University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Reviews of Bachelor's in Exercise Science

"There is not enough words to describe my experience at UNC-CH. I have absolutely no complaints. The academics are top in the nation but what I really enjoyed was the people and networks I met and established. the great aspect about attending UNC-CH is the people you are exposed to. I made a lot of connections at school there that I do not know if I would be where I am today without that experience. For example, as a sports-minded student I was able to meet Coach Roy Williams, the athletic director, and many great athletes. I was also able to intern under an Associate Athletic Director, the Track team's Director of Operations, and one of the Assistant track coaches. These opportunities would have never been available to me without UNC-CH."

"UNC-CH provided me with many academic and extra-curricular pursuits to better determine my career interests. As an exercise and sport science degree I feel that it would be more beneficial to have a concentration. The general track is not nearly as hands-on as fitness professional where you are able to actively apply in a real world setting what you are learning in lecture in a classroom. I felt that much of the knowledge that I gained about the human body and musculature in conjunction with movement science would have been enhanced with an internship or lab requirement."

"UNC at Chapel Hill was one of the most life changing places of my life. It offered an amazing atmosphere filled with successful people, specially in the athletic department. As an athlete I believe that I was given the absolute best preparation in order to be successful in my sport."

"I am currently a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, where I am completing my degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Neuroscience. Just to provide a background of my perspective as a student, I am going to be attending a DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) Program beginning in the summer of 2017. The requirements for this graduate level program have given me the opportunity to delve into many fields of study and coursework here at UNC. Now that a background has been established and my perspective stems from the pursuit of a career in the allied health field, my review of my college experience and degree can be well understood. To begin, my degree in exercise and sports science touches on a variety of aspects within the field of athletics and rehabilitation. Many of the classes that were required for my major included but were not limited to anatomy and physiology, emergency care, biomechanics, neuromuscular control, strength training theory, sports management, and research in exercise science. The culmination of all of these classes created a great foundation of knowledge that has readily prepared me to continue my education in physical therapy. Additionally, if physical therapy was not what I would be pursuing this major would have prepared me for other careers related to sport, fitness or emergency care. Such pathways include being an EMT, personal trainer, sport manager, or athletic trainer. This major was great due to the fact that a student had a variety of careers to pursue after graduation. Also, I loved how this major in particular was always based around practical information that could be easily transposed to real world situations. What I mean by this is that many of the faculty were or are clinician or trainers out in the world and have first hand experience on what information is truly relevant and up to date. While in lectures professors would always apply the information directly to clinical examples that were common. Continuing on with the practicality of this major, many of the classes allow students to get various certifications that are required by a variety of career paths. This includes a CPR/AED certification as well as a personal trainer certification through NASM. These just name a couple but through these classes you were able to get these certifications for an extremely discounted rate and that also allowed students to start their occupation immediately after graduation. Other courses that I have been required to take through my minor or just to fill prerequisites for my graduate program include, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and statistics. Knowledgeable individuals within their respective fields taught these classes where they were able to apply the subject material to a vast array of areas. Again, this allowed me to see how these courses could be used in a variety of practical settings within my career path. I believe that one of the best opportunities that has readily prepared me for my graduate program and future career in physical therapy was a cadaver lab that was offer to undergraduate seniors within my major. This allowed me to grasp anatomical structures and their relation to others first hand rather than just seeing these structures on slides in a lecture room. I have spoken with many other friends who attend other colleges within the state of North Carolina and none of them have many of these opportunities, like attaining certifications or access to a full cadaver for dissection. Overall, I believe my major of exercise and sport science at UNC along with the variety of other courses that I have taken have greatly developed my knowledge of my career pursuit of physical therapy. I have noticed the importance of professors emphasizing practicality in everything that they teach. I found this to be very motivating due to the fact that I could see myself using this knowledge from the classroom and applying it to real life scenarios. This help me maintain a motivation as a student and to always strive for the very best in my coursework throughout my undergraduate career."

"My time at UNC Chapel Hill was extremely stimulating and overall rewarding. As a post grad I feel both prepared and excited for what I can achieve in my career as a graduate from UNC Chapel Hill. Overall, having this degree has opened many doors from me and set me apart from other applicants."