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Recreation

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

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Exercise science, sports science, nutrition science, recreation, and outdoor education all involve understanding human health from developmental, psychological, and natural perspectives. To be a physical therapist, professional coach, or Wilderness First Responder, you’ll need a deep understanding of how the human body and mind work in clinical and natural settings.

Department Overview

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Gain the experience to help others tackle physical and mental challenges.

From conducting research in our renowned High Altitude Performance Laboratory to exploring high-alpine trails, Western’s Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science programs utilize immersive experiences, small class sizes, and hands-on learning to prepare students for fulfilling careers in human health and outdoor-related fields.

Areas of Study

The men's basketball team huddles together for a talk during a game.

Advanced Coaching

Certificate

Advanced Coaching
NEW
Clinical Exercise Science

Clinical Exercise Science

Emphasis

Clinical Exercise Science
A defensive back coach talks to the players about a play during a game.

Coaching

Minor

Coaching
NEW
Exercise sport science

Exercise & Sport Science

Major | Minor | K-12 Licensure

Exercise & Sport Science
Player #97 and Defensive Line coach jump together after a good play

Foundations of Coaching

Certificate

Foundations of Coaching
NEW
Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Health & Fitness

Emphasis

Health & Fitness
Physical Education

K-12 Physical Education

Minor | Emphasis | K-12 Licensure

K-12 Physical Education
Exercise sport science

M.S. in Exercise & Sport Science: High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP)

Master of Science

M.S. in Exercise & Sport Science: High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP)
Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

M.S. in Exercise & Sport Science: High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP) 3+2

Accelerated Degree Programs

M.S. in Exercise & Sport Science: High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP) 3+2
A student harvests vegetables from the Chipeta Garden.

Nutrition Science

Major | Minor

Nutrition Science
Outdoor Environmental Education

Outdoor Environmental Education

Emphasis

Outdoor Environmental Education
Two students take a break on the trail in the mountains during a field-based course.

Outdoor Leadership

Emphasis

Outdoor Leadership
A student ascends the indoor climbing wall at the Mountaineer Field House.

Recreation

Emphasis

Recreation
Recreation and Outdoor Education

Recreation & Outdoor Education

Major | Minor

Recreation & Outdoor Education
Sports Management

Sport & Fitness Management

Emphasis

Sport & Fitness Management
Students in the crowd cheer at the Homecoming football game.

Sport Management

Certificate

Sport Management
NEW
Sport Psychology

Sport Psychology

Minor

Sport Psychology

Scholarships

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

  • This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
  • Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
  • GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

  • This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
  • Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
  • The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
  • GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

  • Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
  • The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
  • The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Note: Students enrolled in a Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program (i.e. major) do not qualify for Western Merit Scholarship programs. See the Rady Merit Scholarship section above for scholarship opportunities.

News & Research

Graduate student, Emily Jauch, with the HAEP program walks the length of the pool as she films a swimmer completing a lap.

Exercise Scientist, Engineers Team Up to Reduce Overuse Injuries in Swimmers

Read More about Exercise Scientist, Engineers Team Up to Reduce Overuse Injuries in Swimmers
A portrait of student athlete Sage Yazzie standing on the football field with the Palisades rock formation in the background. He is wearing a football uniform, a turquoise necklace, and a Navajo Nation flag draped on his shoulders.

From Football Standout to Storyteller: How Sage Yazzie Found His Calling

Read More about From Football Standout to Storyteller: How Sage Yazzie Found His Calling
Kanae Haneishi presents about her two projects on JEDI in Physical Education to a group of faculty and staff during a session of Lunch with Western Scholars in the library's Mural Room.

Shaping the Future of Physical Education and Sport: Kanae Haneishi’s Mission of Inclusion and Wellness

Read More about Shaping the Future of Physical Education and Sport: Kanae Haneishi’s Mission of Inclusion and Wellness
Dr. Kanae Haneishi giving a lecture in front of a class.

