Research under the close supervision of a faculty member on a topic agreed upon. Application and proposal to be submitted to the department chair and research advisor. Recommended for majors prior to the senior research semester.
Experimental research is performed under the guidance and in the area of expertise of a faculty member that may include specialized topics in kinesiology/biomechanics, exercise physiology, nutrition and physical activity. Students must write a proposal that is approved by the department and the Institutional Review Board, carry out the research, write the thesis, and orally defend it at a research symposium. Application details can be obtained from the faculty research advisor or department chair.
This course provides a laboratory research experience for seniors under the direction of a faculty member. Students may initiate a project or join a research project in the mentor's lab.Student and mentor fill out a department contract. A written research paper, a reflective summary of the research experience, and an oral or poster presentation must be submitted for a final grade.
Students work in small collaborations to identify a relevant scientific question, research the literature, and design and complete a research thesis written in the format of a journal style manuscript. The specific topic(s) of the course vary by semester based upon the research expertise of the faculty instructor assigned to the course, and may include topics in either biomechanics, neuromuscular adaptation, exercise physiology, or nutrition.
This course is designed to study the mechanical bases of musculoskeletal injury, to better understand the mechanisms that seem to cause injury, the effect injury has on the musculoskeletal structures, and hopefully, to study how injury may be prevented. Many different types of injury will be discussed with the students responsible for leading these discussions. Students will write a review article on an injury condition and present their findings to the class.
This course will focus on designing programs intended to improve performance or quality of life with special populations. Students engage in a semester-long project designing a complete program for a specific client. The student may choose an elite athlete or disease model intended to improve performance or health. A background in nutrition, exercise physiology, biomechanics and neuroscience will help lay the foundation for a well rounded program intended to address all aspects of the individual.
This course is structured to the expertise and research interests of the professor. Each topic is unique and encompasses a current issue in the field of exercise science.
This course examines the impact of various environmental stressors on human physiology, particularly as it relates to the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal systems during exercise. Topics include acute and/or chronic exposure to heat, cold, high altitude, and hyperbaria, as well as additional topics of student interest. The interaction of environmental stressors with clinical conditions is also explored. Students learn new physiological principles in order to understand and discuss scholarly articles on each topic.
This course provides a laboratory research experience for juniors under the direction of a faculty member. Students may initiate a project or join a research project in the mentor's lab. Student and mentor fill out a department contract. A written research paper, a reflective summary of the research experience, and an oral or poster presentation must be submitted for a final grade.
This course involves the study of human movement using both a qualitative and quantitative approach. The anatomical structures involved in simple and complex movements will be explored. The principles of mechanics are then applied to the study of human motion to provide an understanding of the internal and external forces acting on the body during human movement. Students will be exposed to a variety of biomechanical instruments and use them to describe and evaluate human movement.