In this course, students will be introduced to the discipline of exercise science and its application to health science, sports, and physical activity. Students will examine a wide range of exercise science topics, including foundational terminology and concepts, professionalism, ethics, certification and licensure, career opportunities, and evidence-based practice.

In this course students will learn best practices for coaching and teaching sport skills, as well as creating effective practice plans. Students will practice analyzing exercise and sport techniques, identifying errors, and providing effective feedback. Students enrolled in this course will actively participate in coaching sessions with peers. Fall and Spring.

In this course students will discuss and apply the role of various nutrients in sport performance and body composition for athletes. Issues related to drug and supplement use as well as their legality and effects on performance will also be addressed. Fall and Spring.

In this course, students will examine the macroscopic structure and function of bones, joints, and muscles, and how these structures contribute to human movement. Spring.

Competency in laboratory testing and techniques is important for collecting high quality data. In this course, students will develop competency in performing lab skills used by exercise and health scientists. Students will learn to measure physiological variables at rest and during exercise, how to perform maximal and submaximal exercise testing, proper blood draw and safety procedures, the importance of data confidentiality, and common techniques for quantifying physical activity.

This course examines personal identity and how it intersects/interacts with cultural and gender roles related to sport experiences. Students will understand that sport serves as a lens that reflects and defines societal roles, beliefs, and values. Historical, political, and economic views/events will be compared/contrasted with contemporary American sport culture. Underrepresented ethnic groups, physical abilities and gender identity will be discussed in relation to sport representation/power. Intercultural communication and personal bias regarding others will also be discussed. Students will learn to discuss, collaborate with peers, and orally present well-researched course related topics to the larger class. Not offered regularly.

In the context of preparing students to become effective, athlete-centered athletic coaches, part one of the two course sequence provides a foundation for best practices in the preparation for, and prevention, recognition, and care of, sports related emergency situations. The skills taught in this course do not replace professional medical help but offer guidelines and techniques for recognizing and managing emergency conditions until advanced medical help arrives.

In the context of preparing students to become effective, athlete-centered athletic coaches, part two of the two course sequence provides a foundation for best practices in the prevention, recognition, and care of sports related injuries of the extremities, including the role of the coach in designing and implementing conditioning programs to help prevent athletic injuries. The skills taught in this course do not replace professional medical help but offer guidelines and techniques for recognizing and managing bone, muscle, and joint injuries until advanced medical care is provided. Spring.

Supervised reading or research at the lower-division level. Approval of department chair required. Not available to first-year students.

The student will work jointly with a faculty member in conducting a faculty-designed research project. The course is repeatable for a maximum of four total credits in the department. Permission of instructor required.

Introduction to the field of clinical assessment of athletic injury and pathology. This course will cover evaluation protocols, initial and progressive management, and principles of rehabilitation. The course includes a laboratory for skill acquisition in hands-on musculoskeletal function evaluation focusing on functional anatomy and the use of special tests to augment evaluation. Spring of even years.

Physical activity epidemiology uses large population-based studies to link behavioral, environmental, and other factors that influence physical activity to health outcomes. This course will use an evidence-based approach to examine how we understand factors that influence health and efforts to increase physical activity. Students will examine methods to assess health as well as subjective and objective methods to measure physical activity, inactivity, and health behaviors. Students in this course will also study basic epidemiological research design including strengths and weaknesses through critical review of major studies. Students will also examine and critique current public health intervention efforts to increase physical activity at the individual and population levels. Not offered regularly.

In this course, students will learn, integrate, and apply basic mechanical principles that influence human motion in sport, exercise, and everyday life. Concepts that will be discussed during this course include force and torque (kinetics), linear and angular motion (kinematics), and mechanical characteristics of some biological tissues. Students will also access, read, and evaluate primary research and then synthesize findings to arrive at evidence-based decisions. The laboratory component of the course will emphasize analytical thinking and problem-solving skills through the qualitative and quantitative assessment of human movement. Spring.

In this course students will advance their understanding of the human body's physiological response to exercise. Topics include acute responses and chronic adaptations of the muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and bioenergetics systems to exercise induced stress. Environmental influences on performance and sex differences will also be explored. In the laboratory portion of the course students will practice the scientific method by assessing physiological capacities using the laboratory assessment methods. Fall.

Students will develop a functional understanding of exercise science as it applies to strength training and conditioning. Exercise science concepts and principles will be applied to assess human performance, and to design evidence-based exercise programs. In the laboratory portion of the course, students will develop a practical understanding of the principles of test selection and administration, and the principles used to effectively instruct physically active individuals in safe and effective exercise technique.

