Aaron Poirier '11 & '14
Moving into the dorms during freshmen year, meeting random strangers who have become lifelong friends.
Exercise Science Career Guide
Explore Options: A Menu of Major-Specific Experiences and Sampling of Related Career Paths
Academic Resources
Explore our Exercise Science academic resources, designed to support your academic aspirations.
Curriculum Guide
Feeling like you don't know what to do with all of this great information? We highly encourage to make an appointment with your academic advisor and career advisor. Another great starting point is the Self-Guided Career Exploration Tool.
Career Resources
Unlock career potential in Exercise Science! Discover resources to maximize your professional trajectory.
Menu of Experiences
Sample Exercise Science Internship Sites
Internships provide a way for you to get hands-on, supervised experience in the world of work. You are able to apply the concepts you are learning in the classroom to a work environment.
Join A Student Organization
Get involved with a student organization related to your major. Student orgs are a great way to get connected and explore career options!
- GVSU Exercise Science Club
- Anatomy Club
- Pre-Med Club
- Pre-PT Club
- Pre-OT Club
- Pre-PA Club
Relevant Courses and Certificates for Building Skills
Developing the relevant skills that employers seek is an essential component of a student's education. GVSU students should consider strategic elective courses and certificates to pair with their major in order to gain additional skills.
Community Service Opportunities
Seek volunteer opportunities related to the field you're exploring as a way of testing out future careers.
GVSU Civic Engagement keeps a list of current volunteer opportunities updated on their website. There are ongoing opportunities on a continuous basis, as well as on-campus and off-campus opportunities posted as they become available.
Civic Engagement
Exercise Science Study Abroad Options
Through study abroad you’ll also set yourself apart from other job-seekers and graduate-school applicants in an increasingly competitive market.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Pursuing academic, creative, and research experiences and projects outside the classroom is an excellent way to learn new skills and build a body of work in your field.
Fellowship Opportunities
Fellowships are high-impact, potentially life-changing opportunities for students and alumni, opening doors to careers in public service, advanced academic study, foreign service, international teaching, and other career and service pathways into meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Exercise Science Career Spotlights
Megan Philipp '14
Some of the greatest memories at GVSU include spend long nights with friends studying when the new library opened my last year(2013-2014).
Ben McLoskey '13
Mid-winter, my sophomore year, the concrete slab on Pierce Street is typically flooded and froze over. My friends and I organized a pond hockey game and played all day.
Where Alumni Have Landed
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist – Spectrum Health
- Exercise Specialist – Bronson Hospital
- Corporate Wellness Coordinator – Farmer’s Insurance
- Case Manager/Exercise Physiologist – Great Lakes Physical Therapy
- Clinical Protocol Lead – Livongo Health, Wellness, and Fitness
- Strength and Conditioning Coach – Elite Performance and Fitness
- Patient Care Coordinator – Mary Free Bed Hospital
- Personal Trainer – Family Fitness
- Wellness Account Representative – OnSite Wellness LLC
- Aquatic Programming Manager – Northview Public Schools
- Wellbeing Navigator – Steelcase
- Adjunct Faculty – Grand Rapids Community College
- Wellness Coach – S. Abraham and Sons, Inc.
- OnSite Manager – McCahill Group
- Exercise Rehabilitation Research Coordinator – University of Illinois at Chicago
- Community Education Coordinator – iChiro Clinics
- Corporate Wellness Account Manager and Social Media Specialist – OnSite Wellness
- Account Sales Manager – Red Bull Distribution Company
Attend Events
Career Community - Science and Research
GVSU Winter 2026 Career and Internship Fair
February 19, 2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Winter Career & Internship Fair is an excellent place to kick off your job or internship search, or to begin networking with organizations looking to hire Grand Valley students and alumni...
Consider joining the Science and Research Career Community or any other Career Community you are interested in!
Beyond Undergraduate: Graduate or Professional Programs
Students with an exercise science degree may continue on to a graduate program. Here are some examples of programs students have pursued:
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Clinical Dietetics
- Public Health
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Sports Physiology
- Nutrition
Discover More
Join a Career Community
Check out our podcast!
Career Center Resources
Looking for other career resources? The Career Center Resources page contains resources related to careers, resumes, internships, job search, interviewing, networking, and more.