By Amanda Mlekush
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Department of Kinesiology has earned national accreditation for four concentrations of its kinesiology degree programs, offered through the Beaver College of Health Sciences’Department of Kinesiology: the applied exercise physiology and strength and conditioning concentrations of the undergraduate kinesiology degree program, and the clinical exercise physiology and strength and conditioning concentrations of the graduate kinesiology degree program.
“Attaining these accreditations demonstrates that our kinesiology programs are leaders in the field and that faculty are using evidence-based curricula to achieve high-impact, experiential learning,” said Dr. Joe Marino, chair of App State’s kinesiology department.
The applied exercise physiology and exercise physiology concentrations received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and its Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences. App State’s undergraduate and graduate concentrations in strength and conditioning received accreditation from the Council on Accreditation for Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE), which is part of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
“As one of the most popular bachelor’s degrees at App State, the kinesiology major prepares students for health and wellness careers or graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy and medicine,” Marino explained. “Our master’s programs are distinguished by the outstanding research that students conduct and the clinical and field experiences they gain. It’s an incredible honor to achieve first-time accreditation for four programs in a single year.”
Benefits of graduating from an accredited program
“Accreditation offers employers a guarantee that students have had a specific set of experiences and are more prepared for entering the workforce,” said Keane Hamilton, senior lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology and student field experience coordinator.
Clinical exercise physiology
Dr. Rebecca Kappus, associate professor in the kinesiology department, led the accreditation efforts for App State’s Master of Science in kinesiology-clinical exercise physiology program. Currently, only 20 such master’s programs worldwide are accredited.
Kappus shared that many of the program’s graduates pursue their clinical exercise physiologist certification after completing their degrees. Beginning in 2027, graduates will be required to have a degree from an accredited program to take the certification exam.
Applied exercise physiology
App State’s bachelor’s degree concentration in applied exercise physiology is one of five such programs in the state and 126 programs worldwide to earn the CAAHEP accreditation.
Dr. Bob Kowalsky worked with department faculty to map the program’s existing curriculum and make necessary changes to ensure the courses being taught cover all required competencies in the field set by the accreditation body. In addition to changing some electives to required courses, faculty added a mandatory internship to the degree.
“The site visitors from the commission were very impressed with the quality of laboratory spaces used by students and faculty, and they spent a lot of time talking with our students, our faculty and others affiliated with the programs,” said Kowalsky.
Strength and Conditioning
Strength and conditioning accreditation for degree programs in strength and conditioning is relatively new, according to App State kinesiology undergraduate program director Dr. Travis Triplett, a CASCE board member.
“We felt like it was worth pursuing accreditation for our undergraduate and graduate concentrations in strength and conditioning,” Triplett explained. “Demonstrating core parts of our programs to the accrediting body, including student learning objectives and outcomes and resources, validates the quality of our programs.”
Since some of the internship requirements and assessments will change, plans are in place to implement the new standards starting with students who begin the program this fall.
Four people are inside a gym space working with free weights; a young woman with a ponytail is lifting a large weighted bar while a man stands behind her spotting her.
Kinesiology's Strength and Conditioning program received two accreditations. Photo by Chase Reynolds.