Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science

Website: www.iup.edu/kines
Joshua Castle, Chair

The Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science provides the following services:

Instruction in health and wellness courses as part of the university’s Liberal Studies requirement
Instruction in health and physical education courses as physical education course electives
An undergraduate program in health and physical education that leads to the bachelor of science in education degree with three programs of study: Teacher Education with potential to earn certification to teach in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Community Health Education, and Recreation and Leisure Studies.
Bachelor of science program in physical education and sport, which includes programs in exercise science, pre-athletic training, and sport administration
Bachelor of science degree program in athletic training
Certification program in driver education

Required Program—Liberal Studies

The department, through its Health and Wellness course in the Liberal Studies program, seeks to enhance the overall well-being of students through instruction planned to promote and maintain desirable levels of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Self-responsibility in the following dimensions of wellness is emphasized: nutritional awareness, stress awareness and management, exercise and fitness, substance use and abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases/AIDS. The importance of reducing risk factors for chronic degenerative disease and managing lifestyle factors for promotion of health is presented with implications for both the present and future. Information is provided during class lectures and enhanced by a variety of practical learning experiences that give students opportunities for self-assessment and personal application of the subject matter.

In addition, the department offers a variety of 1-credit activity courses focusing on physical fitness and the development of skills essential for recreation and lifetime sports. Instruction may be offered in activities such as golf, resistive exercise, scuba, swimming, and tennis.

The university’s Liberal Studies requirements require that each student successfully complete KHSS 143 or its alternates, FDNT 143 or NURS 143 . Students may also elect to take 4 credits of the ROTC program (MLSC 101 -MLSC 102 ) as an alternate to the wellness courses. Activity courses will continue to be offered, although they are no longer required. It is encouraged and recommended that students choose these courses as elective credits.