Hands-On Learning
In classes like Cardiovascular and Flexibility Training, you'll apply fundamental theories to your own fitness level as you fully learn about techniques that you'll soon be teaching.
Ohio Wesleyan offers three different Health and Human Kinetics majors to align with your interests and prepare you for careers in a growing field promoting individual and public health.
To become a health and human kinetics expert, it's essential that learning takes place in the field. The real-world application of knowledge that defines The OWU Connection is vital to preparing you for a flourishing HHK career. At OWU, you master the theories of your field when you apply them to your life and to the lives of others. Opportunities such as hands-on coursework, field experience, travel-learning, and internships are built into the curriculum, and they start from your very first semester.
Students in Health and Human Kinetics select from three options:
Health and Human Kinetics focuses on the comprehensive study and practice of human movement and exercise and its impact on health and physical performance. The HHK General major promotes an interdisciplinary understanding of health and human movement, drawing on both the social and natural sciences. You will develop knowledge and practical skills related to community health promotion and chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation through the use of lifestyle management, focusing on physical activity and nutrition programming.
HHK General is dedicated to creating and advancing knowledge that promotes healthy individuals and communities through physical activity and nutrition. The General major prepares you for a variety of options within the field and allows for an integrative approach to building a course of study.
See the requirements and courses.
With a strong foundation in science and a real-world focus, the Exercise Science major prepares you for immediate careers in a variety of fields related to exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sport medicine; graduate study; and direct entry to upper-level certifications in the rehabilitation and fitness industries. The Exercise Science major focuses on applied concepts of exercise and physical activity as it relates to healthy, injured, and high-risk populations.
It combines coursework in exercise prescription, anatomy, and physiology; lab and research opportunities; hands-on experience in exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, and exercise testing; and practical experiences with client interaction and community outreach initiatives to help you hone interpersonal and professional skills to evaluate client needs and integrate the information into rehabilitation or exercise programs.
Many students follow a pre-professional degree track that prepares them for graduate programs for health professions such as physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic, physicians assistant, nursing, or exercise physiology, biometrics, or kinesiology.
See the requirements and courses.
Prepare for a successful career in sports management. In this major, you will take business-related courses that help you build the solid foundation of business knowledge needed to help sports organizations be successful in a multibillion dollar industry. You will acquire real-world, hands-on learning opportunities that prepare you for the variety of environments you may find in your career. Every Sports and Exercise Management major completes at least one sports administratio internship before graduating.
In completing a Sports Management degree, you will develop the ability to work with a wide range of people who share a common passion for sports and exercise, becoming a vital part of a sports or exercise organization. The field provides unforgettable experiences, and it includes career opportunities across the country.
The increasing growth in the sports industry and exercise in the U.S. has sparked a demand for sports and exercise management professionals. In fact, sports-related businesses are ranked in the top 15 industries in the country. Career opportunities for graduates of sports management programs vary from working for local, private, chain, or nonprofit organizations to pursuing positions with professional sports teams.
See the requirements and courses.
About one-third of OWU students complete more than one major to expand their opportunities and follow their interests. For students majoring in Exercise Science, Psychology has been a popular second major. Students in Sports and Exercise Management frequently choose to also major in Business Administration or Management Economics.
Undergraduate research, performed under the mentorship of expert faculty, is a central component of The OWU Connection. A Theory-to-Practice Grant could fund your original research, internship, or creative project throughout the world.
Students in all HHK majors often work with faculty members and OWU coaches on research projects that they present at the Student Symposium and sometimes publish in professional journals.
From your first year on campus, you can get off campus with Travel-Learning Courses, a key part of The OWU Connection. Journey to a distant land and immerse yourself in another culture. Learn how classroom theory truly connects with real-world experience. You can also study abroad for a full semester or apply for OWU Connection grants to conduct projects all over the world.
The most recent Travel-Learning Courses in HHK have taken students to Italy for studies of obesity, food philosophies, and traditions.
Every HHK major completes a 120-hour internship during their junior or senior year. Internship opportunities help synthesize learning outcomes; build networking contacts; hone analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Internship opportunities exist in various areas under the umbrella of Health and Human Kinetics, focusing on areas of interest to each student. Students frequently complete internships with health and exercise centers, professional sports teams, community agencies, and businesses. Students also gain experience with Fit OWU, Special Olympics, and OWU's Early Childhood Center.
Students across OWU care deeply about making the world a better place. Through the OWU Connection, students participate in community service projects in central Ohio and around the world. Spring break service teams take on projects across the country, and other groups and individuals use OWU Connection Grants to connect their classroom learning with hands-on service.
OWU's Health & Human Kinetics Department operates the Cooking Matters program, where students learn about preparing nutritious meals on a budget, and then teach classes on the topic in the community.
OWU faculty are outstanding scholars and researchers—and passionate teachers. They will push you, challenge you, inspire you, and work with you on your own research and creative projects.
They can even pack a 3-minute lecture with ideas, insight, and imagination. Check out our unique I³ lectures.
In classes like Cardiovascular and Flexibility Training, you'll apply fundamental theories to your own fitness level as you fully learn about techniques that you'll soon be teaching.
The Health & Human Kinetics Department is in the same building as Edwards Gymnasium and the Simpson Querrey Fitness Center. The connected buildings also include a dance studio and athletic offices.
As a junior or senior you will complete a 120-hour internship in your chosen area of concentration. You will experience the effort and responsibility that comes with your potential career.
In courses like Motor Learning and Exercise Prescription, you'll learn to prescribe exercise regimens and nutritional plans for adults. You will go through the same process you would in your professional career — plan, teach, observe, and make decisions to positively impact the health of each individual.
Amanda majored in HHK Ex Science, her Honors project was titled: "Impact of COVID-19 on School-Based Occupational Therapists: Lessons Learned".
Amanda was accepted into the OTD program at the Top-rated OT school in the country, University of Pittsburgh! Amanda recently presented her Honor's poster at the American Occupational Therapy Association's national conference.
Many of our graduates pursue careers in physical and occupational therapy. OWU has a 3/2 master's program agreement with Washington University of St. Louis in occupational therapy program-MSOT. If your goal is to apply to a graduate school in physical therapy or occupational therapy, we offer academic guidance and access to the courses and electives necessary for graduate application in those fields.
Graduate Patrick Trenor, physical education teacher and coach at Urbana High School, says: "I was lucky to have a great group of professors who really cared about my individual success and were mentors to me throughout my four years at OWU."
Recent graduates have earned graduate degrees in areas such as Public Health, Exercise Physiology, and Nutritional Sciences at schools such as American University, Ohio University, and the University of Connecticut. Exercise Science graduate Grant Geib '09 earned his master's in kinesiology from the University of Tennessee and is now Director of Strength and Conditioning for Western Michigan University Football. He says: "When I got to graduate school and started coaching, I already had years of practice leading up to it. The real-world application of the OWU program gave me a head start."
Recent graduates have begun careers in sport management and coaching with the Cleveland Indians, George Washington University Athletic Department, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduating in 2014 Cassie Fowler joined the famed Durham Bulls Baseball Club in Durham, N.C., and is now assistant manager of group sales.
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