Master's of Science in Sport Studies

Sport Behavior and Performance Program Concentration

     The sport behavior and performance program is designed to provide breadth and depth of knowledge concerning the behavior of participants in competitive sport. While the primary knowledge orientation is psychological, students are expected to engage in cross-disciplined inquiries. Cognate courses in this area, therefore, also examine sport behaviors from developmental, physiological, historical, and socio-cultural perspectives. The majority of students in this program also complete internships in coaching or other sport-related positions. Students are prepared for work as teachers, coaches, and counselors in the public and private sectors. Students have been accepted into doctoral programs at the University of Illinois, Michigan State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Many students have found collegiate coaching positions, and a few have joined the professional coaching ranks.

The following courses are required for Sport Behavior and Performance program majors.

• PHS 615 Knowledge Systems in Exercise, Sport, and Health Studies (4 credit hours)
• PHS 631 Physiological and Motoric Aspects of Sport (4 credit hours)
• PHS 632 Psychological Foundations of Sport (4 credit hours)
• PHS 675 Career Patterns in Sport and Physical Education I (4 credit hours)
• PHS 676 Career Patterns in Sport and Physical Education II (4 credit hours)
• PHS 673 Developmental Perspectives on Youth Sport Participation (3 credit hours)

Sport Organization Program Concentration

     The sport organization program is designed to provide breadth and depth of knowledge concerning how play, games, and sport relate to general features of social organization and social relations, and thereby, to gain comprehensive insights into the institutional arrangements and cultural values of society. The major premise is that play, games, and sports are culturally central to the life experiences of social classes and status groups in our society and to the power relationships that are characteristic of the interactions between them. Coursework provides opportunities for students to evaluate how social class, ethnicity, race and gender contour our enculturation into and via play, games and sport. It also enables students to understand the historical development of contemporary sporting practices. The content of the courses is not just descriptive; rather, it is critical and evaluative. Students have been accepted into doctoral programs such as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Illinois. Interns have been placed in organizations such as the United States Olympic Training Center, the Cincinnati Reds, and the United States Gymnastics Federation.

The following courses are required for Sport Organization program majors:

• PHS 615 Knowledge Systems in Exercise, Sport, and Health Studies (4 credit hours)
• PHS 675 Career Patterns in Sport and Physical Education I (4 credit hours)
• PHS 676 Career Patterns in Sport and Physical Education II (4 credit hours)
• PHS 571 Sport, Leisure, and Aging (4 credit hours)
• PHS 572 Sport in Schools and Colleges (4 credit hours)
• PHS 574 Sport and Modernization (4 credit hours)
• PHS 673 Developmental Perspectives on Youth Sport Participation (3 credit hours)