College of MedicineNutrition and Exercise PhysiologyBS NEPInternship Manual 

Internship Manual 

Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (NEP) 

Revised Summer 2024

Table of Contents

Preface

The Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (NEP) at Washington State University Health Sciences (WSU HS) prepares students for exercise- and nutrition-related careers in diverse fields including disease prevention, rehabilitation, and public health, as well as corporate and private health and fitness industries. In addition, it provides the student with the basic scientific preparation necessary for the pursuit of advanced degrees in exercise, nutrition, other allied health and medical fields, or research. 

An important aspect of a student’s professional coursework is the supervised internship experience, hereafter called the Internship. The Internship is designed to provide the NEP student with application and practice of the knowledge and skills acquired through didactic instruction that are required for responsible professional service. A student must complete a minimum of 400 hours in an approved Internship to satisfy the requirements for the BS NEP degree after satisfactory completion of all didactic coursework. 

The student works with the Internship Coordinator to apply for an internship that meets his/her professional goals. During the internship, the student works under the supervision of an Internship Preceptor at an Internship Site approved by WSU and the NEP Internship Coordinator. Assessment forms have been developed to facilitate the learning process, to guide accurate and fair assessment of each intern, and to determine the final internship grade. 

The NEP Internship Manual (IM), is intended to provide guidelines for an Internship. It will assist the Internship Coordinator, the student, the Internship Preceptors, and other NEP faculty and staff in understanding the purpose and logistics of the internship experience, and the policies and procedures that govern each party’s responsibilities. 

Back to Table of Contents

Purpose

Specific purposes of the Internship for the student, the Internship Site, and WSU are to: 

  1. Provide the student with experiences upon which to build his/her professional career; to make practical application of theories and techniques; to bring the student into contact with practitioners; to provide an opportunity to discover and evaluate professional strengths and weaknesses; to improve the student’s professional preparation to assist entry into the workplace or graduate school. 
  2. Broaden the student’s concepts of community health, wellness, physical fitness, exercise physiology, nutrition, and various medical fields; and to provide experiences that will enhance the student’s practical knowledge of the fields of exercise physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, and medicine. 
  3. Offer Internship Preceptors an opportunity to share in the education and preparation of emerging healthcare professionals. 
  4. Establish and enhance communication between the Internship Site and WSU to facilitate problem solving, sharing of knowledge, mutual understanding of each other’s programs, and employment opportunities. 
  5. Provide WSU Health Sciences (in collaboration with the Internship Preceptor) with a practical setting for assessing the student’s preparation and performance. 
  6. Enable NEP faculty to appropriately update and revise the NEP Curriculum based on feedback from the Internship Preceptors and students. 

Back to Table of Contents

Policies and Procedures

The student should refer to their NEP Student Handbook for a list of WSU and NEP policies and procedures such as, but not limited to, the following: 

  1. WSU Standards of Conduct for Students and Standards of Professionalism 
  2. Sexual Harassment 
  3. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations 
  4. Academic Deficiency 
  5. Professional Misconduct and Potential Sanctions 
  6. NEP Onboarding Requirements 

Prior to NEP orientation, the student should have signed the NEP Student Handbook’s Acknowledgement of Understanding (AoU), which indicates the student has read the Student Handbook and will abide by the policies and procedures contained therein. The AoU is uploaded to the CastleBranch document tracker until the completion of the degree. Therefore, the contents of the Student Handbook remain in effect during the Internship, and it is highly recommended that the student review the policies and procedures of the appropriate handbook as the student will be held responsible for the content. 

Back to Table of Contents

Pre-Internship Process

Prior to preparing for a NEP Internship the student will: 

Access CastleBranch Document Tracker

The student will be required to sign up for a CastleBranch account prior to starting the BS NEP program. Information regarding how to sign up as well as training information on how to use CastleBranch will be provided. This online document management program will be used to maintain accurate files of the student’s NEP Onboarding Requirements. 

Complete the NEP Onboarding Checklist

The NEP Onboarding Checklist of program requirements is found in the Student Handbook and a copy is emailed to incoming students in the summer prior to the start of the fall semester. All onboarding requirements must be completed by incoming students prior to or during the NEP orientation each fall. 

All required documentation must be uploaded into the CastleBranch document tracker. These requirements must be current until the conclusion of the Internship. 

