The Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies is an undergraduate program serving more than 1,000 students who are working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in four distinct programs.  Three programs are health-science related:  Applied Kinesiology, Exercise Science, and Exercise Physiology.  The other program is business-oriented:  Sport Management.

The department also sponsors two outreach programs:  the Youth Sports Research Council and the Center for Exercise and Aging.

Acting Chair:  Dr. Neil Dougherty

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Working Toward a New Understanding of Human Health

Exercise Scientists develop unique insights into major diseases

Depression.  Obesity.  Chronic inflammation.

These medical conditions draw researchers across the spectrum of health, social, and physical sciences.

But there's a department in the School of Arts and Sciences that has staked out a unique approach to studying all of those afflictions.

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Hot Ticket at Rutgers:  Students Flocking to Exercise Science/Sport Studies Major

Department turning out next generation of physical therapists, entrepreneurs

Time was, announcing you were majoring in exercise science earned you a sneer and dismissal as a "just another jock."

Nobody's dissing you now.  More likely they're rushing to hire you.

America's aging population, an influx of returning vets and burgeoning participation in youth sports have combined to ratchet up the demand for physical therapists, personal trainers and other allied professionals.

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Exercise Science Students Help the Elderly Get in Shape

'Exercise and Aging' course helps plan Senior Olympics; students visit assisted living centers

By Laura Perillo

Credit: Nick Romanenko

Susan Kaplowitz , who teaches Rutgers' "Exercise and Aging" course and Kelly Kwon (SAS '11) help Arthur Powanda with a tactile manipulation hamstring stretch.

For older people, it’s a chance to show they’re still physically vital.

For Rutgers undergraduates, it’s a moment of inspiration and an opportunity to get some hands-on experience in the field of senior health and fitness.

The New Jersey Senior Olympic Games, which took place in this month, drew more than 700 older athletes for 16 sporting events, including basketball, swimming, bowling, darts, billiards, fencing, track and field, and softball.

Rutgers students in an “Exercise and Aging” class in the School of Arts and Sciences helped plan the games, kept score, and assisted the athletes. As part of their course, the students also develop exercise programs and work with residents of nursing homes and assisted living centers in the New Brunswick area.

Susan Kaplowitz, the director of the Center for Exercise and Aging in Rutgers’ Department of Exercise Science and Sports Studies and a certified personal trainer, says the experience her students gained was crucial.