Course Descriptions
Department of Health and Kinesiology
R. B. Armstrong (Interim Head), D. J. Ballard, W. S. Barnes, P. J. Batista, G. R. Bennett, S. A. Bloomfield, J. J. Buchanan, C. J. Bunting, J. D. Chaney, S. F. Crouse, G. B. Cunningham, J. M. Delp, M. E. Dennis, S. M. Dorman, J. M. Eddy, M. Ferreira, J. D. Fluckey, C. P. Gabbard, P. Goodson, B. L. Green, J. S. Green, J. J. Guidry, C. J. Ketcham, J. M. Lawler, R. E. McBride, R. Misra, B. E. Pruitt*, S. E. Riechman, M. Sagas, C. H. Shea, J. H. Wilmore, C. Woodman, D. L. Wright, P. Xiang
* Graduate Advisor
The following graduate degrees are offered in the department.
Joint Bachelor of Science/Master of Science (BS/MS) in Health Education: Allows for a seamless transition from the B.S. degree to the M.S. degree for exceptional undergraduate students. The program is designed to prepare advanced level health educators.
Master of Education (MEd) in Health Education: includes specializations in health education. The program is designed to prepare advanced-level health educators skilled in needs assessment, program and/or curriculum planning and implementation, and evaluation for health education and health promotion programs.
Master of Education (MEd) in Physical Education: provides advanced study in the general concepts and issues of physical education. Choices of emphasis include elementary, middle school and secondary physical education and coaching/teaching.
Master of Science (MS) in Health Education: is a theory-based degree that provides advanced training with emphases in health education. There are non-thesis and thesis options.
Master of Science (MS) in Kinesiology: provides advanced training in the general area of kinesiology with an emphasis on research. Within this broad option, students may elect more specialized study in clinical exercise physiology, exercise physiology, motor behavior, sport management, sport pedagogy and sport physiology. Both thesis and non-thesis options are offered.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Education: prepares students for research in health education. Graduates may aspire to research-oriented positions in public or higher education and schools of allied health as well as voluntary or governmental health and/or safety agencies. Graduates of this program are prepared for careers in teaching and research in each of these areas.
Doctor of Education (EdD) in Health Education: prepares students for leadership positions in public schools or colleges and universities where the primary emphasis is teaching. Emphases in this program include the breadth of content in health education with particular focus on teaching.
Doctor of Education (EdD) in Physical Education: prepares students for leadership positions in the public schools or colleges and universities where the primary emphasis is on teaching, and in outside agencies such as business, government, industry and the military. The program includes courses in the following areas of kinesiology: supervision and administration; sport management, curriculum design and instruction; motor behavior; biomechanics; physiology of exercise; research design; statistics; and measurement and evaluation. This degree offers three specializations: applied motor behavior, sport pedagogy and sport management.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Kinesiology: prepares students for post-doctoral appointments and positions in universities, industry, the military and research institutes. Graduates are trained for teaching and research careers in the following specialization.
Exercise Physiology: The program prepares students to conduct research in basic and applied exercise physiology. Emphases in the applied programs are in neuromuscular efficiency and control, cardiorespiratory response to exercise, exercise and lipid metabolism, and changes in bone structure and metabolism in response to exercise as well as disuse, bed rest and micro gravity. Emphases in basic research include mechanisms of exercise-induced injury, neuromuscular efficiency, muscle blood flow, muscle metabolism and free radical stress, and the molecular biology of bone adaptation to stress.
Motor Behavior: The program is experimentally oriented and is specifically designed to provide students with a thorough foundation in the theoretical processes that assist the performance and learning of perceptual-motor skills. Emphases in motor learning, motor control and motor development are offered.
Sport Management: The program prepares students to conduct research in applied and basic areas of sport management. Emphases in the applied areas are in organizational and group diversity; the under-representation of women and ethnic minorities in sport organizations; organizational effectiveness; organizational structure and strategy; organizational change; sport marketing; and consumer behavior. Emphases in the basic areas focus on relational demography; intergroup processes; and sport consumer behavior. Special areas of research correspond to those of the sport management faculty.
Sport Pedagogy: This specialization prepares students to design and conduct research on teaching/teacher education and curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on linking theory to physical education practice. Interdisciplinary collaboration and research across the College of Education and Human Development are viewed as integral components of the sport pedagogy program.
