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Registrar's Web Team
19 August 1997
Degrees Offered
Master of Arts
Master of Education
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Education
Excellent teaching and research laboratories are available to graduate students in kinesiology and health education. Special classrooms and computer facilities are available, as well as teaching laboratories for human anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor control and learning, physical development and aging, and athletic training. Research laboratories are available for both basic and applied research with whole-body and subcellular investigations. Also available for field research are various schools, institutions, and agencies in Austin and surrounding communities.
Students major in health education or kinesiology. Health education offers a broad spectrum of study in health promotion germane to the biocultural and biosocial foundations of health through the life cycle. Students have the opportunity to design a course of study suited to their interests and the research interests of the faculty. The program aims to probe the interface of biology and culture by providing students with a solid background in the biological and behavioral foundations of health. The major in health education is designed to emphasize preparation for research and the highest levels of professional practice.
Students in kinesiology specialize in sports administration or exercise science; in exercise science, students may pursue in-depth study of biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor control and learning, or physical development and aging.
Students in either health education or kinesiology may also pursue a broader program, without specialization, that leads to the Master of Education degree.
A student who lacks the prerequisite coursework described in this section may be admitted to the Graduate School, but he or she must then complete coursework in the appropriate areas in addition to degree requirements.
Health Education
Health education. To be admitted to the Master of Education program without specialization, the applicant must have completed an undergraduate major or at least twelve semester hours of upper-division coursework in physical education, kinesiology, or health education.
Health promotion. An applicant to the Master of Arts or Master of Education degree program with specialization in health promotion must have completed an undergraduate major in health education or a related discipline; the applicant must have completed at least three semester hours of coursework in each of the following areas: theory and methods of health education and/or health promotion, biological sciences, behavioral sciences, and statistics.
Doctoral degree programs. An undergraduate major in health education or a related discipline is required; the student must hold a master's degree or the equivalent and must have completed at least three semester hours of coursework in each of the following areas: biological sciences, behavioral sciences, theory and methods of health education and/or health promotion, and statistics. The applicant must also be sponsored by a member of the Graduate Studies Committee. Applicants to the PhD program must demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research.
Kinesiology
Kinesiology. To be admitted to the Master of Education program without specialization, the applicant must have completed an undergraduate major or at least twelve semester hours of upper-division coursework in physical education, kinesiology, or health education.
Exercise science. An applicant to the Master of Arts, Master of Education, or doctoral degree program with specialization in exercise science must have an undergraduate major in kinesiology or a related discipline; the student must have completed coursework in the following areas: human anatomy, exercise physiology, motor control and learning, and biomechanics. Doctoral applicants must also be sponsored by a member of the Graduate Studies Committee and must demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research.
Sports administration. For admission to the Master of Arts or Master of Education degree program with specialization in sports administration, an undergraduate major in kinesiology or a related discipline is required; the student must have completed coursework in management and marketing and in two of the following areas: sport ethics, sport law, and sport sociology.
Degree Requirements
Master of Arts
Master of Arts with thesis. The kinesiology program consists of at least thirty semester hours of graduate study. The health education program consists of at least thirty-six semester hours of graduate study. Students concentrate coursework and research in an area of departmental specialization. Of the nine semester hours of upper-division coursework allowed in the program, no more than six hours may be included in either the major or the minor. The minor field consists of six semester hours taken outside the department. A statistics course, a research methods course, and the thesis course are required.
Master of Arts with report. This option is available only in kinesiology. The program consists of at least thirty-three semester hours of graduate study. Students concentrate coursework and research in an area of departmental specialization. Of the nine semester hours of upper-division coursework allowed in the program, no more than six hours may be included in either the major or the minor. The minor field consists of six semester hours taken outside the department. A statistics course, a course in research methods, and the report course are required.
Master of Education
This degree program consists of at least thirty-six semester hours of graduate study. Students concentrate coursework in an area of departmental specialization or pursue a broader program by majoring in either kinesiology or health education. Of the nine semester hours of upper-division coursework allowed in the program, no more than six hours may be included in either the major or the minor. All specializations require at least twenty-one semester hours of approved coursework within the department and six hours outside the department. To complete any of the specializations, satisfactory performance in an approved culminating experience is required.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree designed to prepare students as scholars in a designated area of specialization.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in health education provides a specialization in health promotion. Each student designs a program appropriate to his or her research interests that includes the study of both the biological and the behavioral components of health. The program must include at least twelve semester hours of core coursework in health education and a twenty-four-hour area concentration. The area concentration must consist of twelve hours of organized coursework taken within and twelve hours taken outside the department. In addition, the student must complete nine hours of graduate coursework in statistics, twelve hours of supporting work outside the department, research experience that includes at least six hours of independent study, and eighteen hours in the dissertation courses.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in kinesiology involves specialization in exercise science with in-depth study in biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor control and learning, or physical development and aging. Each student completes coursework in preparation for a comprehensive examination in one of these four areas. The program also includes an exercise science elective taken outside the area of specialization; six semester hours of graduate coursework in statistics, biometry, or an appropriate area of mathematics; nine hours of supporting work outside the department; research experience that includes at least six hours of independent study; and eighteen hours in the dissertation courses.
During the student's first year in the program, the student and the adviser form a committee including two other faculty members chosen on the basis of the student's research interests. This advisory committee supervises the student's program of study, which also must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Prior to admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree, the student must successfully complete the comprehensive examination covering the area of specialization. The student must present the dissertation proposal to the Graduate Studies Committee. The dissertation must represent an independent scholarly investigation of a problem pertinent to the field of kinesiology or health education. It deals with basic questions in the area of specialization and must constitute a scholarly contribution to the body of knowledge in the profession.
More detailed program descriptions and requirements for each of the specializations are available from the graduate adviser.
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education is a professional degree program that emphasizes preparation for the highest levels of educational practice.
The Doctor of Education with a major in health education is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in educational institutions, community health care settings, business and industry, government agencies, and voluntary health agencies. Minimum requirements are twelve semester hours of core courses in health education; nine hours of applied research; a twenty-four-hour concentration of organized coursework that includes fifteen hours in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and twelve hours (the minor) in one of the following: administration, adult learning and human resources development, curriculum and program design, health communications, program evaluation, public affairs, and human development; and eighteen hours in the dissertation courses. The program normally includes a three- to nine-hour internship in an operational setting that is distinct from previous or concurrent work experience.
During the student's first year in the program, the student and the adviser form a committee including two other faculty members chosen on the basis of the student's research interests. This advisory committee supervises the student's program of study, which must also be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Prior to admission to cndidacy for the degree, the student must successfully complete the comprehensive examination covering the area of specialization. The student must present the dissertation proposal to the Graduate Studies Committee. The dissertation must represent an independent scholarly investigation of a problem pertinent to the field of health education. It must be an original contribution to scholarship based on an investigation of problems associated with professional practice.
More detailed program descriptions and requirements for each of the specializations are available from the graduate adviser.
The University also has approval to offer the Doctor of Education degree with a major in kinesiology. For information about the status of this program, contact the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education.
Campus address: L. Theo Bellmont Hall (BEL) 222, Phone (512)
471-1273, Fax
(512) 471-8914
Mailing address: Graduate Program, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1287
E-mail: pessb@mail.utexas.edu
URL: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/coe/depts/kin/
Chapter Four
Graduate Catalog
Contents
Chapter 1: Graduate Study
Chapter 2: Admission and Registration
Chapter 3: Degree Requirements
Chapter 4: Fields of Study
Chapter 5: Members of Graduate Studies Committees
Appendix: Course Abbreviations
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