Kinesiology Department

Tom Godar, EdD, Department Head

Athletic Training

Lindenwood University offers a Bachelor of Science in athletic training, and the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The program received its original accreditation in 2003, and it was recently re-accredited in 2019 with the maximum allowed ten-year accreditation period. This program is designed to prepare athletic training students to succeed on the Board of Certification (BOC) examination and become Certified Athletic Trainers. Lindenwood University’s average first time pass rate over the past three years (2020-2022) on the BOC examination is 100 percent.

The undergraduate athletic training program accepted its final cohort in the Fall 2020 semester and is not accepting new students. The athletic training program has received approval from the CAATE to transition to the graduate level, and the university will be accepting the first cohort for the master’s degree program in the Summer 2023 term.

The university offers students two main pathways for enrolling in the graduate-level athletic training program, including an accelerated master’s program (AMP) pathway for high-achieving high school graduates. This program provides an opportunity for students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Master of Science in Athletic Training in an accelerated five-year format. For additional information on the graduate program and AMP pathway, please refer to the graduate catalog.

Exercise Science

Exercise science is a scientific program of study that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Examples of coursework include instruction in clinical exercise physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, fitness assessment and exercise prescription, energy sources, and strength and conditioning.

Exercise science prepares qualified professionals for employment in health and fitness centers, hospital-based health and wellness programs, corporate based health and wellness programs, cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and allied health areas. Additionally, the program prepares students for advanced study in related fields such as exercise physiology, biomechanics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, medicine, and chiropractic medicine.

Students must meet the minimum criteria listed below.

Admission to Lindenwood University.
Declaration of exercise science as a major.
C or better in all required major courses.

Health and Wellness

The health and wellness program prepares students for rewarding employment opportunities in numerous industries with a focus on preventive health, health promotion, and wellness management. Students will gain the foundation knowledge and skills necessary to develop and implement essential programs for improving the quality of life and well-being of others. Furthermore, students choose from one of four emphasis areas that will allow them to further specialize their degree and skill set to their desired career path.

Emphasis areas include the following: sport and physical activity; therapeutic recreation; fitness and wellness administration; and / or lifestyle and behavior management.

The sport and physical activity emphasis includes coursework in care and prevention of injuries, coaching, and sports performance. The therapeutic recreation emphasis provides students with the necessary coursework and clinical experience to seek certification as a therapeutic recreation specialist through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation. The fitness and wellness management emphasis includes courses in management, event planning, health policy, and wellness programming. And the lifestyle and behavior management emphasis focuses on health promotion, health psychology, and behavior change.

NOTE: Students earning a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness may not earn a minor in health and wellness within the department. Also, no more than two courses in the major, including the emphasis areas, can be used to satisfy the requirements for an additional minor within the department.