UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND RECREATION

Degree Programs offered

• BS, major in Athletic Training
• BESS, major in Exercise and Sports Science
• BESS, major in Exercise and Sports Science (with All-level Physical Education teacher certification)
• BESS, major in Pre-Physical Therapy 
• BESS, major in Health and Fitness Management
• BHWP, major in Health and Wellness Promotion
• BHWP, major in Health and Wellness Promotion (with All-Level Health Education teacher certification)
• BSRA, major in Recreational Administration
• BSRA, major in Recreational Administration (Therapeutic Recreation Emphasis)

Athletic Training

Athletic training concerns all aspects of the athletes’ health and safety.  Athletic trainers help prevent injuries and provide immediate treatment and rehabilitation for injured athletes as directed by a team physician. The Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science degree with a major in athletic training prepares students for the State of Texas Athletic Trainers’ License and the National Athletic Trainer’s Association Board of Certification examination.  Texas State’s athletic training education program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.  Most graduates work in secondary schools; many athletic trainers find positions with colleges and universities, professional sport teams, and sport medicine clinics.

Exercise and Sports Science

The Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science prepares students for careers as teachers in elementary and secondary schools and as athletic coaches.  Students must obtain an all-level teacher certification for careers in public schools.  Graduates with teacher certification work in elementary and secondary schools in Texas and elsewhere.

Health Science and Fitness Management

The Health and Fitness Management Program is available under the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science degree and prepares students to direct fitness enterprises and wellness or health awareness programs in commercial, corporate, and institutional settings.  Areas of study include fitness programming, stress management, smoking cessation, diet/nutrition, health-risk appraisal, and employee assistance.  The curriculum also allows students to acquire the academic and clinical prerequisites needed to earn professional certification.  Graduates work as fitness leaders, exercise testing technicians, cardiac rehabilitation specialists, or corrective therapists.  Others are employed as salespersons, administrators, and managers of sports or fitness facilities.

Health Promotion

Health promotion is the process of improving people’s understanding, attitudes, and conduct regarding individual and community health.  Professionals in health promotion teach elementary or secondary school, or they work in community health agencies.  Texas State health promotion graduates work in education, emergency medical services, senior citizens programming, worksite wellness programs, Public Health Departments, Volunteer Health Organizations, and various other fields.  The Bachelor of Health and Wellness Promotion provides a major in health and wellness promotion with all-level teacher certification or a non-teaching major in health and wellness promotion with all-level teacher certification or a non-teaching major with a specialization in community health promotion.

Recreational Administration

The Bachelor of Science in Recreational Administration combines classroom learning and on-the-job training.  Students study such areas as recreation programming, leadership, marketing, evaluation, leisure education, administration, and therapeutic recreation.  Recreational administration graduates, including those with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation work in camps, nursing homes, community recreation centers, resorts, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, fitness centers, and state and national parks.  The program is nationally accredited, as well as the therapeutic recreation emphasis.  Graduates of this program are eligible (sit for exams) for the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (CTRS) and/or the National Recreation and Part Association’s National Certification Board (CLP0).