Program Description

The Public Health/Active Living (PHAL) program is a professional degree (Master’s of Science) which prepares graduates for leadership and management positions in Public Health/active living/active transport, or entry into doctoral study. The program places emphasis on the development of skills in critical thinking, communication, and applied research.

Selecting from a variety of specialty courses, students devise an area of specialization based upon education career interests. The PHAL program consists of 36 semester hours: 12-15 semester hours of a general core; 12 hours of a focused core; and 9-12 hours of electives to complete 36 hours.

Departmental VISION

To create nationally engaged programs of excellence that advance active living and healthy eating

Departmental MISSION

With a focus on active living and healthy eating, we prepare students for professional careers, conduct applied research, and engage our communities and professions to enhance health-related quality of life.

The Department of Health and Human Performances’ (HHP) vision is to create nationally engaged programs of excellence that advance active living and healthy eating. The Department is housed within the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. With a focus on active living and healthy eating, our mission is to prepare students for professional careers, conduct applied research, and engage our communities and professions to enhance health related quality of life.

HHP offers a M.S. degree in Health and Human Performance with concentrations in Clinical Exercise Physiology and Public Health/Active Living. (For a Master of Science degree in Athletic Training (see Athletic Training, M.S.).

Admission to HHP – Public Health Active Living concentration:

You must complete the admissions procedures to be accepted into the graduate school. These requirements are listed below. (The graduate school’s Admission Requirements are contained in the link. However, the department has additional requirements. The list below is the list you should be following.) Submit the required documents. (If you are presently an undergraduate student, you must submit an additional transcript when your degree has been completed.) (If English is not your native language, you must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.)

• Completed and signed application form provided by UTC. (https://ssb.utc.edu/cbanpr/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon)
• Payment of $30 domestic; $35 international nonrefundable application fee.
• Graduation from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• A minimum grade point average of 2.75 on all undergraduate work taken prior to receiving the baccalaureate degree or a 3.0 in the last 60 hours.
• Transcripts. Students must request that one official copy of each transcript be sent directly to The Graduate School office from all colleges and universities attended.
• An official report of the applicant’s score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), taken within the last five (5) years, must be sent directly to The Graduate School.
• Copy of current CPR and first aid certification cards.
• Three letters of reference (with at least one from an academic instructor or advisor).
• A résumé
• Cover letter/letter of interest
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Write a list of the courses you took, the semester the course was take, the requirement it fulfilled (if not obvious) and the grade

 

• Anatomy and Physiology (4 credit hours)
• Exercise Physiology (3 credit hours)
• Nutrition (3 credit hours)
• Exercise Prescription (3 credit hours)
• Statistics (3 credit hours)
• ADDITIONAL COURSES that are not required, but will help admissions
  
  
• Biology I & II
• Chemistry I & II
• Exercise Testing and Prescription as 2 separate courses
• Clinical/Practical exercise physiology courses
• Biomechanics and Kinesiology (2 separate courses)
• Organic Chemistry I & II
• Pathophysiology
• Health Behavior Psychology
• Application based course/internship
• Anatomy and Physiology as 2 separate courses

A departmental committee will decide if the student is accepted into the degree program. The student must be accepted into both the graduate school and the concentration program. If a student has not taken all of the above prerequisites, he/she may be admitted to the program with the stipulations that he/she must take prerequisite courses either before or concurrent to taking graduate courses. Acceptance into the program is based on a composite score determined by prerequisite GPA, cumulative GPA, and undergraduate curricula, GRE scores, certification, work experience, cover letter and letters of recommendation. Additional materials my be requested or required. Candidates will be screened us the MS Health and Human Performance Admission Criteria Screening Instrument.

Note: Although not required for admission to the program, eligibility for internships sites may require a background check, drug test, orientation session, liability insurance (which can be purchased through UTC) and signing site specific documents.

Core Courses (12 or 15 credit hours)

HHP 5550 - Introduction to Epidemiologic Methods
(3) Credit Hours

This course is designed to teach students about solid epidemiologic research, both how to conduct research and how to analyze research reports. It is designed to help students understand how epidemiologic methods can be used to evaluate public health programs and policies.

HHP 5780r - Internship in Health and Human Performance
(3-9) Credit Hours

Supervised internship in leadership and administrative positions in clinical exercise physiology sites. Full time contact, minimum eight weeks, concurrent integrative seminars. Every semester. Prerequisites: 9 credit hours and advisor approval. Note: Internship sites often require CPR certification, liability insurance, background check,
drug screen, orientation session and signing of site specific documents.

HHP 5830 - Research Methods in Sports Medicine

(3) Credit Hours

Overview of conceptualization, design, statistical analysis, and interpretation of research, including critical analysis of published research in the field and preparation of a literature review.

HHP 5998r - Research (3 credit hours or 6 credit hours of HHP 5999r [below])
(1-9) Credit Hours

Enables students to conduct independent research. Credit hours allowed toward the degree may be limited. Student must submit an Individual Studies/Research Contract to the Records Office at the time of registration. Prerequisite: department head approval.

HHP 5999r - Thesis (6 credit hours)
(1-6) Credit Hours

The development of a project of thesis magnitude and quality. Oral defense required. Maximum of six hours graded credit to be applied toward degree. Must register for course until thesis is completed. Prerequisite: approval of department head.

Focused Core (12 credit hours)

HHP 5490 – Physical Activity & Public Health
(3) Credit Hours

This course addresses the principles and concepts of public health and epidemiology related to physical activity behaviors and selected health outcomes. The student will be prepared to understand the link between physical activity and chronic disease and begin to develop the capacity to assess evidence-based interventions designed to promote physical activity. Students will be instructed on the use of Epilnfo epidemiologic investigational software and carry out limited field testing. Biological mechanisms for healthy adaptations to physical activity and the behavioral determinants of exercise participation will also be highlighted. Prerequisite: approval of department head.


