Health and Physical Education
Undergraduate programs lead to numerous professional opportunities in sport administration, recreation administration, health promotion, human, performance, teacher education and athletics, as well as graduate study.
 Human Performance Laboratory Department’s lab features EKG machines, a batting cage, computerized motion analysis, cardio-respiratory testing and more. |
The Health and Physical Education Department provides students with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to prepare them to be outstanding professionals in their field. Students combine classroom work, experience with discipline-specific technology, hands-on participation, out-of-class projects, and pre-professional field work to create an educational experience that prepares them for careers in a number of health-, fitness-, and sport-related professions, and in education as teachers, coaches and more.
Students tailor the focus of their study to align with their career goals. The human performance track prepares students for careers in fitness instruction and personal training, athletic training, cardiac rehabilitation, and other exercise science-related disciplines. Human performance majors who wish to pursue a career in physical or occupational therapy are also prepared for admission to those graduate programs. The sport and recreation administration track prepares students for careers in areas such as sports marketing, facilities management, athletic management, recreational program administration, and more. The health promotion track prepares students for careers in community, corporate, and public health and disease prevention. The teacher certification track prepares students for careers in K-12 health and/or physical education.
National trends toward the allied health professions, fitness, physical rehabilitation, recreation, and related disciplines have opened an extensive area of opportunity for today’s health and physical education graduates. The program is intentionally small to foster strong student-faculty relationships and personalized learning.
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Minors & Programs
Bachelor's
DescriptionThe Exercise Science program is designed for those interested in the exercise/movement sciences, human performance, physical therapy, cardiac rehab, athletic training and/or personal training. Coursework prepares students through theory, practical application, and laboratory experiences to have the skills necessary for developing exercise programs, and health and wellness program design for a variety of populations including healthy, athletes, obese, etc. Professional career opportunities include: physical therapy, occupational therapy, or athletic training (after graduate school), corporate fitness, cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning coach, personal training, and research assistant.
DescriptionThe Teacher Certification track is designed for those interested in becoming a health and/or physical education teacher at the elementary and/or secondary level. Upon satisfactory completion of the requirements of this curriculum, which also includes successfully passing National Teacher Certification examinations, the student will be granted a degree of Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education and will qualify for the Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate. This certificate will be valid for teaching Health and Physical Education in grades K through 12 in Pennsylvania.
DescriptionThe Health and Wellness Studies program prepares students to compete for the increasing number of employment opportunities in the areas of health and wellness promotion and disease prevention. This interdisciplinary degree combines coursework from the areas of health education, exercise science, behavior change theory, and communication, as well as electives from areas of special interest. A full-semester internship serves as the capstone course for the Health and Wellness Studies program, providing students with valuable experiences in settings such as state and local health departments, corporate health and wellness programs, hospitals and HMOs, health and fitness centers, and public health agencies. After completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the National Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).
DescriptionThe Sport and Recreation Management program is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to become successful administrators within sport- and/or recreation-related agencies. The program will focus on such disciplines as leadership theory, personnel management, law and liability, program implementation, and facility management/design. Upon satisfactory completion of the required coursework, students will be granted a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport and Recreation Management. This degree will qualify students for employment in such areas as municipal recreation, collegiate recreation, corporate recreation, private recreation, non-profit recreation, interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics, facility management, minor and major professional sport teams, sport clubs, and the fitness industry.
Minors
DescriptionThe Athletic Coaching minor prepares students to be successful in all levels of coaching, from volunteer coaching of recreational sports to paid coaching at the intercollegiate level. Students will take courses in coaching methods, history of sports, team sports pedagogy, athletic injuries, and current coaching strategies, among others. The minor is an excellent addition for students looking to coach at any level of sport or related activity.
DescriptionThe Fitness Instruction/Personal Training minor provides students with the core classes needed to work with individual and group fitness clients in community, corporate, recreational, and other settings. Students will take courses in exercise physiology, sports nutrition, fitness assessment, and development of group and individual fitness programs, among others. This minor is an excellent choice for students interested in entering the fitness industry.
DescriptionThe minor in Health Studies provides students with a broad range of experiences in the basic elements of health promotion. Students will take a variety of health content, application, and health behavior theory courses. This minor is an excellent addition for students who are interested in working with people in areas such as wellness education, fitness instruction, and health counseling.
