Exercise Physiology Programs Earn Accreditation from ASEP

The undergraduate and graduate Exercise Physiology programs at Midwestern State University have earned accreditation from the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP), with the graduate program the first in the United States to achieve the honor.

Dr. James Johnston, Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services, credits Athletic Training and Exercise Physiology Chair Dr. Ben Velasquez, Graduate Coordinator Dr. Frank Wyatt, and Assistant Professor Dr. Jason Winchester for having the vision and initiative to be the first graduate Exercise Physiology program in the United States accredited by the ASEP Board of Accreditation. "I look forward to helping this program grow and seeing the quality graduates and research they will produce," Johnston said.

Accreditation is a peer review process where experts review the curriculum, resources, and faculty for compliance with nationally accepted standards. The accreditation process ensures that a program is meeting a high standard of academic coursework within that specific field. "When those standards are met, prospective students and other communities of interest can be assured of a program of the highest quality," Johnston said.

"This newly awarded accreditation by the ASEP for both the undergraduate and graduate program is an outstanding achievement," Wyatt said. "The higher standard that accreditation holds us to will help MSU students as they enter the work force. Students who graduate from the undergraduate and graduate Exercise Physiology program at MSU will have an advantage over their counterparts who have graduated from similar, non-accredited programs from other universities."

The Athletic Training and Exercise Physiology department developed and submitted a self-study late in the summer of 2012 and recently received an onsite visit from the accreditation team.

For more information, contact Johnston at 940-397-4594.