School of Education - Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education

The academic mission of the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education is to promote health and well-being across the lifespan through the teaching and study of human movement. More specifically, health and well-being are being promoted in the department through the teaching and study of (a) enhancement of exercise performance, (b) education for wellness and disease prevention, (c) control and learning of movement skills, (d) sport injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, and (e) stress reduction and relaxation. This mission is accomplished through the generation of scientific knowledge, preparation of scholars/practitioners, and application of knowledge to service programs that respond to the needs of Pennsylvania and the nation.

In addition to the department's strong focus on educating the general population, the department has ongoing research programs and services for special populations that contribute to the promotion of physical and mental health, general wellness, and active lifestyles throughout the lifespan.

Contact Information

Graduate Coordinator

Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education

140 Trees Hall

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone: (412) 648-8320

Fax: (412) 648-7092

E-mail: hpred@pitt.edu

Web site: http://www.education.pitt.edu/hpred/hpred.html

Admission

In addition to submitting the materials specified earlier for all master's or doctoral degree programs in the School of Education, applicants to programs in the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education must submit the following additional information, depending on the degree program being pursued:

Admission Requirements for the Master's Degree

Master's degree applicants must submit a written statement of career goals and degree objectives that includes an area of specialization (Developmental Movement, Exercise Physiology, Health Promotion and Education, or Sports Medicine).

Additional Admission Requirements for the Master of Health Promotion and Education Degree

In addition to the school-wide and master's specific items detailed above, applicants to the Master of Health Promotion and Education (MHPE) must offer the following:

1. satisfactory GRE scores
2. demonstrated commitment to health promotion
3. satisfactory completion of three credits of biological science, six credits of behavioral science, and three credits of college algebra or higher level mathematics

Admission Requirements for the Doctoral Degree

In addition to submitting the materials specified earlier for all doctoral degree programs in the School of Education, applicants must submit a sample of professional writing in the form of a previously completed term paper, master's thesis, article, etc., and have a personal interview with at least one faculty member within the program.

Degree Options

The Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education is currently organized around four major areas:

The department offers a MS degree in Health, Physical, and Recreation Education with programs in Developmental Movement, Exercise Physiology, and Sports Medicine; each program offers a thesis and non-thesis option. The department also offers a Master of Health Promotion and Education (MHPE). The PhD degree in Health, Physical, and Recreation Education is available in the Developmental Movement, Exercise Physiology, and Sports Medicine programs.

Developmental Movement Program

The Developmental Movement Program focuses on the control and learning of motor skills; how perception, attention and memory impact this process; the underlying neurological correlates; and the sociological context in which people move. The curriculum includes study of the mechanisms underlying motor performance and learning as well as applications to therapeutic settings and to the design of instructional programs in sport and physical education. Students specialize in a combination of motor development, motor learning, and motor control. The specialization provides research opportunities in the Motor Behavior Laboratory and clinical experiences in the Kinder Kinetics Program. It also interfaces with other academic units such as Information Science, Psychology, Sociology, Communication Science and Disorders, and the Learning Research and Development Center.

Exercise Physiology Program

The Exercise Physiology Program focuses on the biodynamics of exercise, its role in the training and conditioning of sport participants, its benefits as a therapeutic agent in the prevention and rehabilitation of disease, and as an adjunct to healthful living. The program includes an integrated core of knowledge in these foci as well as advanced study in each. The Exercise Physiology curriculum has extensive academic and research interaction with the School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health. Research experiences in such areas as cardiovascular limitations to exercise performance, exercise prescription, ergogenic aids, and the physiological basis of perceived exertion are available in the Human Energy Research Laboratory (HERL) and Sport Science Research Laboratory. Experiences in exercise evaluation, prescription, and supervision are also available. Clinical and research internships are available in the HERL, Faculty and Staff Wellness program, and regional hospitals and school districts.

