Exercise and Sports Science

Physical therapist. Athletic Trainer. Sport management. Teacher. Coach. At Olivet, students can become the Christian professional they want to be. They can prepare well for graduate school, advanced degrees, and certifications. They have many opportunities for learning to work with clients and other students. They can experience the world of professional sports right on campus during Chicago Bears Training Camp and other special events.

Olivet’s Athletic Training Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Physical Education and Health Education Teaching programs are accredited by The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

Choosing a Career

Students can learn to be physical education and health educators who serve in the public schools. With one-on-one attention from professors, students meet state and national standards for educators upon graduation.

For those seeking a career as a physical therapist or exercise physiologist, Olivet prepares students well for the rigors of graduate school, certification and practice.

Olivet’s nationally recognized, certified program for preparing athletic trainers provides practical experience with high school and college sports. Students do rotations beginning sophomore year under the direction of one of Olivet’s six certified athletic trainers.

Combining a love of sports with the business side of the industry is an excellent foundation for a career in sport management. Olivet provides everything students need for success, including 20 hours of courses in business administration and a 12-hour required internship.

For those who enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle and want to help others enjoy that, too, Olivet’s recreation and leisure program is ideal. At Olivet, students become the leaders and managers who will be an asset for any organization.

Areas of Study

Starting freshman year, students receive instruction directly from their professors, instead of just meeting a list of assignments and deadlines on their own. Olivet professors have a long track record of practical experience and mentoring students. They are ready to teach students what will help students succeed. And they’re equally eager to pray with students!

Athletic Coaching
Athletic Training
Exercise Science
Physical Education/Health Teaching
Recreation, Sport, and Fitness Studies
Sport Management

Meet the Faculty

Aaron Thompson

An experienced teacher, coach, and athletic director, Aaron Thompson is a proponent of physical education for all students. He is passionate about preparing teachers for public and private education settings. For his doctoral dissertation, he studied the relationship between high school physical education and activity habits of college freshmen.

Exercise and Sports Science Faculty

By the Numbers
17:1
student-to-faculty ratio
40K+
network of Olivet alumni
6
certified athletic trainers on staff at Olivet
16
years of Chicago Bears Training Camp on campus

Holistic Health

At Olivet, degree programs are grounded in wholeness and wellness. Professors teach from the perspective of the wellness wheel with the spiritual dimension at the hub. Students gain a Christian focus and mindset with countless opportunities to grow in their personal faith and to experience that integration into everything they learn.

Chapel at Olivet

Internships

Internships are a way for students to extend their learning experience as they approach the end of their degree programs. Companies and organizations that have provided these opportunities for our students include: Chicago Bears, Joliet Jackhammers (minor league baseball team), YMCA, Chicago First Church of the Nazarene’s sport ministry and many more.

Career Services

Alumni Careers in Exercise and Sports Science:

Assistant coach
Athletic director
Athletic trainer
Head coach
Nuclear medicine technician

Physical education teacher
Physical therapist
Professor
Sports media professional

“Olivet has an excellent and very demanding exercise and sports science program. At Olivet, I was doing things my sophomore year that interns from other schools didn’t do until they were juniors. My goal was to work in a professional sports setting. Olivet prepared me to accomplish that goal.”

Micah Gerhart ’12, assistant athletic trainer, NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles

Exercise and Sports Science with a Christian Purpose

The best way to see if Olivet is a good fit for you is to visit the campus. We offer unique, customized visit days every weekday, and special Purple & Gold days, too, where you can get up close at all things ONU.

Schedule a Visit