2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Sports Medicine and Human Performance
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The Department of Sports Medicine and Human Performance offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Movement Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training. The department also offers a diverse selection of elective courses (theory and activity) designed to meet the needs and interests of today’s student.
The foundation of the Sports Medicine and Human Performance (SMHP) major prepares the students to pursue several career alternatives and/or graduate study. In addition to the twenty-seven (27) credit hours of the major core, SMHP majors are required to complete a concentration in Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, Physical Education Teaching Licensure, or Adventure Education.
Our programs are recognized by the gold standard certifying agencies-NSCA, ACSM, NATA and SHAPE-and prepare our students for a wide variety of professional preparation graduate programs.
The Athletic Training Major, along with Exercise Science and Teacher of Physical Education Concentrations are all nationally accredited programs. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHP) and The Society of Health and Physical Educators of America (SHAPE America) are the governing bodies for SMHP accredited programs.
The Exercise Science Concentration prepares students to work in a number of different fields, including but not limited to performance training, cardiac rehabilitation, corporate fitness, community fitness, and personal training. Students meet the department capstone benchmark of Advanced Standing and complete internships that provide invaluable experiences in their quest toward their career in the exercise science field.
The Teacher of Physical Education Concentration prepares students for teacher licensure in Massachusetts at the PreK-8 or 5-12 level. Upon completion of program requirements, including passing the MTEL examination and departmental Advanced Standing, candidates must engage in a successful semester-long practicum experience in a school setting to obtain initial licensure.
The Sport Medicine Concentration directs students towards the coursework required to apply for graduate study in Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and other healthcare fields. This program provides unique opportunity to develop knowledge and skills related to physical activity and health, with a focus on the prevention of injury and disease. Our inter-professional connections with other professional programs on campus (PA, OT, NURS, SOCW) prepare our students well for the inter-professional communication required in today’s complex healthcare system.
The Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) at Westfield State University is an undergraduate degree program within the Department of Sports Medicine and Human Performance. The ATEP is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Upon successful completion of the program the student will have met the academic and clinical requirements necessary to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination. WSU’s program is comprehensive and academically challenging. The ATEP has competitive enrollment and specific requirements for admission and retention.
In addition to aligning with the University mission, the Movement Science Department and Athletic Training Education Program are well positioned to prepare students for the changing healthcare environment. A gradual shift from an illness to a wellness model of health care is drawing long overdue attention to movement related professions. The joint American College of Sports Medicine and American Medical Association initiative Exercise is Medicine is laying important groundwork for career opportunities. The Exercise is Medicine initiative is designed to make physical activity and exercise a part of the disease prevention and treatment paradigm in the United States (www.exerciseismedicine.org). A related, National Athletic Trainers’ Association legislative initiative, Athletic Trainers’ Equal Access to Medicare Act of 2009 (ATEAM), is a national bill before the senate and House of Representatives that will include athletic trainers as a referral option for physical medicine and rehabilitation services under Medicare Part B. After successfully completing one of four concentrations, Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, Physical Education Teaching Certification, or Adventure Education, our graduates accept positions in a wide variety of graduate programs: exercise science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, athletic training, public health, nursing, and education to name a few. Our graduates work in a wide variety of settings: physical education (elementary and secondary), cardiac rehabilitation, echocardiogram technology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, personal training, strength and conditioning for professional sports, and corporate fitness.
The Sports Medicine and Human Performance Department also offers minors in Coaching, in Adventure Education, and an interdisciplinary minor in Commercial Recreation and Tourism with the departments of Economics and Management and Geography, Planning and Sustainability.
ProgramsMajor- Movement Science, Adventure Education Concentration, B.S.
- Movement Science, Exercise Science Concentration, B.S.
- Movement Science, Preventative Care and Physical Activity Concentration, B.S.
- Movement Science, Sports Medicine Concentration, B.S.
- Movement Science, Teacher of Physical Education (Elementary or Secondary) Concentration, B.S.
MinorCoursesMovement Science/Physical EducationSkills in Movement Science
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