Specializations
Specializations are small clusters of classes designed to enhance your expertise in a particular professional area. Currently, these specializations offered are only available to Kinesiology and Health majors. Once you complete all of the courses within a specialization, you will apply to receive a letter from the Department verifying their completion of the specialization. This letter is a great addition to a resume for future employers!
Click on any of the specializations below to view additional information.
Coaching (19 credit hours)
This specialization benefits those who plan to pursue coaching as a profession at various levels such as youth sports, middle school, and high school athletics, collegiate, and professional sports.
You will gain the knowledge and understanding of the growth and development of athletes. It also exposes you to the legal, psychological, social, biological, physical, theoretical, and technical parameters in coaching. You will develop comprehension of advanced leadership principles and educational theories and practices. This specialization prepares content with an emphasis on sports ethics and human performance training and development. This will NOT certify you to be a coach, however, it may prepare you to sit for some certification exams.
- KIN 119 Conditioning or KIN 106C Weight Training
- KIN 310 Physiological Basis of Conditioning or KIN 425K Physiology of Exercise
- KIN 311K Sport Psychology (Spring)
- KIN 312 Care & Prevention of Athletic Injuries
- KIN 312 Fundamentals of Coaching or KIN 335C Motor Learning
- KIN 361 Coaching Theory & Principles I (Summer, Fall) (Ethics and Leadership)
- KIN 362 Coaching Theory & Principles II (Spring) (Independent Inquiry)
Prerequisite: KIN 361 Coaching Theory & Principles I
Community Health and Wellness (15 credit hours)
This specialization benefits those who want to pursue a career in public health, community health, government organizations, non-profit organizations, and worksite wellness programs.
You will be exposed to courses that focus on key public health topics and issues. In addition, you will gain practical skills and applied experience in a semester-long internship, which is selected to match health interests and career goals. You will be prepared to pursue graduate studies in health promotion or public health and related allied health fields.
- KIN 348 Psychological Aspects of Exercise (Spring)
- HED 329K Child & Adolescent Health
- HED 335 Theories of Substance Abuse Prevention (Writing)
- HED 352K Psychosocial Issues in Adult Development & Health
- HED 360 Adolescent Health Risk Behavior
- HED 361 Psychosocial Issues in Women’s Health (Writing)
- HED 364 Strategic Health Communication (Fall)
- HED 365 Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities (Cultural Diversity)
- HED 366 Human Sexuality
- HED 370K Public Health Challenges along the US-Mexico Border (Global Culture)
- HED 370K Foundations of Peer Support and Social Wellness followed by HED 178E and HED 178F
- HED 378I Foundations of Peer Health Leadership followed by HED 178G and HED 178J
- HED 627L Internship in Community & Organizational Health
Lara Latimer
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
Health Behavior and Health Education
Health Fitness Instructor (18 credit hours)
This specialization benefits those wanting to pursue a career in personal and small-group training. It also provides practical experience in preparation for graduate school in applied fields.
This specialization will prepare you for a career in fitness and for a variety of national certifications. Fieldwork and internships provide practical experience as you develop and apply programming and exercise techniques for both general and special populations. You also will be prepared to go on to graduate school, including medical, physical therapy, physician’s assistant, chiropractic, and other forms of allied health studies. Many of our alumni are successful in the personal training field and many own and operate their own facilities. Other alumni work with athletes in a sports conditioning setting.
- KIN 310 Physiological Basis of Conditioning
- KIN 322 Diagnosis and Evaluation of Fitness
- KIN 332 Techniques of Fitness Leadership
- KIN 327T (Topic 2) – Personal Training
- KIN 330E Sport Ntr or NTR 306 Intro to NTR
- KIN 627F (Topic 1) – Health Fitness Internship
Logan Schwartz
Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education.
Medical Fitness and Rehabilitation (18 credit hours)
This specialization benefits those who want to pursue a career in the medical field, such as cardiac rehabilitation or physical therapy, and will provide experience in a variety of clinical settings. Through fieldwork and internship experiences, you will learn different methods of training and treatment.