HHP 5560 – Healthy Living by Design
(3) Credit Hours

This course will address the interrelationship between health, environment, energy and transportation, and how these factors affect enhance or deter active living in a community. An emphasis will be placed on the built environment and its influence on our behavioral norms.

HHP 5850 – Graduate Seminar for Community & Environmental Health
(3) Credit Hours

This course will address the empirical findings involving home, public health, non-official organizations/agencies for improved public health and health care delivery.


POLS 5240 – Public Policy
(3) Credit Hours

Policy making within and among governmental agencies. Emphasis on processes of policy development, implementation, and evaluation.

Elective to complete 36 credit hours

CRMJ 6130 – Cross Cultural Diversity & Crime
(3) Credit Hours

Critical examination of major theories, research findings, policies, and controversies concerning race, ethnicity, class, and gender to examine the interrelationship between criminal justice system operations and issues of human diversity and status.


MATH 5150 – Introduction to Biostatics
(3) Credit Hours

An intermediate course suitable for students in a variety of health and science disciplines. The course will cover descriptive and inferential statistics, including parametric and non-parametric hypothesis testing methods, sample size, statistical significance and power, survival curve analysis, relative risk, and odds ratios. Data will be analyzed using Excel and/or SAS statistical software. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.


ESC 5180 – Case Studies in Environmental Problems
(3) Credit Hours

In depth study of the application of environmental law and policy to specific environmental problems using the case study method. Course will focus on four factors in each case study: 1) characterize the environment, 2) identify human modification to the environment, 3) examine law and policy responses to modification of the environment, and 4) critique the responses. Examples of potential case studies include South Chattanooga, Tellico Dam, Pigeon River, Florida Everglades, New Jersey Pinelands, Pacific Northwest Forests, and the Brazilian Pantanal.

BIOL 5420 – Environmental Physiology
(3) Credit Hours

Effects of air pollutants, water pollutants, and general environmental factors such as heat, light, sound, stress and activity upon the functions of the human respiratory, nervous, blood and excretory systems. Laboratory/Studio course fee will be assessed.

ENGL 5250 – Proposals and Prospectus Writing

(3) Credit Hours

Theory and practice in writing longer, more complex documents than those included in English 5240. In-house proposals, grant proposals, sales proposals, article proposals (queries), scholarly and technical articles, and annotated bibliographies are examples of the types of writing covered in the course.

POLS 5370 – Nonprofit Development

(3) Credit Hours

The basic concepts and skills to develop community resources for the support of a non-profit agency. Obtaining and managing grants, fundraising, donor development, and managing the resource activities of an agency are covered. Budgeting and legal aspects that pertain directly to resource development are included. Activities will include preparation of a federal grant proposal, planning a special event, and one additional resource development: donor development and management, planned giving, United Way applications, or other topics.

HHP 5170 – Advanced Clinical Exercise Physiology

(3) Credit Hours

An analysis of the complex interrelationships of organ systems relative to exercise training with an emphasis on athletes and the role of exercise in rehabilitation. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, HHP 3160, 3170, or equivalent.

HHP 5180 – Advanced Exercise Prescription

(3) Credit Hours

Comprehensive overview of the physical, physiological, and metabolic responses of the human body to exercise testing and training both in health and disease. An overview of environmental and legal considerations in the prescriptive process will also be discussed. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, HHP 3160, 3170, or equivalent.

HHP 5250 – Advanced Fitness Assessment

(2) Credit Hours

This course will address topics of pre-testing procedures and screening to maximize safety. The different methods of completing fitness testing in a laboratory, clinical and commercial settings will be discussed.

HHP 5250L – Advanced Fitness Assessment Laboratory

(1) Credit Hours

This course will be a laboratory component associated with HHP 5250 Advanced Fitness Assessment. In this course, different fitness testing methods will be completed to assess cardiorespiratory, strength, flexibility, body composition, muscular endurance, functional status and neuromuscular balance.

HHP 5350 – Promotion of Worksite Health & Human Performance

(3) Credit Hours

An integrated, step-by-step approach to planning for, implementing, and evaluating worksite health and human performance programs in a variety of settings.

HHP 5410 – Exercise & the Older Adult

(3) Credit Hours

Examination of the scientific evidence concerning the relationship between physical activity level and physical, mental, and social-psychological well being during aging.

HHP 5450 – Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

(3) Credit Hours

The functions of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems emphasizing pathophysiology and treatment. Special reference will be made to exercise as a mode of therapy. Topics concerning basic electrocardiogram interpretation will also be addressed.

HHP 5470 – Thermal Physiology

(3) Credit Hours

This course will cover, in-depth and evidence-based physiological basis of human thermal physiology related to exercise and sport.

HHP 5680 – Health Behavior Change in Clinical & Community Settings

(3) Credit Hours

This is a 3-unit course designed to introduce students to the basic principles of behavior analysis and their application to various health behaviors in diverse community settings. Topics include health behavior change theory, principles, predictive models, and their application to health behavior change programs. In addition the course will review behavioral research methods related to individuals and communities and an analysis of major health behavior change programs.

HHP 5810 – Graduate Seminar

(3) Credit Hours

Basic theory related to nutritional requirements and pharmacological aspects for all levels of athletic performance. Course content includes pharmacology, energy systems, hydration, pre- and post-event nutrition, weight management and body composition and ergogenic aids. Prerequisite: department head approval.

HHP 5997r – Individual Studies

(1-9) Credit Hours

Every semester. Prerequisite: department head approval. Department may have additional prerequisite requirements. Student must submit an Individual Studies/Research Contract to the Records Office at the time of registration.

Total: 36 hours (minimum)