Students of exercise science are well positioned to facilitate a shift of the nation's attitude on health care from disease treatment to disease prevention. This report chronicles our efforts toward transforming the exercise physiology core course from a lecture-based, instructor-centered class to a student-centered environment in which investigative learning makes possible the development of critical-thinking and research skills. We describe our efforts to enhance the curriculum, improve student learning, and increase faculty-student research collaborations stemming from this course. Our assessment indicates that the implementation of investigative learning activities facilitated active learning, enhanced student understanding of the scientific investigative method, and increased student confidence in their abilities and skills as researchers and scholars. (Contains 3 figures.)