Is Getting a Master’s in Exercise Science Worth It?
Obtaining a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science is not worth it for most people, due to direct program costs, opportunity and indirect costs, and pay-off in terms of career options.
Let’s discuss why this popular degree program usually just is not worth it.
But first, let us get a few things out of the way.
Disclaimers
I am not here to put down a masters degree level education in exercise science.
I know many very smart people who did obtain a masters degree in exercise science who have become great strength and conditioning coaches or obtained good jobs in the field.
And while I don’t know their exact reasons for going back to school for this degree, I am sure these people were able to weigh the pros and cons in a rational way that made sense for them.
When I come to the conclusion that a masters degree in exercise science may not be worth it for most students, please do not get butt-hurt and paint me as an evil, anti-education anarchist.
My goal is not to put anybody down who went on to earn a masters degree in exercise science.
I simply want to tell my perspective so you don’t enter this degree program with rose-colored glasses on.
Let’s go over the costs of this degree program first.
Cost to a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science
Costs to attend an in-person or online Master’s Degree Program vary wildly. The program costs may vary based on if your preferred program is in-state or out-of-state, private or public, online or traditional.
The cheapest online Master’s programs in Exercise Science cost between $10,000 and $13,000 per academic year. That’s about $20,000 to $26,000 over the course of 2 years.
However, those prices increase when considering out-of-state tuition. For most out-of-state students, the cost is around $18,000-$21,000 per year, for a total cost of $36,000 to $42,000 per degree program.
Those prices are even higher if you attend a more expensive private college or traditional learning experience.
These costs do not factor in the rate of application fees, GRE prep and GRE exams, undergrad transcript fees, interview fees, book fees, and, if you choose to live on campus, student housing and meals.
Of course, at some schools, you may receive scholarship funds if you have specific grades, test scores or experience which make you a more desirable candidate. This may make your grad school dream more tenable. Still, even with scholarships or even a free ride, entering a masters program in exercise science probably might not be worth it.
Funding your Masters Degree with Student Loans
The majority of students will fund most of their grad school education with loans. If this is you, you may reconsider attending graduate school for exercise science altogether.
Let’s say you take out $40,000 in loans for your master’s degree in exercise science. This helps you pay tuition and fees that you can’t afford to pay right now and also helps fund your living expenses and meals.
If you have a 10 year repayment program and a 3 % interest rate, your original $40,000 loan will cost around $47,500. If you take 20 years to pay off your loan at 3% interest, the loan will eventually cost you about $55,000.
That’s $7,500 to $15,000 in student loan interest, which could be more if you take out more loans. This is money you have lost that could have been invested into your future or retirement funds.
What about income-based repayment or public service forgiveness?
Your loan is unlikely to be forgiven by public service forgiveness. Only a small percentage of people are able to have their student loans forgiven this way.
And income based repayment? You may qualify for income-based repayment, however many students may not feel good about taking out student loans but failing to qualify for a middle class wage.
But even if you are fine paying the tuition for a masters degree in exercise science or even taking out loans without fully knowing you will be able to pay them back, there are other hidden costs to getting a master’s degree in exercise science.
Opportunity Costs to Attend Graduate School
Aside from the direct costs of attending graduate school for exercise science, you will also incur some opportunity costs.
Graduate school usually takes about two years, and those are two years you will either be out of the workforce or working less than you could otherwise.
This means you have less money to save and invest for your future. Remember the power of compound interest. Delaying entry into the workforce can be a poor financial decision if you don’t predict a high salary after school.
Lengthy school programs may make sense if you expect a $500,000 salary as a surgeon. They do not make sense if you expect to scrape by on $31,000 a year.
Even if you do not choose to take out student loans, your money will be going into an education and student fees which may not pay off later.
That lost income would be better invested into an emergency savings fund, retirement funds, or even investing into a small business.
Besides these financial opportunity costs, grad school in the exercise sciences has other, non-monetary costs.
Non-Financial Costs of Grad School in Exercise Science
For many people, getting started with that first job can prove an important right of passage. It feels good to start making money, paying your own bills and saving for the future. Staying in school delays your ability to get started with an adult income.
In addition to lost income, graduate school tends to delay the ability to purchase a home, get married, and start a family if you want to.
It is difficult psychologically to see your friends and peers entering into adulthood, improving their quality of life and able to afford a few luxuries while you are still surviving on ramen and cheap beer.
You might even find delaying entry into the workforce increases your anxiety and mental health problems.
Add onto this the pressures of school assignments, tests and deadlines and soon your mental health may suffer.
Many graduate students suffer with poor mental health, self-esteem and depression during their years in school.
This is especially bad if you can’t afford to visit a doctor, a counselor or have time for activities that improve mental health during grad school.
You may have more worries about the future regarding paying off your loans, securing good employment or building up your savings.
