DSU creates new double major option

April 5, 2024

Dakota State University students interested in a future in the medical field can now double major in Biology and Exercise Science.

During the fall semester, Dr. Andrew Sathoff, Assistant Professor of Biology and Science Program Coordinator, and Dr. Luke Chowning, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, collaborated to align the programs to allow students to double major in 116 credits.

Sathoff explained that this change removes the silos between their departments and eliminates competition by focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration.  

The two worked with the Deans of the colleges in which the programs are housed, Dr. David De Jong in the College of Education and Dr. Mark Spanier, Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, who supported this effort.  

Many students majoring in either biology or exercise science go on to graduate school or express interest in rehab sciences, encouraging Chowning to ask, “How do we solidify their application to those programs?”

Students who double major will be better able to understand the programming content, such as making interventions and plans for patients in exercise science, and the more molecular and cellular level content in biology, explained Chowning.

“We thought deeply about modern curriculum, and we just tried to boil it down to what essentially is a biology degree and what essentially is an exercise science degree,” Sathoff explained.

Students majoring in biology can fulfill their math and science electives with the core exercise science courses and vice versa for exercise science students with biology.

Biology courses will help students learn about disease and genetics, which can benefit exercise science students interested in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other medical professionals.

“If you’re a physical therapist you may be dealing with people who have muscular dystrophy and it’s great to know the genetic basis for those diseases,” Sathoff said.

“In exercise science you get hands on experience and in biology you get the principles and the overarching theory,” Sathoff said.

A double major also enables students to apply to graduate school with two degrees, something admissions committees take into consideration, Chowning explained.

“This double major will best prepare students for their next level,” he said.