Exercise Science, Health & Physical Education, Recreation & Wellness | Sport Science

Faculty Expertise

The faculty serving on Instructional Councils are best positioned to provide consistent, expert evaluation of faculty coursework and credentials so as to determine relevance within a specific teaching field. Therefore, Human Resources, Department/Division Chairs, Deans, VPAAs, and other stakeholders must coordinate with the relevant Instructional Councils to determine if the established minimum qualifications are met by candidates for Faculty (Residential, Adjunct, or Dual Enrollment) positions.

Occupational

For occupational disciplines, a combination of education and/or experience is required to qualify. A faculty may qualify with any of the following:

  • Five years occupational experience in the field to be taught OR
  • Three years of occupational experience in the field to be taught and a Bachelor’s degree or higher OR
  • A Master’s degree or higher in the teaching field OR
  • A Master’s degree or higher in any field with 18 graduate credits in the teaching field OR
  • A Master’s degree or higher in any field with a combination of 24 upper division and/or graduate credits in the teaching field
Instructional Council (IC)
Exercise Science, Health & Physical Education, Recreation & Wellness
Faculty Service Area (FSA)
Sport Science
Subjects
SPT
The following disciplines meet the requirements to teach in this field:

Athletic Training, Coaching, Physical Education, Rehabilitation (e.g. Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, etc.), Sports Medicine, Strength and Conditioning

Course Subjects

ATC, BIO, EXS, EXW, FW, HEP, HSC, KIN, NTR, PED, PRM, REC, SSP 

Course Titles and Keywords

Anatomy and Physiology, Athletic Training, Biology, Biomechanics, Coaching, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Clinical Exercise Science, Exercise and Wellness, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Fitness and Wellness, Health, Health Coaching, Health Education, Health Promotion, Health Science, Healthcare Management, Human Movement, Human Performance, Kinesiology, Leisure Studies, Motor Learning and Development, Movement Science, Nutrition, Physical Education, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Recreation, Recreation Management, Sports Health Care, Sports Management Administration, Sports Medicine, Sports Science and Performance Programming, Sport Science, Strength and Conditioning, Strength Training and Conditioning, Wellness

Description

Five years full-time professional experience in a field directly related to the course being taught.

Five years of full-time experience is equivalent to five years of part-time professional experience in a relevant field AND additional documentation demonstrating subject matter expertise. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, an Associate’s Degree in the discipline, a national credential, a state license, coaching in regional and/or national competitions, and/or a published work reflecting disciplinary expertise in a journal or book. 

OR

Three years full-time professional experience in a field directly related to the course being taught AND a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline. 

Three years of full-time experience is equivalent to three years part-time professional experience in a relevant field, AND a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline, AND additional documentation demonstrating subject matter expertise. This documentation may include, but is not limited to an Associate’s Degree in the discipline, a national credential, a state license, coaching in regional and/or national competitions, and/or a published work reflecting disciplinary expertise in a journal or book. 

Athletic Training Certification through the Board of Certification or licensure is required for teaching SPT271 and SPT273. 

Athletic Training Certification through the Board of Certification or licensure as a rehabilitation professional (e.g. Physical Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapist) is required for teaching SPT275.
 

Rationale

Part-time work in the field is acceptable and does not need to equate to full-time experience. This flexibility acknowledges the freelance nature of many roles within the sport science discipline, where professionals often gain significant expertise through part-time or contract-based work.

For sub-disciplines with specialty certification (e.g., Athletic Training), content expertise is based on current industry standards.

Occupational Experience

Qualifications will be verified through relevant work experience, demonstrated by an employment verification letter confirming experience in the field or subfield. Employment verification letter of experience in the field or a subfield must indicate full- or part-time status, job responsibilities, and dates of employment. Additionally, documentation confirming the conferral of an Associate’s degree, a national credential, state licensure, coaching in regional and/or national competitions, or a published work reflecting disciplinary expertise in a journal or book must be supplied.

Accepted Disciplines/Subfields

Anatomy and Physiology, Athletic Training, Biology, Biomechanics, Coaching, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Clinical Exercise Science, Exercise and Wellness, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Fitness and Wellness, Health, Health Coaching, Health Education, Health Promotion, Health Science, Healthcare Management, Human Movement, Human Performance, Kinesiology, Leisure Studies, Motor Learning and Development, Movement Science, Nutrition, Physical Education, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Recreation, Recreation Management, Sports Health Care, Sports Management Administration, Sports Medicine, Sports Science and Performance Programming, Sport Science, Strength and Conditioning, Strength Training and Conditioning, Wellness

(updated and effective Spring 2025)