The Master of Science in Sports and Health Sciences studies the physical, physiological, psychological, and functional adaptations of humans. This online master’s degree helps to develop your critical thinking skills and provides the scientific principles you’ll need to help varied populations optimize sports performance and reach athletic, fitness, and general health goals. Physical fitness and health and wellness employers seek experienced professionals with extensive knowledge of nutrition, fitness training, and changes in fitness technology to help individuals improve functionality and quality of life.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Apply qualitative and quantitative research practices to relevant issues and problems in sports and health sciences through the development and assessment of research proposals and concluding with the analysis and communication of data.
- Dissect the relationships between psychological behaviors such as personality, motivation, stress, and aggression on sport performance.
- Examine physical activities and lifestyle behaviors designed to promote positive health and quality of life.
- Analyze sport movements and design movement-oriented exercise prescriptions.
- Illustrate the potential for enhancement of muscle strength, muscular endurance, power, flexibility, and motor performance during anaerobic training.
- Assemble protein, carbohydrate, and fat recommendations for athletes, and discern between dietary recommendations for disease prevention and recommendations for performance.
- Evaluate best practices to measure selected parameters related to athletic performance, and explain how to administer field tests appropriately.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 21 | |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 12 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 3 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 36 | |
Degree Program Requirements
Core Requirements (21 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPHS501 | Advanced Exercise and Sport Physiology 1 | 3 |
| SPHS505 | Sport Psychology | 3 |
| SPHS511 | Critical Thinking in the Sports and Health Industries | 3 |
| SPHS500 | Statistics for Sports and Health Sciences | 3 |
| SPHS502 | Motor Learning | 3 |
| SPHS503 | Nutrition for Sports Performance | 3 |
| SPHS504 | Advanced Methods of Strength and Conditioning | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
| 1 | Required as the first course in this program. |
Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a General Concentration, Concentration in Exercise Science and Human Performance, or Concentration in Health and Wellness Management.
General Concentration Requirements (12 semester hours)
This general concentration allows you to select from all the concentration courses offered within this program, enabling you to create your own focused area of study.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 4 courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Essentials of Human Performance and Exercise Science | ||
| Advanced Biomechanics | ||
| Current Topics in Exercise Science and Human Performance | ||
| Optimal Sports Performance | ||
| Ethical and Leadership Principles of Health and Wellness Management | ||
| Current Topics in Health and Wellness Management | ||
| Program Design for Health and Wellness Management | ||
| Health and Wellness Coaching and Behavior Change | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 12 | |
Concentration in Exercise Science and Human Performance (12 semester hours)
The Exercise Science and Human Performance concentration is a scientific study of the concepts and applications designed to appraise and enhance athletic performance for researchers and practitioners. Students will develop skills to effectively assess and evaluate exercise and human performance through test administration and program design. Course content focuses on factors influencing health and performance; including adaptations to exercise, biomechanics, nutrition, testing and evaluation, exercise techniques, exercise prescription, and psychological aspects of performance.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Design an individualized exercise prescription using results from fitness and exercise testing and evaluation.
- Analyze the functional anatomy of the lower and upper extremities during exercise and human performance.
- Synthesize sports nutrition and supplementation findings into recommendations for professional practice.
- Assess concepts associated with functional movements as they pertain to integrated training.
- Generate mental training strategies to improve an athlete’s performance.
Concentration Requirements (12 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPHS506 | Essentials of Human Performance and Exercise Science | 3 |
| SPHS507 | Advanced Biomechanics | 3 |
| SPHS508 | Current Topics in Exercise Science and Human Performance | 3 |
| SPHS509 | Optimal Sports Performance | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 12 | |
Concentration in Health and Wellness Management (12 semester hours)
The Health and Wellness Management concentration prepares students to design and implement wellness programs for the workplace. Students will develop skills to effectively design and manage health and wellness programs for individual clients and corporate settings. Course content focuses on topics crucial to effective fitness leadership and quality management in health and wellness occupations and prepares researchers and practitioners for leadership roles in higher education, public schools, healthcare settings, personal training, and other careers in the fitness, wellness, and healthcare industry.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Implement programs for exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle change in designing health and wellness programs for clients in private, community, and corporate settings.
- Construct an ethical and leadership philosophy for managing a corporate wellness facility and program.
- Evaluate the role of healthier fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle habits have on disease prevention, general health, and overall well-being.
- Hypothesize solutions to current challenges facing the fitness, wellness, and healthcare industries.
Concentration Requirements (12 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPHS510 | Ethical and Leadership Principles of Health and Wellness Management | 3 |
| SPHS520 | Current Topics in Health and Wellness Management | 3 |
| SPHS530 | Program Design for Health and Wellness Management | 3 |
| SPHS540 | Health and Wellness Coaching and Behavior Change | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 12 | |
Final Program Requirements (3 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPHS697 | Sports and Health Sciences Capstone 1 | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 3 | |
| 1 | Taken once all other requirements have been met. |