Course description
The Department of Exercise Science offers the degree of Master of/Magisteriate in Exercise Science with Specializations in Athletic Therapy and Clinical Exercise Physiology.
Athletic Therapy
Athletic Therapy is a paramedical profession of members who are dedicated to the prevention, immediate care, and rehabilitation of orthopaedic injuries. Prevention of injury is accomplished through conditioning programs, pre-preparation physical examinations, and support (prophylactic) techniques. Immediate care of injury involves urgent and non-urgent situations, and sideline decision-making responsibility. Rehabilitation includes the use of modalities, manual therapy, and exercise prescription leading to full ability of daily and sport activities.
Clinical Exercise Physiology
The field of clinical exercise physiology focuses on the study of acute physiological as well as pathophysiological responses to physical activity and how regular exercise alters human form and functional capacity. This field originated in the last century and is now a mainstream scientific discipline with overlap to the fields of medicine and the sport sciences. Clinical exercise physiology has a strong foundation in basic science and applied research approaches to the study of acute and chronic adaptations to exercise, ranging from sub-cellular to systemic levels of organization. The applied clinical branch of the field involves the application of various exercise modalities for the assessment of physiologic functional capacity in healthy individuals and the diagnosis and rehabilitation of dysfunction in those with chronic disease and disability.
For the MSc program, every student must complete the following courses
EXCI 610 – Statistics and Research Design (3 credits)
EXCI 612 – Laboratory Techniques (3 credits)
EXCI 624 – Special Topics Seminar (3 credits)
EXCI 626 – Thesis Proposal (3 credits)
EXCI 680 – Thesis (Athletic Therapy) (33 credits)
OR
EXCI 690 – Thesis (Clinical Exercise Physiology) (33 credits)
Master of/Magisteriate in Science (Exercise Science) (45 credits)
Year I
Fall (6 credits) EXCI 610, 624
Winter (6 credits) EXCI 612, 626
Year II
33 credits EXCI 680 or EXCI 690
EXCI 610 Statistics and Research Design (3 credits)
This course provides students with a background in statistics and experimental design. Students are exposed to a variety of experimental designs applicable to the exercise sciences. The course covers the application of statistical concepts in consideration of specific experimental design methods. A number of parametric and non-parametric statistics are introduced for hypothesis testing, with the opportunity to apply relevant knowledge using various statistical software packages.
EXCI 612 Laboratory Techniques (3 credits)
The course provides a theoretical awareness of measurement principles and offers practical experience in applying techniques common to advanced research methodologies in exercise science. The potential topics to be covered are geared towards the requirements of the individual in the areas of exercise physiology and athletic therapy. These may include such topics as data acquisition and analysis, electromyography, blood flow methodologies, spectrophotometry, pulmonary gas exchange, motion analysis, and tissue histochemistry.
EXCI 624 Special Topics Seminar (3 credits)
This course is designed to meet the special needs of graduate students in the exercise science areas of concentration specific to athletic therapy and clinical exercise physiology. Topics vary within the domain to account for investigation of current and developing theories. The course involves presentation, discussion, and critical analysis of information from current scientific journal literature.
EXCI 626 Thesis Proposal (3 credits)
This course provides students with the opportunity to choose a research topic and formulate a research proposal under the supervision of a thesis advisor. The proposal should include a literature review, rationale, hypothesis, and methodology including the planned research design and data analysis. Students are required to present a seminar in the Department on their research prior to the presentation of their proposal to the thesis advisory committee.
EXCI 680 Thesis (Athletic Therapy) (33 credits)
Students are required to demonstrate their ability to carry out independent research which reflects a scientific approach. The thesis will be examined by the students advisory committee before being accepted by the Department. In addition, an oral examination will be conducted before a committee of the department to test the students ability to defend the thesis.
EXCI 690 Thesis (Clinical Exercise Physiology) (33 credits)
Students are required to demonstrate their ability to carry out independent research which reflects a scientific approach. The thesis will be examined by the students advisory committee before being accepted by the Department. In addition, an oral examination will be conducted before a committee of the department to test the students ability to defend the thesis.
