The Department of Health and Exercise Science offers four unique Master of Science degree options that are designed to address student interests and goals. These include two research-based MS degree options (one in Exercise Physiology and the other in Health Promotion) that are designed to prepare students for entry into doctoral study. The hybrid MS degree option in Health and Exercise Science is a combination of Exercise Physiology and Health Promotion curricula designed for students who plan to enter the field immediately after degree completion. The Sports Data Analytics MS degree options are designed to develop the data science toolkit for professionals in both sport performance and sports business.
Each area of study requires a basic core of graded courses, an area of electives related to the specific degree (approved by the student’s advisor), and completion of a research requirement.
The doctoral degree (Ph.D.) options in Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology: Exercise Physiology, Exercise Physiology, or Health Promotion are awarded for excellence in research scholarship in combination with successful completion of an approved area of study consisting of coursework within and external to the Department of Health and Exercise Science. It signifies the attainment of independently acquired and comprehensive learning which evidences general professional competence. A doctoral student should spend four to five full academic years beyond the bachelor's degree completing appropriate graduate coursework, successfully completing the General Examination (written and oral), and submitting and successfully defending the results of a dissertation. The total number of hours, combining both formal courses and hours of research, for the doctoral degree is at least 90 post-baccalaureate hours. Departmental requirements will conform to university policies in the following areas: (1) residency requirements; (2) limitations to the number of 3000/4000 level courses that may be applied to the degree; (3) transfer credit; (4) time limitations; (5) General Examination; (6) use of human subjects/animals in research; and (7) completion and defense of the doctoral dissertation.
Our faculty bring the most up-to-date advancements in the field of health promotion into the classroom. They are committed to a collegial learning environment that provides opportunities for individualized mentoring of graduate students. Graduate students can choose to take some of their classes in the College of Public Health at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Graduate students have opportunities to teach and conduct research projects under the direction of the health promotion faculty.
