2021-22 Academic Catalog

Department of Kinesiology

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.msstate.edu.

Department Head: Stanley P. Brown
Office: 216 McCarthy Gym

Division of Exercise Science Coordinator: John Lamberth
Office: 235 McCarthy Gym

Division of Sport Studies Coordinator: Brad Vickers
Office: 123 McCarthy Gym

The Department of Kinesiology offers five undergraduate concentrations: Physical Education and Coaching (PEC), Neuromechanics (NM), Performance Fitness (PF), Clinical Exercise Physiology (CLEP), and Sport Administration (SA).

Community college transfer hours not to exceed 62 semester hours may be applied to the Kinesiology degree program.

All concentrations require the specified course requirements cited within the General Education and major core listings below. Specified area content courses vary among the five concentrations and are listed following the core section. Pre-Occupational Therapy and Pre-Physical Therapy curricula have different core and program requirements. Students electing to pursue Pre-OT or Pre-PT should consult their advisor.

Physical Education and Coaching Concentration (PECO)

Major Advisors: J.J. Chen, Debby Funderburk, Elizabeth Palmer, Brad Vickers, and Glen Young

The physical education and coaching concentration requires 124 semester hours of prescribed courses to complete the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. The curriculum is designed to meet the need of students interested in becoming physical education teachers in public and private schools. The teaching block of courses must be included in the on-campus requirement of 32 semester hours of junior and senior courses. Students who complete the program will be eligible for teacher licensure by the Mississippi Department of Education.

Neuromechanics Concentration (NRMC)

Major Advisors: Harish Chander, J.J. Chen, Adam Knight, Elizabeth Palmer, and Zhujun Pan

The Neuromechanics concentration requires 124 semester hours of prescribed courses to complete a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. The Neuromechanics concentration combines the disciplines of "neuroscience" and "biomechanics" and deals with the study of human movement accomplished by the interaction of the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems of the human body. Students learn concepts of the neuromechanical basis of kinesiology in the development, learning, control, and production of human movement. This enhances their knowledge and understanding of neural, biomechanical, cognitive, and behavioral mechanisms underlying human movements to help improve performance and prevent injuries in a variety of populations ranging from recreational, athletic, occupational, geriatric, and special populations such as Downs' syndrome, autism, and Parkinson's disease. The curriculum provides students a foundation in the mechanisms underlying human movement to prepare them for careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine/physician assistance, neuromechanics, human factors ergonomics, sport science, and disability and rehabilitation science. 

Performance Fitness Concentration (PRFT)

Major Advisors: Megan Holmes, Elizabeth Palmer, and JohnEric Smith

The Performance Fitness concentration provides students with the necessary knowledge to incorporate  exercise physiology concepts into activates that enhance fitness and performance. This concentration covers everything from the development of plans to enhance fitness in apparently healthy populations to improving performance in elite athletes. Performance Fitness takes into consideration a combination of the physiological, biomechanical, and psychological aspects of training in the development of individual and team needs for customized programming. The concentration serves as the foundation for students to become sport scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, and specialists within corporate fitness/wellness programs. 

Clinical Exercise Physiology Concentration (CLEP)

Major Advisors: Stamatis Agiovlasitis, Harish Chander, Erin Grant-Butler, Megan Holmes, Lee Ann Joe, Adam Knight, John Lamberth, Elizabeth Palmer, Zhujun Pan, JohnEric Smith, Ben Wax, and Holly Wiley

The clinical exercise physiology concentration is designed as a professional preparation program of study that enables students to work in clinical settings as exercise physiologists in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, or other clinical rehabilitation settings, such as those for individuals with diabetes, orthopedic limitations, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, renal failure, obesity, and in programs dealing with issues of aging. The clinical exercise physiology concentration also provides students with the necessary background to pursue graduate health professions, such as physical or occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, medicine, or other graduate level educational programs.

Sport Administration Concentration (SPAD)

Major Advisors: Younghan Lee, Soyoun Lim, Matthew Rye, Matthew Zimmerman, and Greggory Twietmeyer

The Sport Administration concentration provides students with knowledge and skills necessary for careers in the sport industry. A concentration in Sport Administration helps prepare students to work in such fields as sport marketing & promotions, sporting event and/or facility management & operations, sport communication & media relations, and other administrative areas at the professional, collegiate, and recreational levels of the industry. The program seeks to combine classroom education with hands-on experience, as all students will complete an internship in the sport industry prior to graduation. Students choosing a concentration in Sport Administration choose either the Business, Communication, or Foreign Language cognate field.

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