Kinesiology and Lifestyle Medicine
Overview
The Master of Science in Health (MSH) in Kinesiology and Lifestyle Medicine (KALM) is a life sciences degree that integrates an evidenced-based curriculum in an applied research environment. Students pursuing the MSH in KALM are required to take 11 core courses in exercise physiology, epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods, and behavioral medicine, for a total of 33 credit hours. The remaining credits will be will be satisfied with either a three or six credit internship/project or six credit thesis option. Elective coursework is available in the areas of strength and conditioning, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and nutrition for students who opt for a three-credit internship/project. Students must declare a thesis or non-thesis option upon acceptance in to the program. The MSH in KALM requires the completion of 39 graduate credit hours and should be completed in two years.
The MSH in KALM curriculum will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work and provide leadership in the areas of lifestyle and preventive medicine, health and fitness, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, diabetes education, strength and conditioning, lifestyle coaching, and population and clinical research. Thesis option students will begin preparation towards becoming independent investigators by developing the skills necessary to conduct original research. Thesis option students may be exposed to both primary data collection (human subjects) and secondary data analysis (existing data sets). Students planning on pursuing a thesis and terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.) are strongly encouraged to pursue elective coursework in epidemiology. Thesis option students will be accepted each fall on a competitive basis and contingent upon graduate assistantship funding. Upon program completion, students are encouraged to sit for the national certifications offered by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). The internship option culminates in either a 150 or 300-hour experiential internship working under the direct supervision of a graduate degreed professional in fields including Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Rehabilitation and/or Medicine.
The program does not require a specific undergraduate major. Applicants who apply while still enrolled in an undergraduate degree program may be admitted contingent upon successful completion of the bachelor's degree prior to enrolling in graduate courses.
UNF admits 10-15 students into the MSH in Kinesiology and Lifestyle Medicine program each fall semester. To be considered for admission, students must apply to the program by the posted deadline of the year for which they wish to be admitted. Prior to enrolling in MSH courses, students must have completed the prerequisites.
Prerequisites
- BSC 2085C Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
- BSC 2086C Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
- CHM 2045/2045L General Chemistry I with Lab
- STA 2014 Elementary Statistics
- HSC 4612 Exercise Physiology (recommended)
Application Deadlines
Fall Term . . . . . . . . August 1
The review process for admissions begins January 1Graduate Program Director
Dr. James ChurillaProfessor
(904) 620-1735
The following items must be submitted no later then the deadline posted above. Incomplete applications with outstanding requirements, or those post-marked after the posted deadline, are subject to cancellation. Once an application has been canceled, the decision can not be reversed. Applicants may apply for the next application cycle.
- UNF admission application
- Application fee
- If applicable, collection holds and judicial holds must be cleared
- All of the below university and program requirements
Program Admission
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University Requirements
- A baccalaureate degree from an accepted institutional accreditor, or its equivalent from a foreign institution, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study.
- Transcripts, and foreign evaluations if applicable, from all post-secondary institutions attended. Admitted students will be prompted to provide official copies.
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Program Requirements
- An interview with the graduate program director
- Telephone or Skype interviews are options for applicants who are not able to come to UNF, however, visiting the campus for an in-person interview is encouraged
- An interview with the graduate program director
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Express Application Requirements
UNF undergraduates applying through the Express Application portal will be required to submit the below documents directly to the department. Questions should be directed to the graduate program director.
- Letter of recommendation from a faculty member of the program graduated from
- Write and submit a one page critique/summary of this study