Students will examine how sport serves as a microcosm of the greater world and how it is a prism through which larger cultural and gender-related issues, values and beliefs can be studied. Historical, political and economic views will be addressed along with LGBTQIA+ issues, Title IX, and feminist perspectives as they intersect with all levels of sport. Students will learn about their own personal culture and other cultures and sub-cultures. Intercultural communication, questions related to justice, and personal bias regarding others will also be explored.

In this course, students will examine psychological theories and concepts as they apply to exercise and sport participation and performance. Students will use critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills to examine issues and solve problems related to sport and exercise psychology. Students will also discuss professional and ethical issues and apply ethical decision-making skills to the practice of sport psychology. Spring.

Supervised reading or research at the upper-division level. Approval of department chair and completion and/or concurrent registration of 12 credits within the department required. Not available to first year students.

This course is designed for future fitness and health professionals who are interested in helping individuals, communities, and groups gain the benefits of participating in regular physical activity in a positive and safe environment. Students will integrate and apply theories and principles of personal fitness training including fitness assessment, exercise program design, general nutrition education, group exercise instruction, and injury prevention to develop evidence-based exercise programs for healthy individuals, groups, and special populations.

This course emphasizes the search for truth and the ways in which this search is conducted. Students will be introduced to the wide continuum of research methodologies and experimental designs used in the fields of exercise science and health. Students will study each step of the scientific process with emphasis on the elements leading up to data collection, including identifying relevant background literature, critical reading of scholarly literature, developing a research question, and creating ethical and appropriate research methods. The course includes a detailed examination of different research methods, and basic descriptive and inferential statistics. Research ethics and the role of the Institutional Review Board in protecting the rights of human subjects will also be discussed.

This course emphasizes the search for truth from a social science perspective and the ways in which this search is conducted. Students will be introduced to the wide continuum of research methodologies and experimental designs used in the fields of exercise science and health. Students will study each step of the scientific process with emphasis on the elements leading up to data collection, including identifying relevant background literature, critical reading of scholarly literature, developing a research question, and creating ethical and appropriate research methods. The course includes a detailed examination of different research methods, and basic descriptive and inferential statistics. Research ethics and the role of the Institutional Review Board in protecting the rights of human subjects will also be discussed.

This course introduces students to a variety of theories of moral reasoning, ethical and unethical behavior in sport, and the development of moral education through sport. Students will engage in learning about how they should act in order to support the moral foundation necessary for sport to function effectively while examining actions that would be considered just or unjust. Students will wrestle with questions such as "how should I act" or "what type of an athlete, coach, official, manager, fan or parent should I be" through readings and discussions. Decision-making models based on moral reasoning theory and other principles of strategic reasoning will be employed as students navigate case studies and issues related to sport. Fall.

This course assists students in designing and completing a proposal for an independent or group research project in exercise and health science. Students will integrate theoretical concepts from previous exercise and health science coursework to formulate a research question, conduct a background literature review, and develop appropriate and ethical methods for data collection. Students will complete and present the full proposal within the context of the course. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.

Students in this course will continue the work they began in EXHS 394 Research Design, including finalizing research proposals and applying for Institutional Review Board review, if necessary. Students will pilot their procedures and begin data collections for their research projects. Students will communicate their ideas, challenges, and progress to class colleagues throughout the semester. Throughout the research process, students will be asked to reflect upon the process, on how their project has integrated their previous coursework, and how performing research has changed their perspectives on health and human performance. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.

Students on this course will continue the data collection process for research projects started in EXHS 395. Students will communicate their ideas and progress to class colleagues. After data collections, students will analyze data and interpret the results. Conclusions will be drawn from the results and the final projects will be presented on or off campus. Throughout the research process, students will be asked to reflect upon the process, on how their project has integrated their previous coursework, and how performing research has changed their perspectives on health and human performance. To enroll in the course, students must submit an Independent Learning Project application.

A supervised experience in a health or exercise field that fulfills the Capstone requirement for the Exercise and Health Science major. An internship experience provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills under direct supervision of a site supervisor in an approved exercise science or health setting. Prerequisites: a completed Internship Learning Contract form, approval of the faculty moderator and department chair, and completion of the pre-internship Legal and Professional Issues seminar.

A supervised experience in a health or exercise field that promotes the integration of theory with practice. An opportunity to apply knowledge and skills under direct supervision of a site supervisor in an approved setting. Prerequisites: a completed Internship Learning Contract form, approval of the faculty moderator and department chair, and completion of the pre-internship Legal and Professional Issues seminar.