Need more clinical hours for PA School?
Professional Advancement for Clinicians
Post-baccalaureate Education
The internships through this certificate program provide hours of clinical contact experience preapproved by Northeastern’s PA program.
Download Northeastern’s PA Program — How it works [PDF]
Or visit Northeastern’s PA program page.
This graduate certificate bridges the knowledge gap between the medical field and the exercise field to promote the benefits of exercise for disease prevention and therapeutic intervention for their patients with chronic diseases. Learn about the admissions process.
This graduate certificate provides graduate professional experience through course work and experiential learning opportunities. Students develop well-rounded knowledge of the role of physical activity and exercise on health and disease prevention/intervention. Coursework covers knowledge of exercise physiology and exercise testing, assessment and prescription, all of which are major domains of job tasks for a Clinical Exercise Physiologist required by the American College of Sports Medicine. See application information.
The Graduate Certificate in Exercise Science includes course work and experiential learning opportunities for students to develop well-rounded knowledge of the role of physical activity and exercise on health and disease prevention/intervention. It covers knowledge of exercise physiology and exercise testing, assessment and prescription, all of which are major domains of job tasks for a Clinical Exercise Physiologist required by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Upon successful completion of the curriculum, students will be granted an Exercise Science for Clinicians Certificate.
The 2 required courses provide foundation for understanding principles of exercise physiology and the cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems (6 credits total).
The 2 required courses provide the foundation for understanding acute and chronic responses to endurance and strength exercise in major body systems (6 credits total).
Students complete 2 internships of a minimum of 300 hours of supervised experience in a research or practice setting.
Complete 3 semester hours of electives with approval of program director.
Curriculum subject to change. For a sample curriculum, please click here.
The Exercise Science Graduate Certificate program accepts applications for Fall entry only.
Applicants accepted: | Domestic only |
Delivery: | Primarily on campus |
Student status: | Full-time |
Term Start: | Fall only |
Application Deadlines: | 8/1* |
If you are a student that is also applying to the Northeastern PA program, you must submit your application for both the PA program and the graduate certificate by 8/1. For more information click here.
Click each required application item for more information.
Note: GRE is not required for the certificate program
Students are encouraged to explore other departmental offerings and opportunities to interface with faculty.
Our graduates leave our program with a solid foundation in exercise science, public health, and research. They are able to secure employment in the government, private, nonprofit, and health sectors, as well as continue their studies in doctoral programs in the health and exercise sciences.
“I appreciate the mix of cognitive and practical skills that I’ve gained, and absolutely feel like my year has been worthwhile and that I’ve grown as a student and future health care provider.
The internships are great experiences and the fact that we get to have them while still taking classes (especially EKG) in the spring is a huge help to both the class and to the internships.
I’ve enjoyed the confidence the program has given me in myself and my interactions with patients, the friendships I’ve developed, and Dr. Li’s support and care even during a stressful year. Both academically and socially the program surpassed my expectations.”
— Shoshana Moriarty, Class of 2019
“I would absolutely recommend Northeastern to other students. This program was extremely beneficial for me and for others as well. Northeastern University has earned its glowing reputation in making sure that every student gets the most out of their individual experience, and the Exercise Science for Clinicians program is no exception. This program allows its students to gain various skills through hands-on courses and internships that are extremely relevant for future careers.”
— Mary Miller, Class of 2019
The program consists of 21 credits. For up-to-date information regarding Northeastern University tuition per credit, please refer to the University’s tuition page.
Yes, as long as the courses are offered by an accredited institution.
Yes, our students graduate from our program are well prepared and may be eligible for this certifications from organizations such as ACSM, NPAS, NSCA and we encourage them to apply for certifications.
We welcome any questions you might have about our program. Please feel free to send general program inquiries and admissions-related questions to Dr. Rui Li.
Specializations: Exercise Physiology, Skeletal Muscle Function and nutritional intervention
Research: Exercise and nutritional interventions on metabolic diseases prevention; Training and nutritional strategies for health fitness and sport performance
Membership: ACSM, AAAS
Courses:
Key Experiential Learning Opportunities for Students (undergraduate and graduate):
Rui Li, PhD
Program Director
617.373.2526
[email protected]