Springfield College Programs Achieve Accreditation
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College master’s degree program in Clinical Exercise Physiology has become the first in Massachusetts to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and the bachelor’s degree program in Applied Exercise Science has become the second in the state to receive the honor.
Charles J. Redmond, dean of the Springfield College School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, noted that “Springfield College has long had an international reputation for educating leaders in these fields that promote health and wellness through physical fitness. This prestigious accreditation attests to the quality of our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that prepare students for careers in these rapidly growing professions.”
CAAHEP, the largest programmatic accreditor in the health sciences in the U.S., reviews and accredits more than 2,000 educational programs in 22 health science occupations. It has accredited only four clinical exercise physiology graduate programs and 25 applied exercise science undergraduate programs, including Springfield College. CAAHEP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and is a member of the Assoc. of Specialized & Professional Accreditors.
Springfield College was one of the first institutions in the U.S. to develop the applied exercise science academic program in the late 1980s. The undergraduate curriculum has a strong science base and extensive training in exercise physiology, exercise prescription for normal and special populations, and nutrition and fitness management. Students may specialize in spa and wellness management, personal training, or sport performance.
The graduate-level program prepares students with undergraduate degrees in various health-related backgrounds to design, implement, and evaluate clinical exercise physiology programs for individuals and organizations.
In the undergraduate and graduate programs, students augment their classroom and laboratory learning with real-world experience. They perform field work and internships in professional and collegiate athletics programs, hospitals, clinics, and corporate and community physical fitness and wellness facilities.
“Graduates of our exercise science programs are highly sought,” Redmond said. “They occupy leadership positions in these and other settings.”
The Springfield College exercise science programs are housed in the new athletic training/exercise science facility, which has been cited as among the highest-quality of its kind in the nation. Opened in 2008, it includes classrooms and state-of-the-art laboratories and research space for the study of all aspects of human performance.
Other programs of the Springfield College Department of Exercise and Sport Studies include undergraduate and graduate programs in Athletic Training, and graduate programs in Exercise Physiology, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Strength and Conditioning.
