Bismarck, ND - The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has awarded initial accreditation to the University of Mary Exercise Science Program, which is now in its 11th year.

This accreditation indicates that University of Mary Exercise Science Program, a department within the School of Health Sciences, has met all the standards for quality by continually demonstrating its commitment to the ongoing development of comprehensive programs.

"The success of the Exercise Science program can be largely attributed to the leadership of Dr. Jill Nustad, the chair of the department, and Jason Kobes, an assistant professor and coordinator of the practicum experiences," commented Jodi Roller, dean of the School of Health Sciences. "Nustad and Kobes have worked to build the program, foster relationships with the area community wellness and exercise facilities, and develop unique hands-on experiences for allowing students to both practice with real individuals in need of exercise programs and to promote wellness. For example, all exercise science students participate in the Personalized Exercise Program (PEP) where they assess volunteer constituents of the University of Mary and prescribe an individualized exercise program for them, which is then monitored and reassessed by the students."

The University of Mary's Exercise Science Program began in 2000 and is only the third program in the four-state region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana) to earn CAAHEP accreditation.

The exercise science field is widely diversified. Exercise science majors at the University of Mary enroll in classes such as Weight Training Methods, Exercise Science Internship, Exercise Prescription, Electrocardiography, Exercise Physiology, Community fitness Methods, Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Advanced Exercise Physiology, Senior Seminar I, II and III capstone courses and various internships.

Ninety nine percent of the students graduating from the University of Mary Exercise Science Program are either employed or accepted into graduate school. Graduates are employed in areas including clinical cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, personal training, fitness and wellness directors, telemetry and exercise testing, and pharmaceutical and medical device sales.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of fitness workers is expected to increase 29 percent through 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This is because people will spend more money and time on leisure. Those with formal training or experience will have the best chances to get a job.