Each August, NEP will audit the returning student’s CastleBranch document tracker and communicate to the Internship Coordinator regarding who has completed onboarding. Students may not apply for internships until their onboarding is complete. 

Back to Table of Contents

Preparation for an Internship

NEP 489 Internship Seminar

The student will enroll in NEP 489 in the fall prior to applying for an internship. This course is designed to provide information that will assist the student with the preparatory activities to apply for an internship by the end of the semester. 

Internship Manual (IM) 

The student will receive the current copy of the IM which will guide the student to successfully prepare for and complete an internship. 

Internship Sites and Affiliations 

The student will be given access to a database which contains internship site information for sites that have been used recently and/or have reached out to NEP recently to request an intern. Students are also welcome to choose a different site that is not on the list, but should discuss the process with the instructor prior to reaching out to a new site. 

Nearly all exercise-focused sites will be acceptable for the BS NEP internship. Nutrition-focused sites are also possible, but have more limitations. BS NEP interns may not complete a similar experience to those offered in the MS CPD program (or another dietetics program). A good rule-of-thumb is to consider what you will be able to do for employment upon graduation from the BS NEP program. If you are not qualified for a job there, then it probably is not a good internship opportunity. We want you to be able to be employed by your site upon graduation. The BS NEP program is NOT a dietetics program, so if you are considering a dietetics-focused internship with a dietitian preceptor, it will probably not be approved. 

FYI: An Affiliation Agreement is a legal document that must be executed between WSU and the Internship Site prior to the start of an internship. NEP faculty/staff will complete this task, which is not difficult but typically takes 1-2 months to complete. However, the process can take over six months and some agreements are never finalized. If the Affiliation Agreement is not signed prior to the start date of the Internship, the student’s internship will be postponed until the document is finalized or another site is selected. NEP has an active Affiliation Agreement with many sites and is willing to begin the process with new/expired sites as soon as you have been accepted for an internship. 

When considering an Internship Site, the student should keep in mind his/her career goals and search for an internship that will promote professional development and meet the requirements of the BS NEP and an accrediting professional organization, such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Specifically, the BS NEP curriculum prepares the student to sit for the ACSM exam at the level of a certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP). If a student is considering sitting for the ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP) exam in the future, the student should select an internship site located in a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation clinic, or a similar medical fitness facility, working with patients who have a variety of diseases. ACSM clearly defines the practical experience the student needs to fulfill the clinical hours required for the CEP credential. 

Other types of internships that have a specific disease focus are also available. For example, a student who wants to sit for the ACSM exam as a Cancer Exercise TrainerSM should select a site that focuses on the rehabilitation of cancer survivors. A student who plans on continuing his/her education in a professional allied health field may want to consider interning in other sites, such as a physical therapy or occupational therapy clinic. 

An internship that does not have a clinical emphasis may be completed at sites such as health promotion programs; health and wellness programs in a fitness facility (YMCA), retirement or corporate setting; or athletic performance. A student who chooses an internship at one of these sites should be interested in working with apparently healthy individuals, those with stable health conditions, or athletes. A student who chooses one of these settings may be interested in sitting for the ACSM exam to become certified as an Exercise Physiologist, or for a certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). However, the student should be aware that the NEP curriculum does not focus on sports performance and the student will need to do additional study prior to this type of internship. Other unique types of non-clinical internships may include working in a research facility that focuses on some aspect of nutrition, exercise, or medical research. 

Back to Table of Contents

NEP 489 Assignments

During NEP 489, the student will complete various assignments to prepare for the application process. The student will be provided with timelines and guidelines in the course syllabus. The student will upload the assignments on the LMS. 

Preparing for the Internship

  1. IM ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF UNDERSTANDING (AOU), APPENDIX A: After reviewing the IM, the student must sign the Acknowledgment of Understanding (AoU) form and upload it to the LMS. This form is an acknowledgment that the student has read and understands the current IM, and has had an opportunity to ask questions for additional clarification. 
  2. ONBOARDING VERIFICATION: NEP students are required to complete onboarding requirements to remain in the NEP program. These requirements are determined by standard practices of healthcare programs, healthcare organizations, and internship site requirements. NEP staff will communicate to the Internship Coordinator when the student is able to apply for internships. 
  3. RESUME: Prior to applying for an internship, the student will write a professional resume, specific to the type of internship desired. Staff from the WSU Writing Center usually provide a presentation to discuss professional writing. The resume must be approved before the student may apply for an internship. 
  4. PROFESSIONAL GOALS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES STATEMENT: The student must develop the Professional Goals and Learning Objectives Statement (PG&LOs) based on the focus of the desired internship. This document helps the student and the Internship Preceptor to develop clear goals and learning objectives for the Internship. Guidelines for writing this document include the following: 
    • Specific professional goals for the student’s career or professional growth (e.g., to be able to sit for the ACSM-EP certifying exam, to obtain a job as a personal trainer).
    • Specific learning objectives for the internship experience (i.e., what the student wants to accomplish during the internship; refer to ACSM or other professional organizations’ lists of knowledge, skills or ability-based competencies). For example:
      • Obtain and recognize normal and abnormal physiologic and subjective responses to exercise (e.g., symptoms, ECG, blood pressure, heart rate, RPE, fatigue). 
      • Identify and describe the significance of ECG abnormalities in athletes or clinical populations. 
      • Evaluate nutritional intake and utilize national recommendations for healthy lifestyle modification. 
      • Use motivational interviewing to help patients/clients plan for lifestyle changes. 
      • Develop competency as a strength and conditioning coach working with collegiate athletes. 

        The student should upload a quality version of the PG&LOs to the LMS by the due date for feedback. After initial approval, modifications may be made to align with the specific site where the student has accepted an internship offer. The PG&LOs will be sent to the Preceptor for modification during the application process. Once the student and Preceptor agree on the PG&LOs, the student will upload it to the LMS. 
  5. EMAIL INQUIRY: The student will develop a professional Email Inquiry to send to a potential Internship Preceptor. Once approved, this can be sent via email. The resume and PG&LOs should be attached to this email.

Application Process for an Internship 

The student is encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss professional goals, learning objectives, and site-specific information prior to applying for an internship, as the instructor is familiar with the expectations and environment of most internship sites. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the Internship Site’s expectations, and any additional onboarding requirements and expenses that may be incurred prior to, or during, the Internship. 

Students are discouraged from applying for an internship before the assigned date. This will allow everyone time to consider perspectives from the Professional Panels, Intern Panels, etc. so they can make an informed decision. Popular sites will be encouraged to refrain from accepting an intern prior to the assigned date, so all students have equal opportunity and sites have a pool of applicants to consider. Students are encouraged to apply for more than one internship. 

To apply for an internship, send your email inquiry with your resume attached. You might also wish to attach your PG&LOs to this initial inquiry to make sure the site can accommodate your interests. Some sites require a formal application form, and many will schedule an interview. The student is responsible for confirming the site’s application process and providing the site with all required documentation. 

Internship Offer and Acceptance Documentation 

A student must attempt to receive an internship offer by the end of fall semester. The student can express a tentative acceptance of the internship offer, but final approval is pending until the student has completed all NEP 489 and site-specific requirements. 

  1. ACCEPTANCE EMAIL: Within one week after receiving an offer the student should write a formal acceptance email, which includes the following: 
    • Sincere appreciation for the offer of the internship. 
    • Anticipation of a productive internship that contributes to the needs of the site and meets the student’s educational/professional goals. 
    • Student’s contact information. 

      This email does not need to be approved by the Internship Coordinator in advance. The student should upload a copy of the email on the LMS to show that it has been completed; it will be evaluated on professional writing skills and content. 

      The student must send an email to each Internship Preceptor who offered the student an internship that the student did not accept. The student should express appreciation for the interview and the offer, but graciously decline the internship. The student should also send an email to each site at which they applied, asking to be removed from the applicant pool because they have accepted another offer. 
  2. ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK: The additional documentation for the site (signed PG&LOs and MoU, determination of start date, etc.) can be included in the Thank You letter or in a follow-up email. 

Back to Table of Contents

Prior to the Start of the Internship

Site-Specific Requirements

Some Internship Sites have additional onboarding requirements for the student (e.g., specific health/medical insurance coverage; additional drug test(s), vaccines and/or criminal background checks), as well as additional costs for processing onboarding requirements. The student is strongly encouraged to ask the Internship Preceptor for further information before accepting an internship offer. 

It is the student’s responsibility to complete all site onboarding requirements prior to any deadlines set by the site. If the site does not have specific deadlines, then all requirements must be completed prior to the start of the internship. It is recommended that the student complete them well in advance. The student should contact the Internship Coordinator to facilitate completion of the requirements and confirm with the Internship Coordinator when all requirements are complete. For clinical sites, this process usually begins in February. For non-clinical sites, this process usually begins in March. 