Western Professor Kanae Haneishi chosen for SHAPE Colorado Award

Read More about Western Professor Kanae Haneishi chosen for SHAPE Colorado Award
Western Colorado University study shows big benefit from AI-guided workouts

Western Colorado University study shows big benefit from AI-guided workouts

Read More about Western Colorado University study shows big benefit from AI-guided workouts
Gar Van Guilder poses by a trophy case

Western, Palmer College of Chiropractic partner to offer headstart on graduate degree

Read More about Western, Palmer College of Chiropractic partner to offer headstart on graduate degree
Students work with a professor to conduct research in a forest damaged by wildfire

Workshop synthesis paper describes value of prescribed fire in wilderness areas

Read More about Workshop synthesis paper describes value of prescribed fire in wilderness areas
Drummer leading students

Western Hosts West African Dance and Drummers

Read More about Western Hosts West African Dance and Drummers
ESS Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Adds Rigor to Exercise and Sports Science

Read More about Clinical Trial Adds Rigor to Exercise and Sports Science
HAEP researcher holding a timer

Western Research Proves CAROL Bike May Be the Wave of the Future

Read More about Western Research Proves CAROL Bike May Be the Wave of the Future

Exercise & Sport Science

A student wears a face mask as he walks on an inclined treadmill inside the HAP Lab, simulating a trek to Mt. Everest base camp. A different student holds a clipboard and collects data.

Explore our exercise science and sports science degree paths.

Our Exercise & Sport Science major is the perfect choice for students passionate about human health and fitness. For those pursuing other majors but interested in this field, we offer opportunities to enhance your education with a sports management degree certificate or one of our coaching certificate options.

Students can personalize their exercise science degree by selecting from diverse focus areas, such as a physical education degree emphasis or clinical exercise science degree emphasis. Additionally, they’ll have access to the cutting-edge High Altitude Performance (HAP) Lab, where they can conduct original research.

Learn more about Exercise & Sport Science

Recreation & Outdoor Education

An ROE land-based class in single file backpacks up a flat mountain meadow with the Castles and West Elk Peaks in the background.

Take your education to the great outdoors.

Our Recreation & Outdoor Education (ROE) major allows you to turn your passion for the outdoors into a sustainable career. Students may choose an emphasis in recreation, outdoor environmental education, or outdoor leadership. All ROE students will enjoy several field-based courses where they will develop essential outdoor technical and leadership skills in Colorado’s rugged backcountry. To make the transition from college to their dream career seamless, students must also gain a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification and complete an extensive internship in the field.

Learn more about Recreation & Outdoor Education

Nutrition Science

A girl smiles and holds a bag of kale she just harvested from the Chipeta Garden.

The science behind better living.

Our Nutrition Science major empowers students to turn their passion for health and wellness into a career focused on improving lives through food and science. With a nutrition science degree, students may pursue careers in nutrition, food science, food service management, and public health. The standard major track provides the flexibility for students to pursue a double major. However, those looking to center the entirety of their education in nutrition science may also select an emphasis in community nutrition or pre-deictics.

Learn more about Nutrition Science

Spotlight

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Brittney Hoots

Alumni

"Participating on Western’s track team led her to a life lesson that’s infused everything since: being part of the team matters more to her than being the most competitive player."

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Alexia Abric

Student

"As an Honors Program student, Mountain Sports athlete and an active member of the Academic Leadership Program, Alexia is versatile in terms of academics as well as athletics."

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Uma Costanza

Student

“I feel like our skills would be difficult to teach in a typical classroom setting. It’s difficult to teach when it’s a teacher, a projector and students in the seats."

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Kevin Fox

Alumni

“Western helped me develop soft skills, such as strong communication and problem-solving, through a wide variety of opportunities across campus.”

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Brooke Moran, Ph.D.

Faculty

"The approach-problem-based learning and experiential learning in the ROE program absolutely foster growth."

Department Information

Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department

Department Chairperson

Gary P. Van Guilder, Ph.D.

Professor of Exercise & Sport Science; Chair, Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science Department

Administrative Assistant

Terri Stinson

Administrative Assistant

Contact Information

970.943.7129

970.943.7125

Campus Location

Western Colorado University
Paul Wright Gym 209
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

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