MASTER OF EDUCATION IN HEALTH AND SPORT SCIENCE

Health Education Option: The goal of Health Education option is to educate professionals who help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Health education specialists promote health and wellness and are trained to collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. Students in the Health Education option utilize theoretical models of attitude and behavioral change in assessing educational needs, designing educational interventions, evaluating the effectiveness of program efforts, and advocating for creative and competent health education opportunities. These skills prepare graduates for various employment positions in local, state and national government, K-12 schools and community colleges, health care facilities, worksite wellness programs, and nonprofit organizations. Students are encouraged to pursue certification: Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).

1. Assess needs, assets and capacity for health education.
2. Plan health education and promotion activities.
3. Implement health education and promotion programs.
4. Conduct program evaluation and research in health education.
5. Serve as health education resource person.
6. Administer and manage health education.
7. Communicate and advocate for health and health education.

Sport Administration/Management Option: The Sport Administration/Management option is designed to serve graduate students interested in professional management or administrative opportunities in professional sports, interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics administration, sports facilities, sports media, and sports marketing and management agencies. The goal of this option is to balance theory and practice in order to best prepare each graduate for employment in the field of sport administration and management. Future employment for Sports Administration/Management graduates would consider employment within intercollegiate athletics (including athletic departments, conferences, and national associations), professional sport organizations (teams and leagues), sport facilities, sports tours, corporate sports organizations (sports agencies), and the sports media.

1. Demonstrate the ability to understand managerial and leadership competencies utilized in professional sport organizations and institutional sport organizations.
2. Apply a fundamental knowledge and practical understanding of sport marketing, communication, and event management principles.
3. Incorporate an understanding of ethical and legal aspects of sport including state/federal legislation, liability, risk management, contracts, and collective bargaining.
4. Incorporate an understanding of the finance of sport organizations including key elements of budgeting, accounting, fund raising, and revenue development.
5. Develop competency in the management of sport facilities including fundamental concepts of planning, design, and construction.