Welcome to the Health and Human Performance Department

Our core mission is to help students learn to understand the human body in motion, and encourage healthy physical activity. The United States has seen a significant challenge to the health of its population in recent years as a result of inactivity, poor nutrition and sedentary work environments. This challenge is being met by the graduates of the Health and Human Performance programs as they support and encourage better health through movement, through education in schools and communities, and through physical therapy as well as other venues.

Students in the Health and Human Performance programs study the complex functions of the human body through an examination of its anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. Additionally, our curriculum covers nutrition, allowing students to analyze the relationships between diet, bodily health, and available energy. Our students study biomechanics to gain insight into the “body in motion.” This research into the way that our bodies move – in sports, as well as everyday activities – constitutes an important part of our program.

Health and Human Performance students also prepare to educate diverse populations on the importance of healthy lifestyles. Upon graduation, our students are equipped with both the knowledge and the skills necessary to effectively distribute these messages in schools and communities. Finally, many students in Health and Human Performance prepare to assist those whose bodies have been limited in their ability to move. We provide an excellent foundation for those seeking to become physical therapists.

Our support for the common good is basic, yet essential: we strive to more fully understand the workings of the human body and encourage our community members to live healthier lives with proper nutrition, appropriate exercise and better mechanisms to cope with the stresses of a challenging world.

For information about the specifics of our programs, please visit our Majors & Minors page. For more information on our new location and new facilities, please visit the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex site.

Opportunities are endless in the health promotion field. Health Promotion Science majors should get involved in their field early in your schooling. Find a career that feels natural to you; then it won't feel like work. The health field is a wide open market - be aware of all the options. To secure a PE teaching job, strongly consider a double major in Health or Adapted PE. Take advantage of every opportunity to volunteer, intern or monitor health programs. Job shadow as much as possible! Get to know your professors well and maintain those relationships. Background in health can take your career in so many different directions.