The Health, Exercise, and Sport Studies (HESS) department's focus is on the study of health within the tradition of physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as community and individual well-being.  The study of physical exercise explores the relationships between the structure of the body and its function.  The study of sports seeks to examine the pervasive social institution of sports from a variety of perspectives, applying theory to the experience of the individual, the community, and the sports context. The course list outlined below is a representative sample only. A comprehensive course list for current terms is available on the registration database.

Major Requirements

Four Core Courses:

HESS 100History and Organization of Sport in the U.S.
HESS 101Fundamentals of Health
HESS 203Research Methods in Health, Exercise and Sport Studies
HESS 204Structure, Function, and Adaptation in the Human Body

​Six 300-level HESS courses:
 

At least one course must be taken from the Health Subfield, one from Exercise Subfield, and one from the Sport Studies Subfield. Examples include:

Health subfield

HESS 300Personal and Community Health
HESS 303Therapeutic Modalities
HESS 305Chronic Disease Prevention
HESS 312Health Behavioral Theory
HESS 315Orthopedic Injury and Illness Assessment
HESS 338Anatomy & Physiology: Renal, Integumentary, Digestive, Endocrine, Reproductive

Exercise subfield

HESS 304Kinesiology
HESS 314Motor Learning and Control
HESS 316Exercise Physiology
HESS 317Therapeutic Exercise in Athletic Training
HESS 326Lifetime Motor Development
HESS 337Anatomy & Physiology: Musculoskeletal, Neuro, Cardiorespiratory

Sport studies subfield

HESS 301Psychology of Sport
HESS 306The Philosophical Athlete: Meanings of Sport
HESS 307Youth Sports in the United States
HESS 308The Black Athlete in the U.S.
HESS 310Organization and Administration of Athletics and Physical Education
HESS 311Leadership Theory and Development Through Sport
HESS 312Health Behavioral Theory

A Yearlong Senior Experience:

HESS 451
& HESS 452		Senior Research
and Senior Research
Or
HESS 450Senior Practicum (taken in the fall and spring terms)