SMC to Launch First Bachelor of Science Degree

Jeremy Handel

Staff Writer

Spartanburg Methodist College continues to enhance its academic programs and will soon launch its first bachelor of science degree.

Starting in the fall of 2026, students will be able to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at the College.

“As we continue to expand our four-year degree offerings, science degrees were an inevitable growth area,” said Dr. Curt Laird, Provost and Executive Vice President at SMC. “Exercise science has been highly requested when we’ve studied what new programs potential students would like to see us offer.”

The exercise science degree will teach students about how the body works and how to make it work better. They will learn how to help people get fit, heal better, and stay healthy, leading to careers in several fields.

Students will study numerous exercise-related fields, including physiology, kinesiology, health promotion, and more. Graduates will have the skills to pursue careers as personal trainers, athletic trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapy assistants, corporate wellness specialists, and more.

Combined with SMC’s unique Camak Core program, which provides students with mandatory professional development and workplace skills, students will graduate with the knowledge and training needed in their profession and the skills and understanding of how to be a professional.

The new degree will be offered on campus only to begin and will be the 10th on-campus bachelor’s degree offered at the College, which only began offering four-year degrees in 2019.

“We are very excited to offer our first science-focused bachelor’s degree,” Dr. Laird said. “We will continue to review areas of need in our academic programming and develop new degrees when appropriate.”