Science Degrees Online

Kinesiology [KIN]

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Students selecting this major will earn a B.S. in kinesiology and complete a concentration in either exercise science, sport studies or coaching.

Exercise science is concerned with how and why the human body responds to physical activity. There are two primary areas of inquiry where exercise scientists focus their attention: health-related aspects of physical activity and sports performance.

In regard to health-related aspects of physical activity, exercise scientists have studied how exercise benefits health. The study of sports performance by exercise scientists involves diverse areas, which can include the growth and development of athletes, nutritional needs of athletes and movement analysis.

Sport studies is the liberal arts and sciences approach to studying human movement through the humanities and social science subdisciplines of the field. The humanities subdisciplines include sport history and sport philosophy and can be expanded to include sport art, sport communication and journalism, sport literature and sport law. The social science subdisciplines include sport psychology and sport sociology.

The Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in coaching provides the academic preparation for those students wanting a career in the coaching profession. Academic content includes study in key sports science disciplines described by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s (NASPE) domains of coaching effectiveness. This 39 credit hour concentration contains a unique sequence of subjects that focus on theory and practice of coaching. It also provides students with an experiential learning component with a coaching internship.

Program objectives are established to make students aware of the multiplicity of the demands involved in coaching and the important role that coaches have in society. Through this program, students will gain the knowledge and expertise to become successful coaches on several levels including sports programs in junior high or high school, college and at the international level.
A. General Education and Liberal Arts: 75 credit hours
General Education Courses (28 cr. hr.)
Liberal Arts Electives (29 cr. hr.)
BIO 301 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 302 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II (3 cr. hr.)
CAP 100 - Introduction to Computer Applications (3 cr. hr.)
CPN 100 - Academic Writing I (3 cr. hr.)

or
CPN 102 - Academic Writing in the Community I (4 cr. hr.)
PSY 101 - General Psychology I (3 cr. hr.)
Select Either:
CPN 101 - Academic Writing II (3 cr. hr.)

or
CPN 103 - Academic Writing in the Community II (4 cr. hr.)
B. Kinesiology Theory Core: 21 credit hours

The following courses may count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 100 - Introduction to Kinesiology (3 cr. hr.)

or
EXS 197 - History and Philosophy of Physical Education and Sport (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 287 - Social Psychological Aspects of Physical Activity (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 297 - Motor Behavior (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 351 - Philosophy of Sport (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 387 - Biomechanics (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 397 - Exercise Physiology I (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 420 - History of Physical Activity and Sport in American Culture (3 cr. hr.)
C. Concentration Requirements (must complete a concentration)
Sport Studies Concentration Requirements: 30 credit hours
ENG 260 - Literature of Sports (3 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 345 - Sport and Society (3 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 346 - Sport Psychology (3 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 410 - Ethics in Sport (3 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 445 - Women and Sport (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 468 - African-American Sport History (3 cr. hr.)
Track (courses outside the major): 12 credit hours
The track will consist of 12 credit hours outside the major comprised of appropriate courses taken from the following areas:

African American Studies (AAS)
Cinema Study (CIN)
Communication Studies (COM)
English (ENG)
Health (HLH)
History (HIS)
Philosophy (PHI)
Psychology (PSY)
Sociology (SOC)
Sport Management (SPM)
Women’s Studies (WST)

A minimum of six credit hours must have the same prefix. These 12 credit hours must not include courses that fulfill general education requirements. Students will determine these credit hours in consultation with their advisor and department approval.
Exercise Science Concentration Requirements: 24 credit hours
CHE 221 - General Chemistry I (4 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
CHE 222 - General Chemistry II (4 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
EXS 489 - Exercise Science Research Methods (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 490 - Independent Research in Exercise Science (3 cr. hr.)
PHY 105 - Elementary Mechanics and Heat (4 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.

or
PHY 201 - Principles of Physics I (4 cr. hr.)

