Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Exercise Science + Orthotics and Prosthetics [BS + MS]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


The mission of the Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics (MSOP) program is to foster the education and training necessary to develop professionals committed to improving orthotic and prosthetic outcomes. As life-long learners, our graduates will be prepared to apply and advance the profession’s knowledge and evidence base.

The MSOP program is one of twelve such programs in the entire country. Traditionally, students complete a bachelor’s degree before beginning a two-year MSOP program, a total of six years of coursework. The Combined Exercise Science and Orthotics & Prosthetics program provides exceptional, motivated students the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Exercise Science and Orthotics & Prosthetics in five years. Our program is one of two combined programs in the country, and it’s the only one in which students earn a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in addition to a Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics.

Students primarily complete courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology during the first year of the five-year program. Then, during the second and third years of the program, students build their understanding of the human body on the basic science foundation established in the first year. This program phase includes courses in human anatomy, human physiology, exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, pharmacology, and more. Students finish the five-year program with two years of coursework in orthotics and prosthetics.

This is a second admit program. After being admitted to the University, students must apply to the program. The criteria and process required for admission consideration are in the “Program Admission” section below.

School Information


Health Promotion & Human Performance 319J Porter, 734.487.2815 

Christopher Herman, PhD, Director

Advisor Information


Please contact the school for advisor information.

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Students will start the program in the Fall.

The applicant must submit a completed application, transcripts, and other requirements to OPCAS no later than November 15.

Program faculty will notify applicants before December 31 regarding the admission decision.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and be previously admitted to the undergraduate portion of the combined program.

Applicants must confirm with their advisor that they have completed enough undergraduate credits before applying to the graduate portion of the program. A student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours before being fully admitted to the graduate portion of the program.

Program Requirements

Applicants to the combined program must meet the following requirements:

The GRE is optional and not required for admission. If an applicant chooses to submit their scores, they can be sent using the EMU Institution Code: 1201.​​​​​​​

Application

Your application will be submitted using OPCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and select the appropriate application.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Background Check

All students entering the Orthotics and Prosthetics graduate program at Eastern Michigan University must complete a background screening before beginning clinical rotations successfully. The student will pay the background screening fee directly to the appropriate vendor. Applicants for the Orthotics and Prosthetics program at Eastern Michigan University must be free of offenses that would disqualify one for employment in a health-related field or sit for a state licensing exam.

Undergraduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s undergraduate transcript.

According to university policy, students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours at the 100-level or above for a bachelor’s degree. Completing this combined program’s minimum credit hour total (Undergrad + Grad) will likely require students to complete more than 120 credit hours as an undergraduate.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, see General Education  or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .  

Major Requirements: 91-92 hours


Minor Requirement:


This major does not require a minor.

Graduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s graduate transcript.

Students must ensure they have completed the necessary graduate credit hours that, when combined with those taken as an undergraduate, equal or exceed the minimum number of credit hours required for this combined program. Sometimes, a student may need additional coursework beyond the minimum requirements listed below to meet the total hour requirement.

Combined Program Total: 154 hours


Critical Graduation Information


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
    • Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
    • At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required. 
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.