And while this may be true for all advanced degree students, the problem may be worse for students who don’t expect to secure gainful employment after graduation.
Career Options After a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science
Sadly, Master’s Degrees in Exercise Science do not prepare students for particularly lucrative careers.
College websites often paint a rosy picture about the prospects that exercise science masters degree students find after graduation.
These sites claim that exercise science masters program graduates can go on to become physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician assistants, work in the biological sciences or allied health fields, or become physical education teachers.
The promise of succeeding in a bunch of different disciplines after a masters program in exercise science is alluring. After all, many physician assistants earn six figure salaries. Occupational and physical therapists can earn in the high five figures. All of these jobs offer relatively good salaries, relatively strong job prospects and security after graduation.
Yet, this promise of gainful employment after an exercise science masters degree is a farce.
More Education Needed
Some exercise science students do go on to become physician assistants, physical education teachers, or physical therapists. But a masters degree in exercise science does not prepare them to do so, nor does it allow them to enter those highly-regulated career fields.
To become a practicing physician assistant, one needs to attend an accredited master’s degree program in physician assistant studies and pass the PANCE exam. Attending a masters program in exercise science might not even improve your chances of getting into physician assistant programs.
To become a physical therapist, you need to obtain a doctorate in physical therapy and pass a rigorous entrance examination.
Even getting a job as a high school physical education teacher takes a specific program of study separate from exercise science studies.
And to work as an occupational therapist, you need to enter a masters degree program in occupational therapy.
Even despite specializing in a concentration such as nutrition or rehab science, masters degree recipients in exercise science cannot work as registered dieticians or even as physical therapy assistants.
To work in the aforementioned fields, you need to obtain specific education requirements in those specific fields.
So what does a master’s degree in exercise science allow you to do?
Job Prospects after the Masters Degree in Exercise Science
Sadly, a masters degree in exercise science does not prepare many students for stable, well-paid employment.
One of the most common ways you might earn money is to become a personal trainer. However, there are many less costly, reputable ways to become a personal trainer without accruing significant debt and lost work hours.
These include obtaining a certification as a personal trainer through the NSCA, NASM or the ACSM. All of these are well-respected certifications for the budding personal trainer.
Some masters degree recipients in exercise science can obtain work as strength and conditioning coaches in private industry.
However, an equally viable route to becoming a strength and conditioning coach is to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. You can study for this exam in about six months and the only prerequisite is an undergrad degree in any program of study. The cost to take the exam is about $300, a far cry from the thousands you might invest in an exercise science masters program.
You might need a masters in exercise science to work as a college strength and conditioning coach. But as I will explain below, I don’t think this career option is worth rolling the dice for most students.
Education Requirements for College Strength Coaches
Like I mentioned already, you might need a master’s in exercise science if you plan to work as a college strength coach. But keep in mind that this field is already tough to break into, and it is not particularly well paid. Most college strength coaches start at about $30,000 per year. While some of these strength coaches at big name schools might earn a hefty salary, it is unlikely that you will get on of these jobs.
The job of a college strength and conditioning coach may be so desirable and exciting that some people may even work for peanuts for the chance to be exploited as an assistant or intern coach.
I have met many well-educated strength and conditioning college interns or even assistant coaches who were willing to sleep on the floor of their boss’s apartment to enter into this field, all without the offer of future, better paid employment.
If you are willing to do this, good for you. But most people are not willing to work for low wages even in a field they love.
Sport Science Research Job Requirements
But what if you want to work in research? Is the exercise science masters degree program worth it then?
If you want to work in sport science research, you will probably have to obtain a PhD level education anyway. For anyone besides the truly passionate, this route may not be worth it anyway. This means 3-8 years of your life earning a paltry stipend while also teaching classes on top of your research studies.
Research jobs are often extremely hard to come by, poorly paid, and you may have to move across the country to gain or keep employment.
Long term job posts are even harder to find. You may find you have to live a research-nomad lifestyle, traveling every couple years for a measly stipend from an institution.
Most people don’t want to do that.
How Transformative is a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science?
If you have not caught on by now, a masters degree in the exercise sciences may not transform your life that much, and it might not have much effect on your career or earnings prospects, either.
But in addition, earning a masters degree in the exercise sciences may not allow you to make substantial contributions to the field of exercise science anyways. Even if you do publish your research, will people even read or find value in it?
My point is that pursuing an advanced degree in exercise science may not have huge payoffs for you or the world around you.
The Truth about the Masters Degree Program in Exercise Science
The masters degree recipient in exercise science is uniquely overqualified and underqualified for entry into many specific exercise, nutrition, STEM or health related fields. Unless you really want to be a college strength coach or you have the money to blow on this degree program without worry, you might be better off just skipping the master’s degree in exercise science.
What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
