Exercise Physiology

Admissions

The following information is provided for individuals who wish to apply to the Master of Science (MS) in exercise physiology. Please note that admissions and curriculum requirements are subject to change without prior notice.

Questions? Please contact Professor Paul D Chantler, PhD via email or by phone at (304) 293-0646. 

General Information

Applications and recommendations for the Master of Science (MS) in exercise physiology are due each year by January 15. Detailed instructions and the application are available online.

Up to 15 students are accepted each spring for admittance into the Master of Science (MS) program.

  • Clinical Emphasis: The Exercise Physiology Admissions Committee will select up to 15 students to interview for the clinical area of emphasis. 
  • Research Emphasis: The Exercise Physiology Admissions Committee will select 4-5 students to interview for the research area of emphasis. In addition to other admission requirements, research track selections will depend on the availability of faculty mentors.
  • Tactical Emphasis: The Exercise Physiology Admissions Committee will select approximately 10 students to interview for the tactical area of emphasis. 

More than 65% of the students accepted will be offered an assistantship (with tuition fee waiver and average stipend of approximately $18,000/year). Admission to the program and selection for assistantships is competitive and is based upon experience as well as academic qualifications (e.g., overall GPA, science GPA) and letters of recommendation. The GRE examination is recommended and TOEFL (for international applicants) is required as part of the application process.

Letters to all applicants will be mailed out during the month of April (or before, if available). The clinical track program begins in the summer semester and the thesis track in the fall. The committee will select alternates who will be given a rank indicating the order of admittance. It is very likely that several the alternates will be accepted into the program each year. As each position comes available, the next alternate in line will be notified to determine if they would like to accept a position. Acceptance letters to alternates may be sent as late as August.

Admission Requirements

  • An official record of GRE general examination (with minimum GRE score of 300, verbal + quantitative) is recommended. The WVU Institution Code for the GRE is R5904.
  • A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater is recommended.
  • One official transcript from each college attended must be submitted. You must request that official copies (i.e., with school seals and/or on official forms) of undergraduate and/or graduate coursework taken at other institutions be submitted following the instructions on the Graduate Admissions website; coursework taken at WVU will be submitted automatically. You can also upload unofficial transcripts yourself, but these cannot substitute for official transcripts.
  • A minimum of two faculty recommendations should be provided on official professional letterhead. They are to be directly uploaded by the recommender to the university admissions website. These letters can also be mailed directly by the recommender to this office. It is in your best interest to follow up on your recommendations and ensure they have been mailed or uploaded to the university admissions site on time.
  • A statement of your goals in obtaining the Master of Science (MS) in exercise physiology must be uploaded with your application. 

Graduate Stipends

Most thesis track students will receive a graduate assistantship. However, clinical track students should complete the application for graduate assistantships and submit it in the “Other” category of the online application.

Divisional funding is not guaranteed for any thesis track student. The number of students funded will be budget dependent. Students selected for funding may receive funding for up to two academic years, dependent upon satisfactory progress (maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or greater; satisfactory progress in research as determined by the thesis committee). Funding for the first year does not imply automatic funding for a second year. Many students will be on teaching graduate assistantships and some will not receive funding at all. Faculty advisors, however, are encouraged to seek funding for their graduate students.