Admission Requirements

Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2024

February 15: Early decision & priority deadline to be considered for scholarship and assistantship opportunities.
July 1: Application deadline for fall 2024 entry.
The GRE requirement has been WAIVED for the remainder of the Fall 2024 admission cycle.

Admission Requirements

• B.A. or B.S. degree in Exercise & Sport Science or related field from a regionally accredited college or university. Students without a B.A. or B.S. in this area but with sufficient prerequisite coursework will be considered.
• A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is desirable. Official transcript required.
• Students with a GPA lower than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale must have at least a 3.0 for the last two years of their undergraduate coursework and have a proven record of their academic ability (i.e. GRE scores higher than the minimum requirement of 150 for Verbal and Reasoning and 150 for Quantitative Reasoning and 4.5 for Analytical Writing). These applicants will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the HAEP Program Director.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test Scores: minimum score of 150 for Verbal and Reasoning and 150 for Quantitative Reasoning and 4.5 for Analytical Writing. School code for Western’s graduate programs is 4946.
• Undergraduate Prerequisite Coursework (all prerequisites must be completed by the end of the first year of the M.S.):
  • General Health and/or Wellness course (lower or upper division)
  • Kinesiology or Biomechanics (lower or upper division)
  • Statistics (lower or upper division)
  • Chemistry (1 year lab-based, lower or upper division)
  • Biology (general biology with lab, lower or upper division)
  • Anatomy (with lab), Physiology (with lab) – can be a combined course (lower or upper division)
  • Exercise Physiology (with lab, upper division)
  • Physics (lower or upper division)
• Admissions Deficiencies: If an applicant applies without one of the requirements listed above, they will be reviewed for provisional acceptance. Students who enter the program with prerequisite deficiencies can make up those deficiencies, as long as they are not missing more than 2, at Western during the first year. In that case, M.S. students will enroll in the needed course(s) once accepted to the program. These students will be considered “provisional admits” (this status will be removed once a student has completed the prerequisites).
• Prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to entering the HAEP program include Anatomy and Physiology, and Exercise Physiology (with lab).

Application Checklist

• A completed online application
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended showing a recommended 3.0 undergraduate GPA or above in relevant courses.
• GRE Scores – Western Colorado University’s school code is 4946.
• Cover letter – a one-page statement of purpose and interest in the program or field of study.
• Resume
• Two letters of recommendation (at least one letter from an academic reference)
• $50 application fee