Support the Health Needs of Individuals and Athletes
Our Department of Exercise and Sport Performance (ESP), offering programs in Athletic Training (AT) and Applied Exercise Science (AES), trains you to support the needs of healthy as well as health-compromised individuals and help athletes enhance performance.
Students in these programs complete very similar coursework in the first two years, before moving into major-specific coursework for the last two years. As part of this coursework, you'll take combined courses in integrated health sciences that allow you to learn about different careers and experience interprofessional education activities that teach you to function as part of a health care team.
Explore UNE’s Department of Exercise and Sport Performance
What is the Difference Between Athletic Training and Applied Exercise Science?
The AT program prepares students for a career as an athletic trainer and focuses on athletic and orthopaedic injury prevention and rehabilitation. Clinical rotations occur during the sophomore through senior years. Graduates in AT frequently find positions in a school or orthopedic setting. Students in the AT program are prepared to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination for entry-level athletic trainers.
The AES program is broader, enabling individuals to pursue diverse career fields such as ones that involve clinical exercise testing, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, and exercise prescription and instruction to improve health, fitness, and athletic performance. Students in the AES program can sit for the National Strength and Conditioning exam for both the Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning. The AES students can also become certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as either a Certified Exercise Physiologist or Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist.
All of our programs are excellent gateways to graduate allied health professional programs due to their applied nature. Each year approximately 60% percent of the seniors are successful in gaining acceptance to graduate programs (Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Accelerated Nursing, Chiropractic, Strength and Conditioning, etc.). Among graduates interested in entering the workforce immediately, 83% secure positions within six months of earning their degrees.
Please take time to learn about these programs and contact us if you have any questions about the ESP department. We look forward to meeting you and sharing with you all the wonderful things our students are doing.
Sincerely,
Paul Visich, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Professor/Chairman Exercise and Sport Performance Department
(207) 602-2203
pvisich@une.edu
Degree programs
Minor
Brandon Narciso ’21
With the sport management degree, I get an automatic minor in Business Administration, so I am learning sports management and business at the same time. They work together really well. It’s everything that I want to do.
UNE is really helping me on my path. Last semester, I took a sport marketing class, and we had a project where we had to create a new promotional concept for the Portland Seadogs baseball team, which is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. I jumped right into the opportunity … I couldn’t imagine a better way to get my foot in the door than saying that I helped to create a promotional campaign for a minor league team. I came up with an idea that we pitched to the Seadogs marketing and sales director who had come down for our class presentations. He picked my project as one that he wanted to see progress further, so then, as a whole class, we worked on my idea and then pitched the final project to him again, and he loved it.
By that time, I had already applied to be an intern for the Seadogs, and my professor really encouraged me. [Eventually], I got a call saying that they would like me to be an intern for the upcoming season. I’m so thankful to my professors and to UNE for allowing me to have these types of unique opportunities.
Welcoming Community
Originally, I thought I would go to a school in Massachusetts, but after visiting UNE a few times, it just felt like home to me. The more I came here, the more I fell in love with it and realized that it checked off all the boxes for what I want for myself in the future. If you feel an instinct of comfort, then this is the place for you. It was definitely that way for me. I think it’s important to embrace that feeling and explore the opportunities that are here.
I made instant connections with people here at UNE. Right away, I gelled a lot with the people around me. When I decided to come here, I committed fully to it, and I made some really great friendships. I’ve met people from California, Texas, Florida, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and beyond. All over the country. It’s really cool to hear everyone’s different stories and learn about their diverse backgrounds.
With the sport management degree, I get an automatic minor in Business Administration, so I am learning sports management and business at the same time. They work together really well. It’s everything that I want to do.
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One-of-a-Kind Location
As a student in one of our Department of Exercise and Sport Performance programs, you study on UNE's scenic Biddeford Campus, where the waters of the Saco River flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, this confluence of natural resources has inspired students and faculty from around the world. Recently named the youngest city in Maine, Biddeford and its twin city, Saco, boast an up-and-coming, hip downtown offering delicious eateries, exciting social and cultural events, and more. With the transformation of the old Biddeford/Saco mills into restaurants, breweries, housing, fitness facilities, salons, and retailers, there is something for everyone to explore in downtown. Looking to try a new type of food, grab a coffee, or shop for locally-made clothes? Biddeford/Saco has it all.