Major

The Department of Health, Wellness & Recreation now offers a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Sport Management and Exercise Science.

The major offers three tracks:

Minor

The interdisciplinary minor has three options:

• Athletic Coaching Certification Track (18 credit hours)
• Sport Administration and Communication Track (23 credit hours)
• Sport and Exercise Science Track (at least 22 credit hours)

Each track will include some required courses, and areas of concentration/specialization where there will be a choice of electives. For each track, the electing of an applied outside experience (i.e., practicum/internship or independent study) will be encouraged.

The Athletic Coaching Track prepares students to meet the New York State established criteria to qualify to coach in elementary and secondary schools and in youth recreation programs. Students can organize 18 credit hours needed for graduation to meet the state mandate for strenuous/contact activities and non-strenuous/ non-contact activities. Core courses relate to philosophy, principles and organization of athletics in education; health sciences applied to coaching (e.g. First Aid, Psychology of Coaching, and Adult CPR); and techniques of coaching.

The Sport Administration and Communication Track will expose students to (a) the behavioral dimensions of sport; (b) general management and organizational skills and issues; (c) sport-specific management principles, strategies, and issues; (d) marketing, finance, and legal issues; and (e) communication and ethical issues.

The course categories included in this track were strongly influenced by the Sport Management Program Standards established by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the North American Society for Sport Management. The track will aid in the preparation and viability of students for jobs and graduate work in sports management, marketing, and public relations.

The Sport and Exercise Sciences Track will expose students to scientific principles and issues related to sport and exercise. The contributions of the behavioral, social and physical sciences (psychology, sociology and physiology) will be emphasized. The core courses for this track include Sport Psychology, the Sociology of Sport, and the Physiology of Exercise and Sport. Students will also be required to choose one course in each of the following concentration areas: (a) physiological bases, (b) group and organizational contexts, (c) developmental and educational issues and principles, and (d) personality, assessment, and counseling issues.

The course categories utilized in this track are strongly influenced by the criteria that the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology requires for the certification of doctoral-level professional sport consultants. The track will aid in the preparation of students for graduate work dealing with sport and exercise behavior within their discipline (e.g., psychology, sociology, kinesiology, and exercise science). It will also provide important information about sport and exercise behavior for those planning to be coaches, fitness specialists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers.