Skip to Content

This is an archived copy of the 2013-15 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health

The field of kinesiology consists of biomechanical, physiological, psychological, managerial, epidemiological, rehabilitative, and sociocultural approaches to the study of human movement and personal and public health. The Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health degree program offers five majors: exercise science, physical culture and sports, health promotion, sport management, and applied movement science.

The applied movement science program is designed for students interested in studying human movement as a background for helping others develop motor skills, physically active lifestyles and fitness. Students who successfully complete the program can be recommended for teacher certification in physical education. The exercise science program is appropriate preparation for further study in sport and exercise sciences or in movement-related areas such as physical therapy and sport medicine. The health promotion major is designed to prepare graduates for a number of professions involving wellness, fitness, rehabilitation, public health, and disease prevention. The sport management major is designed for students who are interested in the organization, marketing, and management of sports programs. The physical culture and sports major is designed to prepare students for graduate school and/or careers related to a social science approach to sport and exercise.

The curriculum for the degree has four components: (a) the University-wide core curriculum; (b) prescribed work for the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health; (c) major requirements, which include a minor or specialization; and (d) electives. More information, including a list of specializations and minors, is available from the College of Education Student Dean’s Office, George I. Sánchez Building 216, and the Kinesiology Advising Center, Bellmont Hall 1005.

A total of at least 126 semester hours of coursework is required for the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health with a major in applied movement science; the other majors require at least 120 hours of coursework. For all majors, at least thirty-six hours must be in upper-division coursework.

Core Curriculum

All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum . In many cases, a course that is required for the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health may also be counted toward the core curriculum; these courses are identified below.

Flag Requirements

In the process of fulfilling the core curriculum and other degree requirements, students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health must complete courses that carry flags in the following areas. Courses used to fulfill flag requirements may also be used to fulfill other requirements.

  1. Two courses that carry a writing flag.
  2. One course that carries an ethics and leadership flag. Kinesiology 347 carries an ethics and leadership flag.
  3. One course that carries a quantitative reasoning flag.
  4. One course that carries a global culture flag.
  5. One course that carries a cultural diversity in the United States Flag. Health Education 329K carries a cultural diversity in the United States flag.

Prescribed Work

All students must complete the following requirements. Some majors require modifications to the prescribed work; these are described in the section for each major below.

  1. Writing: Two courses with a writing flag. These courses are identified in the Course Schedule available at http://registrar.utexas.edu/schedules .

  2. Social science
    1. Psychology 301.
    2. Three hours of coursework in anthropology, economics, geography, linguistics, or sociology.

    Psychology 301 and several social science courses that fulfill requirement b may also be counted toward the social and behavioral sciences requirement of the core curriculum.

  3. Mathematics: Three hours of coursework in mathematics. Several courses that fulfill this requirement may also be counted toward the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum.
  4. Natural science
    1. Biology 301L or 311C.
    2. Six hours of coursework in chemistry.
    3. Six additional hours chosen from astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer applications, computer science, geological sciences, mathematics, physical science, physics, experimental psychology, physical anthropology, physical geography, history of science, and philosophy of science.

    Many courses that fulfill this natural science requirement may also be counted toward the science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.

  5. Three semester hours of course work that carries a Global Cultures Flag.
  6. Foreign language: Students must demonstrate proficiency in a single foreign language equivalent to that shown by completion of the second college semester in the language; proficiency is usually shown by earning credit for language courses 506 and 507 or the equivalent. Prospective Texas teachers are strongly encouraged to take Spanish to fulfill the language requirement.

    Although the foreign language requirement is the attainment of a certain proficiency rather than the completion of a specified number of hours, the courses taken to gain this proficiency are not electives and may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. Any part of the requirement may be fulfilled by credit by examination.

    Students who completed two years of a single foreign language in high school and are not pursuing teacher certification may substitute three courses in specific multicultural and language/communication courses for the foreign language requirement. A list of acceptable substitute courses is available in the Student Dean’s Office, George I. Sánchez Building 216, and in the Kinesiology Advising Center, Bellmont Hall 1005.

Major Requirements

All students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health must complete the following eighteen-semester-hour core, so that they are exposed to all aspects of the fields of kinesiology and health. Each student then takes a set of courses, called the cognate, that is unique to the major; and either a specialization in the Department of Kinesiology and Health or a minor in another department.

  1. Health Education 329K
  2. Kinesiology 310
  3. Kinesiology 312M
  4. Kinesiology 315
  5. Three semester hours in Kinesiology 119 or physical education courses. The courses must require substantial physical activity.
  6. Kinesiology 347

Exercise Science

Exercise science majors must complete the following:

  1. The Prescribed Work described above, with the following modifications:
    1. To fulfill the mathematics requirement, exercise science majors must complete Mathematics 408C or 408K. Either course may also be counted toward the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum.
    2. To fulfill the natural science requirement, exercise science majors must complete Biology 311C, Chemistry 301 and 302, and Physics 302K and 302L. Biology 311C may also be counted toward part I of the science and technology requirement of the core curriculum; either the chemistry or the physics coursework may also be counted toward part II of that requirement.
  2. Eighteen semester hours in the cognate in exercise science:
    1. Kinesiology 321M
    2. Kinesiology 322
    3. Kinesiology 324K
    4. Kinesiology 325K
    5. Kinesiology 326K
    6. Kinesiology 336
  3. Either a specialization in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education or a minor outside the department; minors consist of fifteen hours of coursework, six of which must be upper-division.

    Students planning to attend medical school, physical therapy school, or graduate school in exercise physiology are encouraged to complete the pre–health sciences specialization, to ensure that they complete the science coursework required for admission to those programs.