Health Promotion and Education Program

The Master of Health Promotion and Education (MHPE) degree, offered jointly with the Graduate School of Public Health, enables professionals to meet the growing demand for health promotion and disease prevention services in diverse populations. Graduates enter a variety of organizational settings to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to promote health and wellness. The 45-credit hour curriculum is guided by a set of competencies which health educators are expected to master. These competencies were developed by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing and include the following:

1. assessing individual and community needs for health education
2. planning effective health education programs
3. implementing health education programs
4. evaluating effectiveness of health education programs
5. coordinating the provision of health education services
6. acting as a resource person in health education
7. communicating health and health education needs, concerns, and resources

Course work includes health behavior theory, statistics, various research methodologies, and pedagogy skills. In addition, a series of integrated courses address the following content areas: lifestyle behaviors, nutrition, exercise physiology, stress management, and mental health. The final requirement of the program is the completion of a supervised field practicum in a professional setting. Students must then prepare and defend a formal, written analysis of their practicum experience as it relates to their course work. Graduates of the MHPE program are eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination.

Sports Medicine Program

The Sports Medicine Program focuses on providing the student with enhanced knowledge in pathokinesiology of orthopedic and athletic injuries, a basis for interpreting and participating in sports medicine research and a foundation in the athletic training services to high schools, colleges and universities, professional sports organizations, as well as within private sports medicine clinics within the Pittsburgh community. The student has experiences in the Neuromuscular Laboratory, which examines experimental models for enhanced management and rehabilitation of sports and orthopedic related injuries. Students must have Athletic Training certification to apply for this program.

Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education Courses

HPRED 2000 Adapted Physical Education

HPRED 2001 Adapted Physical Education Practicum

HPRED 2176 Graded Exercise Testing

HPRED 2267 Orthopedic Assessment/Treatment of Athletic Injury

HPRED 2268 Seminar in Sports Medicine

HPRED 2269 Anatomical Basis of Sports Medicine

HPRED 2320 Stress Management

HPRED 2321 Lifestyles and Health

HPRED 2322 Comprehensive Health Education for Tomorrow (Cross-listed with EDUC 2107)

HPRED 2323 Mental Health Education

HPRED 2371 Advanced Exercise Physiology

HPRED 2372 Advanced Exercise Physiology Lab

HPRED 2372 Exercise Specialist Workshop

HPRED 2374 Exercise Testing, Prescription, and Supervision

HPRED 2375 Research and Experimental Design in Exercise Physiology

HPRED 2378 Graded Exercise Testing

HPRED 2379 Exercise Leadership

HPRED 2390 Nutrition in Sport and Exercise

HPRED 2395 Exercise and Aging

HPRED 2401 Sport Psychology

HPRED 2402 Motor Learning

HPRED 2403 Psychomotor Development (Cross-listed with EDUC 2006)

HPRED 2410 Computers in HPRED Research

HPRED 2413 Curriculum Design for Physical Education

HPRED 2420 Child in Sport

HPRED 2430 Psychomotor Testing

HPRED 2431 Movement Education

HPRED 2440 Mechanisms of Neuromotor Control

HPRED 2462 Gender in Sport

HPRED 2463 Physiological Bases of Movement

HPRED 2470 Therapeutic and Sport Massage

HPRED 2990 Research Seminar in HPRED

HPRED 2995 Special Topics

HPRED 2996 Clinical Internship

HPRED 2997 Independent Study

HPRED 2998 Directed Study

HPRED 2999 Master's Thesis Research

HPRED 3320 Tension Control

HPRED 3371 Selected Topics in Exercise Physiology

HPRED 3374 Advanced Lab Techniques

HPRED 3375 Perceived Exertion

HPRED 3377 Cardiovascular Case Studies

HPRED 3378 Skeletal Muscular Biochemical Exercise

HPRED 3379 Exercise Leadership

HPRED 3400 Advanced Research Methods in Movement Science

HPRED 3402 Seminar in Motor Learning

HPRED 3403 Seminar in Motor Development

HPRED 3404 College Teaching Practicum

HPRED 3440 Seminar in Motor Control

HPRED 3441 Instructional Psychology of Motor Skills

HPRED 3442 Developmental Skill Acquisition

HPRED 3461 Play and Sport

HPRED 3995 Special Topics

HPRED 3996 Clinical Internship

HPRED 3997 Independent Study

HPRED 3998 Directed Study

HPRED 3999 Doctoral Dissertation Research