May count toward liberal arts credit hours.
Quantitative Skills - GE 1

Three credit hours, select one course from the following:
COM 230 - Statistical Methods (3 cr. hr.)
ECO 221 - Economic Statistics (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 201 - Statistics in Exercise Science (3 cr. hr.)
MAT 201 - Statistical Methods (3 cr. hr.)
PSY 201 - Statistical Methods (3 cr. hr.)
Coaching Concentration Requirements: 39 credit hours
Category A. Required Core (28 credit hours)
ATR 421 - Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 230 - Foundations of Coaching: Principles and Theories (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 325 - Principles of Strength and Conditioning (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 346 - Sport Psychology (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 410 - Ethics in Sport (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 455 - Philosophy, Principles and the Administration of Sport (3 cr. hr.)
HLH 120 - Responding to Emergencies (2 cr. hr.)
PSY 333 - Developmental Psychology (3 cr. hr.)
SPM 311 - Legal Issues in Physical Education and Sport (3 cr. hr.)
And select one from the following:
PED 404 - Activity Clinic: Baseball (2 cr. hr.)
PED 405 - Activity Clinic: Basketball (2 cr. hr.)
PED 406 - Activity Clinic: Field Hockey (2 cr. hr.)
PED 407 - Activity Clinic: Football (2 cr. hr.)
PED 409 - Activity Clinic: Gymnastics (2 cr. hr.)
PED 411 - Activity Clinic: Ice Hockey (2 cr. hr.)
PED 412 - Activity Clinic: Lacrosse (2 cr. hr.)
PED 414 - Activity Clinic: Soccer (2 cr. hr.)
PED 415 - Activity Clinic: Softball (2 cr. hr.)
PED 416 - Activity Clinic: Swimming (2 cr. hr.)
PED 417 - Activity Clinic: Track and Field (2 cr. hr.)
PED 418 - Activity Clinic: Volleyball (2 cr. hr.)
PED 419 - Activity Clinic: Wrestling (2 cr. hr.)
Category B. Practica/Internship Requirements (8 credit hours)
EXS 260 - Coaching Practicum I (1 cr. hr.)
EXS 360 - Coaching Practicum II (1 cr. hr.)
EXS 475 - Internship in Coaching (6 cr. hr.)
Category C. Required Workshops (non-credit)

CAR: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
SAVE: School Violence Prevention Training
Category D. Concentration Elective

(Choose at least three credit hours; students may also choose additional electives)
SPM 345: Sport in Society
ATR 352 - Strength and Conditioning for Athletic Trainers (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 357 - Nutrition and Sport Performance (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 435 - Neuromuscular Fitness Assessment and Programming (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 438 - Cardio-Respiratory Fitness Assessment and Programming (3 cr. hr.)
EXS 450 - Disability and Sport (3 cr. hr.)

(also listed as SPM 450)
SPM 238 - Sport Videography (3 cr. hr.)
SPM 335 - Information Technology in Sport (3 cr. hr.)
D. Exercise Science, Sport Studies and Coaching Activity Requirements
Sport Studies Concentration Activity Requirements: Five credit hours
Aquatics activity elective
Activity electives
PED 181 - Adventure Activities (1 cr. hr.)
PED 182 - Health-Related Physical Fitness (1 cr. hr.)
Exercise Science Concentration Activity Requirements: Five credit hours
Aquatics activity elective
Activity electives
PED 182 - Health-Related Physical Fitness (1 cr. hr.)
Coaching Concentration Activity Requirements: Five credit hours
Aquatics activity elective
Activity electives
PED 181 - Adventure Activities (1 cr. hr.)
PED 182 - Health-Related Physical Fitness (1 cr. hr.)
E. Free Electives
Sport Studies Concentration: 16 credit hours
Exercise Science Concentration: 27 credit hours
Coaching Concentration: 7 credit hours
Total Credit Hours Required for Graduation: 124

Curriculum

This program offers a broad curriculum including courses in philosophy, law, psychology, sociology, administration, motor behavior, exercise physiology, and history. It matches the needs and interests of the students with the strengths of the faculty. The curriculum is primarily geared toward those interested in teaching and coaching at the elementary, secondary and collegiate levels. There are also opportunities for those wishing to combine teaching and coaching with administrative duties within similar educational settings.
The 30-unit course of study leads to the Master of Arts degree in Sport Studies, and there are two ways of completing the degree requirements.

The summer-based program is a 25-month course of study involving three intensive summer sessions with two three-unit classes to be taken in any of the intervening fall and spring terms. Comprehensive examinations are taken at the end of the third summer. The student may also choose to do a thesis in lieu of the examinations.

Year-round Program

The year-round program is a 14-month course of study involving two intensive summer sessions with 14 units to be taken during the fall and spring terms between these summers. Comprehensive examinations are taken at the end of the second summer. The thesis option is also available to students choosing this alternative.

graduate programs
The Program

At the center of the Kinesiology Graduate Program in Sport Studies is the exploration of human beings engaged in physical activity. The program is designed to ensure that graduate students are exposed to the breadth and depth of classical and contemporary knowledge in the component areas of the field. It takes advantage of the finest things about Saint Mary’s College: an interest in the student as a person, an emphasis on shared inquiry and critical thinking, and a respect for new and different ways of knowing.
The Students

Though most students come to the program with degrees in Kinesiology or related academic areas, many others have degrees from diverse fields like sociology, environmental science, nutritional science and English. They are united by their interest in teaching and coaching in this discipline and many are already working professionals in the field. Most are from the San Francisco Bay Area, though our summer-based curriculum option allows some to travel here from distant areas.