Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management
School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi

Rising college seniors with a record of academic excellence have a unique opportunity to be among the first students to take advantage of our new 4+1 program in the Exercise Science.

Designed to save you money and time while earning credit toward a graduate degree,the  4+1 GradSHARK Launch PAAD program offers our outstanding, advanced undergraduates the opportunity to begin earning credit towards a graduate degree while they complete the final requirements for their undergraduate degree.

Master of Science in Exercise Science

Exercise and physical activity play essential roles for the prevention of disease, rehabilitation, and athletic performance. Employers recognize the benefit of hiring someone with advanced knowledge in the science and implementation of exercise that you will gain in our program.

Learn from experts in the field of Exercise Science and have the opportunity to participate in and conduct cutting-edge research. Enjoy first-rate research and/or internship experiences in the field of Exercise Science tailored to your career/research interest in order to help facilitate your future career.

Our program offers long-term career flexibility, and multiple career paths are available from a single degree program:

  • Future health and wellness coaches in the community or those working in corporate wellness settings
  • Research scientists studying the optimization of both the body and the mind
  • Strength and Conditioning coaches for major sports teams
  • Clinical Exercise Scientists working in state of the art hospitals and clinics
  • Physical (PT) and Occupational (OT) therapists who used this degree to obtain important knowledge about human movement prior to attending PT and OT school
  • Physicians who used this degree to obtain research experience and knowledge of human physiology prior to attending medical school

Number of credit hours a student can earn towards the graduate degree while completing their undergraduate studies: 12 credit hours

Courses* undergraduate students in the Launch PAAD can take to earn credit towards the graduate degree:

  • ES 515 Stress and the Brain
  • ES 511 Applied Statistics
  • ES 542 Sports Psychology
  • ES 620 Selected Topics in Exercise Science

*500-level courses only count towards the graduate degree when reserved for graduate credit (graduate level work must be completed to earn graduate credit)

Requirements to qualify:

  • Exercise Science major
  • 3.0 minimum GPA
  • 90 completed credit hours as an undergraduate

Students must be accepted into the Launch PAAD and complete the requisite GradSHARK Launch PAAD Course Formfor the Graduate School (the form requires approval from your undergraduate advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator for Exercise Science). After being accepted into the Lanch PAAD, the student will need to complete the GradSHARK Launch PAAD Course Enrollment Form (also known as GS12 Form) each term (students will not officially be registered for graduate courses until the GS12 Form is complete).

For more information about participation in the GradSHARK Launch PAAD, guidelines, financial aid and available areas of study, please see the GradSHARK Launch PAAD homepage.

View/download our handout below.