You will work with clients from “pre-hab” (preventive exercise programming) to post-rehabilitation. This specialization will prepare you to work in a number of medical settings or to pursue a graduate degree in many fields of allied health, such as physical/occupational therapy, or medical school.
- KIN 310 Physiological Basis of Conditioning
- KIN 322 Diagnosis and Evaluation of Fitness
- KIN 327T (Topic 2) – Personal Training
- KIN 332 Techniques of Fitness Leadership
- KIN 627F (Topic 2) – Medical Fitness Internship
Jeff Monaco
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education.
Strength and Conditioning Coaching (18 credit hours)
This specialization benefits those who are interested in designing and implementing strength and conditioning programs. It also as provides guidance on safe training techniques and nutritional advice.
You will learn how to coach, train, and oversee exercise and weight training for various levels of fitness. At the end of the program, you will be ready to participate in a graduate program in Exercise Physiology and become certified as a strength and conditioning specialist. For more information on certifications in this area review the requirements set in place by The National Strength and Conditioning Association.
- KIN 330E Sport Nutrition or 3 hours of approved Nutrition
- KIN 310 Physiological Basis of Conditioning
- KIN 312 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries
- KIN 119 Conditioning or PED 106C Weight Training
- KIN 226 Advanced Weight Training
- KIN 363 Theory & Practice in Strength Conditioning (Fall)
Prerequisite: KIN 310 Physiological Basis of Conditioning or KIN 424K Applied Human Anatomy
- KIN 327T 4–Internship in Strength & Conditioning
Kim Beckwith
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
Yoga Instruction (15 credit hours)
The yoga specialization prepares students to teach yoga or integrate yoga into related fields such as early childhood development, athletic coaching, physical rehabilitation, addiction recovery counseling and wellness professions.
You will explore yoga postures, anatomy, alignment, modifications for accessibility, meditation, breathwork, subtle-body anatomy and yoga philosophy. Coursework emphasizes both physical and mental well-being while promoting a holistic approach to health.
Through hands-on instruction, peer teaching and faculty mentorship, you will gradually develop and lead your own yoga classes. At the end of the program, you will be prepared to pursue yoga instruction or apply yoga-based practices within your chosen career paths.
Techniques + Practice (3 credit hours)
- PED/KIN 106C-10, 106C-11, 106C-12 Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Yoga
Anatomy/Physiology/Biomechanics (3 credit hours Choose one class)
- TD 352 Experiential Anatomy
- KIN 424K Applied Human Anatomy
- BIO 446L Human Microscopic & Gross Anat
- KIN 320 Appld Biomechs of Human Movmnt
- KIN 310 Physiol Basis of Conditioning
- KIN 312 -2 Care/Preven of Ath Injuries
Professional Essentials (3 credit hours Choose one class)
- KIN 311K Sports Psychology
- KIN 348 Psychological Aspects of Exercise
- KIN 332 Techniqs of Fitness Leadership
- KIN 361 Coaching Theory and Principles
Elective (3 credit hours Choose one class)
- ANS 301M Yoga Past and Present
- ANS 340D History of Hindu Religious Tradition
- HED 329K Child & Adolescent Health
- KIN 352K Studies In Human Movement: Topical Studies – may include
- Topic 28: Musculoskeletal Functional Anatomy
- Topic 30: Sport Pedagogy
- Topic 32: History of Physical Culture
- Topic 33: Nutrition: Exercise, Health, and Sport
- KIN 327T Yoga Internship (formerly 327K Yoga Fieldwork)
- assist in undergrad classes alongside the lead teacher
- observe undergrad class, taking notes on anatomy, sequencing, and class format
- prepare and submit class sequence proposal and receive feedback and mentoring
- practice leading yoga sequences to students either on campus or in the community
Zoe Mantarakis
Associate Professor of Instruction
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
