, occupational therapy and other allied health professions. Every fully online student pays $105 per credit hour plus a $195 semester online fee at nine or more credits, one of the lowest starts on this list. Some pathway courses may require attendance at a location, so check with an adviser.

Eastern Iowa's transfer major builds a two-year base of anatomy and physiology, physics, nutrition and statistics. It lists exercise physiologist and cardiac rehab paths and doesn't name PT prerequisites, so treat it as a starting layer. Online tuition is $230 per credit plus a $3 per credit online fee, in 4-week terms.

Georgia Military College names physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training as later paths and lists guaranteed-acceptance transfer partners: Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Mercer. A former student cites the program as prep for a PTA program. Everyone pays $169 per credit plus a $23 resource fee that covers textbooks, with no out-of-state tuition.

Blinn describes this associate degree as preparing you to transfer toward pre-physical therapist and pre-athletic trainer paths. Where you live drives the price: $64 per semester hour in district, $123 for other Texas residents and $279 out of state, plus an $80 per semester hour general fee. You're asked to choose a transfer destination by 30 hours.

Liberty's Fitness and Performance page lists further schooling to become a physical or occupational therapist, so this is the master's route for someone whose bachelor's is finished. Admission asks for a 3.0 GPA and prerequisites in physiology, biomechanics or physics, and statistics. Tuition is $600 per credit full-time across 33 credits, with no standardized test.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi says its graduates go on to Doctor of Physical Therapy, occupational therapy doctorate, medical and physician assistant programs. It doesn't say the degree covers specific prerequisites, so check your target program's list before enrolling. Admission asks for a 3.0 GPA, no campus visits are required, and you could finish in as little as one year.

Physical therapy shows up in this program's FAQ as one place alumni end up, but the degree doesn't claim to cover DPT prerequisites, so check your target schools' lists. It asks for Anatomy and Physiology I and II plus Exercise Physiology, and you can make up gaps during the master's. Pennsylvania residents pay $557 per credit for 30 credits.

Merrimack names the DPT among the doctoral and professional paths its graduates take, though it doesn't say the degree covers specific prerequisites. You'll need Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs and Exercise Physiology to get in. The 32-credit track runs $37,760 at $1,180 per credit, and you can finish in 9 to 12 months full time.

Ole Miss says recent graduates are preparing for physical therapy, and it names OT, PA, nursing and medical school too. Courses are asynchronous, in 16-week terms, so you can fit them around observation hours or a job. Online courses are charged at in-state rates regardless of where you live. You'll need a 3.0 GPA, or you can submit GRE scores.

A Calvin graduate credited this program with strengthening his DPT application, and the page lists a graduate school candidate path for PT and OT. That's a real story, not a prerequisite guarantee. You'll pay $720 per credit, the same rate for every student, and the 3.0 GPA minimum comes with recommended anatomy, biology and chemistry coursework.

Lander's program goals point to doctoral study, including the Doctor of Physical Therapy. The catch is that you must finish Anatomy and Physiology I and II, 8 hours with labs, before you're admitted, so any lab work comes first. After that it's 36 credits at $545 each, about $19,620, with a thesis or a 6-credit internship.

This one lists physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic and athletic training as further study its graduates pursue, without claiming prerequisite coverage. Its appeal for a future PT student is price and pace: $595 per credit for 30 credits, about $17,850, in 8-week sessions. Admission needs a 2.75 GPA, three recommendations and an interview.

Canisius states that students have used this degree to prepare for medical school, PA, OT or DPT programs. Expect to show college coursework in anatomy and physiology and exercise physiology, and you may take extra undergraduate courses if something's missing. It's 33 credits at $945, about $31,185, and includes a 120-hour supervised internship or a research project.

Southern Miss says this degree gives foundational content for people preparing to apply to PT, OT, PA and medical school. Admission expects an exercise science or related bachelor's, one chemistry or biology course, and added physiology and nutrition. Tuition is $578.12 per credit across 30 credits, and military veterans pay no out-of-state tuition.

This is the odd one on the list. It's an entry-level athletic training degree, not exercise science, but it has a stated direct-admission path into Hardin-Simmons' own Doctor of Physical Therapy program for students who meet GPA, GRE and interview requirements. It's 77 credits at $595, about $45,815, over 24 months, with 50 observation hours required.

Western Michigan's page says graduates pursue advanced degrees in exercise physiology, biomechanics, physical therapy or related health professions. The program goes fully online starting Fall 2026 and keeps its hands-on lab emphasis in the description. You won't need the general GRE. Tuition is $868.04 per credit across 30 credits.