Back to Table of Contents

Communicate with the Internship Preceptor or the Onboarding Specialist

In early April, the student must contact the assigned Internship Preceptor or the Site’s Onboarding Specialist to obtain any additional information in preparation for the internship such as: 

  • Parking access 
  • Computer access 
  • Dress code and badge 
  • Confirm date and time of first day of internship 
  • Place to meet representative of site on the first day 

If a student has difficulty having the Internship Preceptor respond to emails or phone calls before starting the internship, the student should notify the Internship Coordinator ASAP. 

Back to Table of Contents

Register for NEP 490

The undergraduate student must register for 9 credits of NEP 490 before beginning a 400-hour (typically 10-11 weeks) internship. 

Back to Table of Contents

During the Internship

During the internship, the student works directly under the supervision of the Internship Preceptor. Daily/weekly work schedules, vacation, personal days, and sick days need to be coordinated through the Internship Preceptor, not the Internship Coordinator. For these purposes, the student can be viewed as an unpaid employee of the site for the duration of the internship. However, because the student is still associated with WSU and NEP, s/he is always expected to behave in a professional manner, and to represent the university and department appropriately. 

The primary role of the Internship Coordinator is to support the Intern. She is available most days by email and will respond as quickly as possible. Refer to the Syllabus and Internship Manual for class-related questions first, but do not hesitate to contact the Internship Coordinator during your internship. Common questions include the following: 

  • Will (blank) count for my internship assignment? 
  • I have two preceptors – who should fill out my mid-term assessment? 
  • Is there a deadline for taking the ACSM EP exam? 
  • Will you write a letter of recommendation for me? 
  • My site also requires a weekly report – can I just submit that to you? 

If you are having any issues with your preceptor, clients, site, etc., please do not hesitate to contact the instructor for advice and/or assistance. 

Back to Table of Contents

Assessment of the Student During the Internship

The student will be assessed on the following: Weekly Internship Report, Discussion Board Post, Internship Project, Exit Report, Midterm and Final Assessment, Midterm Assessment, Final Assessment, Rating Scale for Midterm and Final Assessment, Final Grade for an Internship, and Internship Reassignment Process.

Weekly Internship Report

The student is required to write a 2-3 page report every week, using the provided template, and upload it into the NEP 490 Internship course on the LMS. The Weekly Report must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the Sunday following the week the report covers. 

  • If the student experiences technical issues with submission, a second attempt should be made. If issues continue, the student should email the report to the internship coordinator. 
  • If the student has a week off, s/he does not need to submit a report for that week. However, a report needs to be submitted in each weekly submission folder. For example, if the student completes Week 4 and then takes a week off, the following week (when s/he returns) becomes Week 5. A week in which the student works fewer than 20 hours does not need an individual report but may be combined with the following weekly report. In this instance, the Internship Coordinator should be apprised of the situation in advance. 

The student should attach materials created for the Internship (i.e., flyers, education handouts, photos of bulletin boards, outcomes spreadsheet) in the Weekly Report folder. 

Back to Table of Contents

Discussion Board Post

Each student is required to post something related to their internship on the discussion board each week. It should be several meaningful sentences and of interest to other students. Ideas include a project that you are working on, a new skill that you learned (or have been checked off on), a presentation that you went to, a book you are reading, observation in another department, etc. The purpose of this assignment is to help students stay connected with each other throughout the internship. Students are encouraged to read and respond to each other’s posts to generate discussion, though this is not required. 

Back to Table of Contents

Internship Project

The student will complete an Internship Project based on the student’s interest and the guidance from the Internship Preceptor. The Internship Project may be determined during the interview process with the Internship Preceptor or it should be planned with the Internship Preceptor during the first two weeks of the internship. Some sites might have the student do more than one assignment, but only one needs to be evaluated by the Preceptor or other site staff using the Assessment Rubric (Appendix G). Suggestions for an Internship Project include: 