Health (HLTH)
601. Reading Research Publications in Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Instruction in, and development of, research skills through the study of published reports and readings in health.
605. Health Research Methods. (3-0). Credit 3.
Designing and conducting health education and health promotion research including survey design, sampling, data collection, management and analysis. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
607. International Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Health and health care delivery around the world; how various organizations are addressing global health concerns; includes emerging diseases, eradication of disease, global nutrition, family planning; emphasis on providing health information on a cross cultural environment. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
609. Applied Epidemiology. (3-0). Credit 3.
Principles and methods of epidemiology; epidemiologic investigation and research are discussed with emphasis on application of epidemiological methods to health promotion and disease prevention. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
610. Health Assessment. (3-0). Credit 3.
Concepts and procedures of health assessment, interpretation of health appraisal instruments; function of health assessment in health education, health promotion and wellness programs. Prerequisite: HLTH 425 or course in statistics.
611. Organization and Administration of Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Organizing and management of public health education and health promotion programs; public health administration issues and management skills emphasized. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
620. Understanding Human Sexuality. (3-0). Credit 3.
Instruction in and development of an understanding of the physical, mental, social, emotional and psychological phases of human relations as they are affected by male and female relations; understanding humans’ sexuality as a health entity.
621. Principles of Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Health concerns, foundations of personal health and health concepts and principles.
622. Issues and Trends in Health Education. (3-0). Credit 3.
Background and development of health education as an applied science; current issues and trends in health education and their implications for health education.
629. Environmental Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Examination of environments that threaten health and implications for human health and community health planning; emphasis on planning and implementing health education and promotion strategies to promote a healthy environment. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
630. Health Program Planning. (3-0). Credit 3.
Public health education and promotion program planning including educational diagnosis, selection of educational strategies, program implementation and evaluation; using planning models. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
631. Community and Public Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Community health problems; public health laws; national, state and local health agencies.
632. Health Program Evaluation. (3-0). Credit 3.
Evaluation of public health education and promotion programs; overview of theory of program evaluation, methodology and application. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
634. Women’s Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Health and health care concerns of women; emphasis on importance of women's health issues to public health; identification of special concerns for planning and implementation of women's health programs. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
635. Race, Ethnicity and Health. (3-0). Credit 3.
Explore racial, ethnic, and cultural dimensions that underlie health and health disparities; special attention to culture, social economic status, and governmental policies as they influence the adaptations of health practices. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
636. Advanced Tests and Measurements. (3-0). Credit 3.
Tests and measurements; methods of constructing and evaluating tests. Prerequisite: HLTH 425 or equivalent.
639. Behavioral Foundations of Health Education. (3-0). Credit 3.
Theoretical and historical foundations of health behavior research: emphasis placed on understanding and predicting behavior, as well as facilitating behavior change programs through health education.
640. Health Intervention and Wellness. (3-0). Credit 3.
Wellness as a concept and a process; systematic planning, implementation and evaluation of wellness programs and review of research relating to the efficacy of wellness programs and methods. Prerequisite: HLTH 415 or equivalent.
660. Health Issues in Aging, Dying and Death. (3-0). Credit 3.
Health issues related to aging, dying and death including: health problems of aging individuals; community response to health problems of aging individuals; issues regarding definitions of death; bereavement, grief and mourning and educational implications of aging, dying and death. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
681. Seminar. (1-0). Credit 1.
Reports and discussions of topics of current interest in the discipline.
684. Professional Internship. Credit 1 to 6 each semester.
Designed to permit students the opportunity for on-the-job training with professionals in schools and public and institutional health agencies. Prerequisites: 12 semester hours of selected graduate work; approval of department head.
685. Directed Studies. Credit 1 to 12 each semester.
Directed study of selected problems within the discipline. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.
689. Special Topics in... Credit 1 to 4.
Selected topics in an identified area of the discipline. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.
690. Theory of Research in the Discipline. (3-0). Credit 3.
Theory and design of research problems and experiments in various subfields of the discipline; communication of research proposals and results; evaluation of current research of faculty and students and review of current literature. May be repeated for credit. Cross-listed with KINE 690.
691. Research. Credit 1 or more each semester.
Research for thesis or dissertation. Prerequisite: Approval of committee chair.