Kinesiology or Health Education

Department of Kinesiology and Health Education

The Master of Education program gives working professionals the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Kinesiology or Health Education. Two options, both expected to take 36 hours over two years, are available. Neither program requires a thesis.

The General Kinesiology track is designed for physical educators and teacher-coaches interested in pursuing a general Kinesiology master’s degree. You will take courses in

Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE)
Exercise Science (includes Exercise Physiology and Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science)
Physical Culture and Sport Studies/Sport Management

The Health Education track focuses on theory, application and practitioner skills oriented towards careers in educational institutions, community health care settings, business and industry, government agencies and voluntary health agencies.

For both options, you will develop your degree plan with a supervising professor. Your supervising professor will serve as an academic adviser before getting the final approval for your degree plan from the department’s graduate advisor.

Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting the Graduate School requirements, the applicant must submit a personal statement and three letters of recommendation via the graduate school admission portal.

Learn more about Graduate Admissions

Prerequisites

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and provide evidence that you have taken at least 15 hours of either upper-division undergraduate coursework in physical education, kinesiology or health education, or 15 hours of graduate coursework in Kinesiology and Health Education.

Courses completed at another college or university may be used to satisfy part or all of the requirements provided they were completed prior to beginning graduate study at The University of Texas at Austin. If you need to fulfill any requirements after you are admitted, they must be taken at UT-Austin. Your advisor will determine what courses will count toward the degree requirements. Students who complete a graduate certificate program from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education may count those courses toward the completion of their master’s.

Degree Requirements— 36 Credit Hours

All course selections must be approved by your faculty advisor.

Core Courses: 18 Hours
Inside KHE Electives (KIN or HED classes): nine hours
Outside KHE Electives: six hours
Culminating Experience: six hours

Option One: M.Ed. with a Specialization in Kinesiology Core Course Options

Select six hours from each of these three departmental areas:

Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE)
Exercise Science (includes Exercise Physiology and Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science)
Physical Culture and Sport Studies/Sport Management (PCSS/SM)

Option Two: M.Ed. with a Specialization in Health Education Core Course Options

Select from the following:

12 hours from Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE)
three hours from Exercise Science (Includes Exercise Physiology and Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science) and
three hours from Physical Culture and Sport Studies/Sport Management (PCSS/SM)

Electives Within the Department (9 hours)

Choose three elective courses that meet your interests and career direction. You may also select KIN or HED 397 or KIN or HED 396T and KIN 386 Research Methodologies, Topic 2, Applied Research Techniques.

Up to six hours of upper-division undergraduate KIN/HED coursework may also be counted.

Supporting Work Outside the Department (6 hours)

Select six hours of coursework from outside the department in consultation with your advisor

Culminating Experience

Graduate Internship or Research Project (3 hours)

The internship (KIN or HED 397P) or research project (KIN or HED 397) should be taken in the final semester after the completion of all course work. This experience will give you the opportunity to apply cumulative knowledge and skills in a supervised practicum in a community, school, worksite or healthcare setting. The internship or research project will be supervised by your academic adviser. A written research report or summary of the internship experience will be submitted to the supervising professor. Successful completion of this course is considered the culminating experience for the degree.

Faculty