  • A CASE STUDY PRESENTATION: With the assistance of the Internship Preceptor, the Intern may select a patient/client by the end of the second week of the internship who will be the subject of the Case Study Presentation. The Intern will work closely with the Internship Preceptor to set weekly goals to guide the student in the preparation of a successful presentation of the case study. Before the end of the internship, the Intern will present the case study to the Internship Preceptor and/or other staff. 
  • INTERNSHIP IN-SERVICE: With the assistance of the Internship Preceptor, the Intern may select a topic of interest by the end of the second week of the internship and develop an In-Service on this topic. The Intern will work with the Internship Preceptor to set goals to guide the student in the preparation of a successful In-Service. Before the end of the internship, the Intern will present the In-Service to the Internship Preceptor and/or other staff. 
  • OTHER INTERNSHIP PROJECT: With the assistance of the Internship Preceptor, the Intern may select another Internship Project by the end of the second week of the internship. The Intern will work closely with the Internship Preceptor to set weekly goals and a timeline, which will guide the student in the design and development of a successful Internship Project. For example, the Internship Preceptor may want several education handouts developed or research conducted on a certain topic. 

If the student is struggling to select an Internship Project or is unsure whether an idea will count as an Internship Project, the student should contact the Internship Coordinator in a timely manner to discuss options for the Project. 

Back to Table of Contents

Exit Report

The student will use the provided template to write the 2-3-page Exit Report. It is similar in content to the weekly reports but should contain a thoughtful summary of the entire experience, rather than a short-term report covering one week. The Exit Report is due within one week following internship completion. 

Back to Table of Contents

Midterm and Final Assessment

The student will be responsible for notifying the Internship Preceptor one week in advance of the assessment deadline by providing the Internship Preceptor with a hard copy of the Midterm and Final Assessment forms. Depending on the type of internship experience, it may not be possible for an Internship Preceptor to assess the student intern in all areas. In this case, the Internship Preceptor should submit a rating of N/A for areas that do not apply to the student’s internship. The student should upload the completed Midterm and Final Assessments into the LMS folder within one week after the midpoint of the internship or the beginning of the last week of the internship. (Appendix F) 

Midterm Assessment

A midterm assessment is required for the internship experience. This assessment is to provide the student with a clear understanding of his/her performance and progression at the halfway point of the internship. If the student receives a score of ≤ 7 for any item on the Midterm Assessment, the Internship Preceptor and the student must establish at least one specific Improvement Goal for each item that received ≤ 7, which will guide the student toward competency. The assessment should also highlight any areas of strength and/or excellent progression. 

The Internship Coordinator will contact the Internship Preceptor near the midpoint to discuss the student’s progress. The Internship Coordinator will also talk privately with the student to discuss the internship(s). During this meeting or phone call, if there are areas needing improvement, the Internship Coordinator, Internship Preceptor and the student will review and discuss the Improvement Goals to ensure the student reaches competency before the final assessment. 

Final Assessment

During the final week of the internship, the Internship Preceptor should review the Final Assessment form with the intern prior to the student uploading the document onto the LMS system. To successfully pass the internship, the student must receive a final performance rating of ≥7.5 or higher on the Final Assessment in all sections applicable to the internship. Receiving a performance rating below 7.5 in any section equates to an unsatisfactory internship; see additional information about Internship grading in the section below. If an Internship Preceptor selects a final score of <7.5 in any section, the Internship Coordinator will contact the Internship Preceptor for verification of the performance rating prior to submitting the grade. 

Back to Table of Contents

Rating Scale for Midterm and Final Assessment

The student will be assessed using a 10-point performance rating scale. The Internship Preceptor will be asked to select the appropriate number in the Rating Scale that best describes his/her impression of the student intern’s overall competency. The rating for each assessment must fall between the range of 1 and 10; a 0.5 decimal increment will be available between each whole number. 

Back to Table of Contents

Final Grade for an Internship

The final grade for the internship is satisfactory (S) or fail (F). Graduation requirements for the BS NEP are not completed until all work for the internship is finalized, and a satisfactory grade has been assigned. If the intern has not completed all the required hours or has not met all other requirements of the internship by 5:00 pm on the Friday before grades are due, a grade of Incomplete (I) may be submitted as detailed below. Once all requirements are met satisfactorily, the Internship Coordinator will submit a Supplemental Grade form to the Registrar for the grade to be officially changed. The student should ensure that a grade shows up on the transcript a few days after all requirements are completed. If a student fails the internship, he/she has one more opportunity to complete an internship and pass with a satisfactory grade. In this case, the student will begin the internship process again, as outlined in this manual. 

CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING A SATISFACTORY GRADE (S) 

A satisfactory grade will be issued under the following circumstances: 

  1. A student achieved a 7.5 (75%) or higher in all areas on the final assessment; 
  2. The cumulative internship grade is ≥ 75% on all assigned components including Weekly Reports, Internship Assignment, Exit Report, and Midterm and Final Assessments; 
  3. All reports, posts, and assessments have been completed in a satisfactory manner; 
  4. The student complied with site standards; 
  5. The student complied with University Policy and Procedures; 
  6. All NEP and site-specific onboarding requirements are complete. 

CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING A GRADE OF INCOMPLETE (I) 

If a student receives a grade of incomplete for the internship, it is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit all reports to the Internship Coordinator, to follow up on whether all requirements are met satisfactorily, and to determine whether the Internship Coordinator has submitted a grade of satisfactory to replace the incomplete. All outstanding incomplete work must be completed and posted to the official transcript prior to the conferral of the degree. The student has until the end of the following semester to complete the course requirements. If the incomplete is not made up during the specified time, the incomplete grade is changed to fail (see Rule 90h)

An incomplete grade may be issued under the following circumstances: 

  1. The student has not completed all the hours by the time grades are due. 
  2. The student failed to complete all the documents satisfactorily by the time grades are due. 
  3. The student failed to comply with site standards. 
  4. The student failed to comply with University policies and procedures. 
  5. The student is unable to meet internship requirements as a result of an extended excused absence, unless the absence was approved by the Internship Preceptor and the Internship Coordinator. Reasons for approving an extended absence are reviewed on a case by case basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: extended personal illness or injury, family crisis, other extraordinary circumstances that warrants an extended excused absence. 
  6. The student has outstanding onboarding requirements. 

CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING A FAIL GRADE (F) 

A grade of fail will be issued under the following circumstances: 

  1. The student intern receives a 7.0 or lower in one or more performance areas on the final assessment. 
  2. The cumulative internship grade is < 75% on assigned components including Weekly Reports, Internship Assignment, Exit Report, Midterm and Final Assessments. 
  3. The student failed to comply with site standards. 
  4. The student failed to comply with University or NEP policies and procedures. 
  5. The student failed to complete all requirements satisfactorily by the end of the following semester. 

Back to Table of Contents

Internship Reassignment Process

If a conflict arises in which the learning environment is perceived as compromised or extenuating circumstances (see examples below) occur that may prevent a student from completing the assigned internship, a formal (email attachment in business letter format) written request from the student must be submitted to the Internship Coordinator for consideration. The Internship Coordinator will first review this request and consult with the NEP Department, if appropriate. Once the request has been reviewed, a final decision will be made in a timely manner. 

There are only a few situations that potentially warrant a site reassignment. Examples of such circumstances are: 

  • Personal or immediate family medical emergency; 
  • Personal or immediate family crisis (legal issues or family conflicts); 
  • Preceptor’s inability to precept assigned student due to a medical emergency, staffing deficiency, employment relocation, personality conflict, etc.; or 
  • Unsigned Affiliation Agreement between the Internship Site and the University. 

Once the request has been reviewed and granted, the student will receive an incomplete grade until a new internship can be found and completed. A student has one year to complete the new internship. 

Back to Table of Contents

Other Information

Planning for the ACSM CWP Exam

Students who are planning to use their clinical hours toward the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification exam are encouraged to visit the appropriate website and download the application (#3 under “Are you eligible?”). ACSM has a very specific and detailed format in which hours must be reported, so it would be prudent to start completing that form now. Note that this is not part of NEP 490 and does not need to be submitted to the Internship Coordinator. It is recommended that you write a summary of your clinical experience, including the total number of clinical hours, and ask your preceptor to sign it at the completion of your internship. 

Back to Table of Contents

Scheduling the ACSM EP-C Exam

Exam discounts may be available to students who have completed the BS NEP program. Unfortunately, those who did their undergraduate work elsewhere are NOT eligible for this BS NEP-specific discount. To learn more, contact the Internship Coordinator. ACSM tests are scheduled through Pearson VUE, an organization that administers computer-based testing centers. The student should call the number noted below to schedule the exam at one of several testing centers or follow the following link to visit the Pearson VUE. 

Back to Table of Contents

Reporting Results of a Certifying Exam 

The student is required to notify the Internship Coordinator upon passing a certifying exam. This information is critical to the program in evaluating the preparation provided by the BS NEP curriculum. 

Back to Table of Contents