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2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Bachelor of Science in Sports and Health Sciences

Our Bachelor of Science in Sports and Health Sciences is a scientific study of human movement and human behavior relative to exercise, fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. This degree is designed to prepare you to meet challenges in these dynamic and emerging fields of study. You will engage in core issues and concepts in areas such as anatomy and physiology, nutrition, kinesiology, and exercise programming and testing. The degree provides practical skills often required for entry-level positions in the fitness industry, corporate wellness programs, and strength and conditioning of athletes.

This B.S. degree in Sports and Health Sciences is affiliated with the guidelines of the American Sport Education Program (ASEP).

Note: Material for lab courses will only be provided once. If you need replacement lab equipment for any reason or need to retake the course later, you will need to purchase your own lab refills.

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 fundamental concepts of human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, health, and kinesiology to applications in sports and fitness.
  • Perform motivational strategies and tactics designed to guide practice and performance in physical activity.
  • Design a healthful diet for varying populations based off sound nutritional principles and concepts generated from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
  • Critically analyze steroids usage on athletic performance including associated muscle reaction and medical risks.
  • Illustrate appropriate procedures for treating upper and lower body sport injuries.
  • Construct exercise programs applicable in fitness, rehabilitation, and athletic training settings.
  • Evaluate suitability of common exercises based on muscle action for exercise program design.

Degree at a Glance

Degree Program Requirements

General Education (31 semester hours)

Major Required (37 semester hours)

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a General Concentration, Concentration in Coaching Studies, Concentration in Exercise Science, Concentration in Fitness and Wellness Professional Studies, or Concentration in Nutrition for Health and Fitness.

General Concentration (18 semester hours)

This general concentration allows you to select from all concentration courses offered within this program, enabling you to create your own focused area of study.

Objectives

This general concentration allows you to select from all concentration courses offered within this program, enabling you to create your own focused area of study.

Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in Coaching Studies (18 semester hours)

Explores strategies of effective communication with athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, and parents. The curriculum evaluates technical and tactical sport skills, as well as leadership strategies and their application to coaching principles. A focus on coaching leadership can also be applied to other business endeavors and personal life.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Identify strategies to effectively communicate athletes, fellow coaches, officials, school administrators, and parents.
  • Examine methods for teaching and evaluating technical and tactical sport skills.
  • Analyze and evaluate leadership strategies and apply them to coaching principles.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in Exercise Science (18 semester hours)

Offers scientific knowledge used to train athletes and clients in fitness and athletic performance, including exercise prescription principles for training variation, injury prevention, and reconditioning. Examines sports nutrition and supplementation, lower and upper extremities function during exercise, and mental training strategies aimed at improving athletic performance.

Objectives

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:>/p>

  • Apply scientific knowledge to train athletes and clients for the primary goals of improving athletic performance and fitness.
  • Apply exercise prescription principles for training variation, injury prevention, and reconditioning.
  • Analyze sport movements and design movement-oriented exercise prescriptions.

Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in Fitness and Wellness Professional Studies (18 semester hours)

Examines health care financing and economic principles, as well as environmental, sociocultural, and other factors that influence fitness and wellness practices. Topics include the physical, intellectual, and social components of wellness, as well as sports facility and event management and other business aspects, including risk management, marketing, leadership, and personnel.

Objectives

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

  • Analyze the structure of healthcare financing and economic principles.
  • Evaluate environmental, sociocultural, and economic factors that influence fitness and wellness professional practices throughout society.
  • Integrate healthy lifestyle and behavior practices for improving overall well-being.

Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Concentration in Nutrition for Health and Fitness (18 semester hours)

Nutrition and physical activity are essential components of health and well-being. The Nutrition for Health and Fitness concentration extends the core nutrition theories beyond basic sports nutrition concepts taught in the Sports and Health Sciences curriculum. Students will learn to apply cultural food practices, advanced nutrition topics, wellness and disease prevention principles, and skills to integrate nutrition coaching/well-being techniques to health and fitness programs.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Apply fundamental principles and concepts of nutrition science (e.g., nutrients, hydration, and alcohol consumption), cultural food practices, and disease prevention to essential health and fitness principles.
  • Evaluate current fitness and wellness topics using appropriate nutrition and physical activity principles.
  • Develop strategies that help clients select appropriate foods, manage cultural food restrictions, and overcome life/training hurdles to build healthy eating habits that improve their well-being.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)

Final Program Requirement (3 semester hours)

Elective Requirements (31 semester hours)

  1. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  2. All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101-Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110-Making Writing Relevant.

  3. Prerequisite: Senior Standing and completion of all major courses prior to enrollment. Must be taken as the last course before graduation.

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