I.          Academic criteria

             A.        Admission to the program

Entering freshman: high school GPA of 3.2 and an ACT of 25 or an SAT of 1130; or

Current ETSU student: may enter no later than the first semester of their junior year with an overall ETSU GPA of 3.2 and an Exercise Science GPA of 3.4; or

Transfer students: overall GPA of 3.2

             B.         Retention in the program

 Enrollment in and completion of a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester (15 if student is awarded an Honors-in-Discipline scholarship),

The student must maintain the following cumulative GPAs: up to 45 hours 3.00; 46 to 60 hours 3.15; 60+ hours 3.25

II.         Curriculum

            A.        Course definitions

The honors program will consist of at least eigheen hours: 12 hours which are Honors-enriched and six hours will be Honors Thesis (PEXS 4018).  Honors students should use one of the two required internship courses (PEXS 4630/31) to gain knowledge of experimental methods within Exercise Science and to collect data to be used for the thesis.

The Honors-enriched courses will include PEXS 3510 Foundations of Physical Education, PEXS 3610 Exercise Physiology I, PEXS 4061 Exercise Fitness Testing, PEXS 4062 Cardiovascular Exercise Testing, PEXS 4270 Structural Kinesiology, PEXS 4620 Exercise Physiology II, PEXS 4630 Exercise Science Internship I, PEXS 4631 Exercise Science Internship II, PEXS 4656 Sport Conditioning, PEXS 4657 Sport Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids, and PEXS 4977 Management of Exercise for Persons with Chronic Diseases and Disabilities

No later than the first semester of their junior year, students will meet with the honors committee to select a thesis topic. 

            B.         Course requirements

Each course in the honors program will be writing intensive and will also involve the students in research appropriate to the course level.

            C.        Course sequence

1. Honors students can enroll in honors-enriched courses their freshman year.  However, they must take their first course no later than the first semester of their junior year.
2. Exercise Science honors students are required to complete a research-based honors thesis. The students must enroll for a minimum of 6 credits in Honors Thesis, PEXS 4018, prior to their final semester.
3. Honors students will publicly present their thesis at department seminar, regional/national/international meeting, or scheduled defense. 

III.       Graduation

To graduate with an Exercise Science Concentration Honors, students must have completed all honors program and major course requirements and have successfully completed and orally presented their Honors Thesis. The overall GPA must be 3.25 or higher, including a GPA of 3.25 or higher in Exercise Science and the thesis grade must be at least a B.