Health Promotion

Health promotion majors must complete the following:

  1. In place of three semester hours of course work that carries a Global Cultures Flag, students must take Communication Studies 306M.
  2. Eighteen semester hours in the cognate in health promotion:
    1. Health Education 343
    2. Health Education 370K
    3. Health Education 371K
    4. Health Education 373
    5. Kinesiology 324K
    6. Kinesiology 325K
  3. Either a specialization in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education or a minor outside the department; minors consist of fifteen hours of coursework, six of which must be upper-division.

    A student planning a career as a physician, physical therapist, physician assistant, chiropractor, or other health professional is encouraged to complete the pre–health sciences specialization, to ensure that he or she completes the science coursework required for admission to those programs.

Physical Culture and Sports

Physical culture and sports majors must complete the following:

  1. The Prescribed Work, with the following modification to the natural science requirement:
    1. In place of Biology 301L or 311C: Three hours in one of the fields of study that may be counted toward the science and technology, part II, requirement of the Core Curriculum .
    2. In place of six hours of coursework in chemistry: Six hours in one of the fields of study that may be counted toward the science and technology, part I, requirement of the Core Curriculum. The same field of study may not be used to fulfill both requirement a and requirement b.
    3. In place of six additional hours of natural science (prescribed work requirement 4c): Three hours of coursework in computer applications.
  2. Eighteen semester hours in the cognate in physical culture and sports:
    1. Kinesiology 349
    2. Six semester hours chosen from Kinesiology 311K, Sport Psychology, Kinesiology 348, Psychological Aspects of Exercise, and Kinesiology 361, Coaching Theory and Principles I.
    3. Kinesiology 350
    4. Kinesiology 351
    5. An additional upper-division course in kinesiology or health education.
  3. Either a specialization in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education or a minor outside the department; minors consist of fifteen hours of coursework, six of which must be upper-division.

Sport Management

Students who plan to major in sport management must apply for admission to the program. The student’s grade point average, volunteer and work experiences, and completion of prescribed prerequisite coursework are factors in the admission decision. Information about admission requirements is available from an academic adviser.

Sport management majors must complete the following:

  1. The Prescribed Work described, with the following modifications:
    1. Sport management majors must complete an economics course to fulfill the second part of the social science requirement.
    2. In fulfilling the natural science requirement, the student must complete the following:
      1. In place of Biology 301L or 311C: Three hours in one of the fields of study that may be counted toward the science and technology, part II, requirement of the Core Curriculum .
      2. In place of six hours of chemistry: Six hours in one of the fields of study that may be counted toward the science and technology, part I, requirement of the Core Curriculum. The same field of study may not be used to fulfill both requirement i and requirement ii.
      3. In place of six additional hours of natural science (prescribed work 4c): Three hours in computer applications.
    3. Communication Studies 306M.
  2. Twenty-seven semester hours in the cognate in sport management:
    1. Kinesiology 316
    2. Kinesiology 628
    3. Kinesiology 350
    4. Kinesiology 353
    5. Kinesiology 354
    6. Kinesiology 355
    7. Kinesiology 356
    8. Kinesiology 357
  3. Either a specialization in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education or a minor outside the department; minors consist of fifteen hours of coursework, six of which must be upper-division.

Applied Movement Science

Students who major in applied movement science must apply for admission to the Professional Development Sequence (PDS) by fall of their junior year. The student’s grade point average, completion of prescribed prerequisite coursework, and volunteer and work experiences are factors in the admission decision. Students should see an academic adviser during the first year of coursework to ensure that they understand the application process and the requirements for the PDS.

Applied movement science majors must complete the following:

  1. The Prescribed Work , with the following modifications:
    1. To fulfill the mathematics requirement, applied movement science majors must complete Mathematics 305G or a calculus course. Mathematics 305G and some calculus courses may also be counted toward the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum.
    2. Some of the courses required for the applied movement science major should also be used to meet prescribed work requirements for the BS in Kinesiology and Health; information about these courses is available in the advising offices in George I. Sánchez Building 216 and Bellmont Hall 1005.
  2. Twenty-one semester hours in the cognate in applied movement science:
    1. Three of the following topics of Kinesiology 119: Topic 11: Rhythmic Activities; Topic 14: Tennis; Topic 15: Volleyball; Topic 16: Social Dance; Topic 17: Basketball; Topic 18: Adventure Activities; Topic 19: Core Body Development.
    2. Kinesiology 219T
    3. Kinesiology 320
    4. Kinesiology 321M or Kinesiology 334
    5. Kinesiology 322 or Kinesiology 332 or Kinesiology 338
    6. Kinesiology 324K
    7. Kinesiology 127L
    8. Kinesiology 360
  3. Movement competency in two areas in addition to those counted toward requirement 2 above. Students may demonstrate competency by completing two additional topics of Kinesiology 119; these courses do not count toward the degree.
     
  4. Twenty-four hours in the minor in curriculum and instruction. The minor provides the coursework required for all-level physical education teacher certification in Texas.
    1. Applied Learning and Development 327, Sociocultural Influences on Learning. This course is required for admission to the Professional Development Sequence.
    2. One of the following courses: Psychology 304, Introduction to Child Psychology; Educational Psychology 363M (Topic 3: Adolescent Development); Human Development and Family Sciences 313, Child Development.
    3. Curriculum and Instruction 370E (Topic 21: Teaching Elementary Physical Education). Note: This course is required for admission to the Professional Development Sequence.
    4. Curriculum and Instruction 370S (Topic 12: Kinesiology).
    5. Curriculum and Instruction 345
    6. Curriculum and Instruction 950W

Electives

Additional electives may be required to provide the total number of semester hours required for the student’s major. No more than twelve semester hours in Kinesiology 127L, 227L, 327L, and 627L may be counted toward the degree.


What Starts Here Changes the World