Exercise and Sport Sciences

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

ESS 100: Personal Health and Wellness

This course is an introduction to concepts and applications of lifetime personal health and wellness. Topics covered include components of fitness, cardiovascular disease and risk factors, nutrition, weight management, relaxation techniques, sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases, ergogenic aids and substance abuse. The course includes practical applications of certain topics through activities such as fitness testing, circuit training, weight training and aerobic training. Students will be required to commit to a weekly exercise program as well as commit to working on a second realm of wellness.

ESS 103: Fitness Training for Life and Sport

This class is designed for everyone. Whether you wish to better execute the movements of daily living, prepare to participate in recreational activities, improve your sport performance or reduce your risk of injury, this fitness training class is for you. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing your speed, power, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time through a well-designed training program. The overall objective is to help you meet your personal fitness and training goals. Class participants must come prepared to participate in physical activity every class.

ESS 105: First Aid and CPR

This course is designed to prepare students with basic knowledge and skills in first aid and CPR for workplaces, schools and individuals. Additionally, components of the emergency medical service system are discussed. There is an additional fee charged for American Red Cross certification. This course is offered as a hybrid course with meeting times for skills testing.

ESS 204: Motor Development

This course is designed to introduce students to the changes in motor behavior and skill performance across the lifespan. The lifespan approach is used because of the increased recognition of the importance of physical activity for all ages. In order to understand this approach, factors related to physical growth and maturation are explored.

ESS 206: Sport Science Applied to Coaching

The focus of this course is the basic science of exercise physiology and athletic performance as it applies to coaching. Topics include how the body responds to exercise, how to train the body to maximize health and athletic performance including periodization of training, basic movement and mechanical principles, risks associated with exercise, injury prevention strategies and the influence of nutrition on exercise and athletic performance.

ESS 211: Nutrition Principles

The focus of the course is to introduce the principles of nutritional sciences as related to human physiology, health promotion and disease prevention. Topics are selected from areas of normal and therapeutic nutrition and include issues of contemporary interest and concern. The course offers a framework for students to understand the potential role of nutrition in health and disease by providing an overview of the biological significance of food and nutrition. There are opportunities for students to make personal and professional connections through the analysis and development of nutrition plans.

ESS 221: Applied Anatomy & Resistance Training

This activity-based course introduces students to the concepts and principles related to resistance training, Olympic lifting, spotting techniques. and plyometric activity. Emphasis is placed upon knowledge of origin, insertion and action of musculature to support completion of movement. Ability to perform and instruct others in performance of exercise techniques is developed.

ESS 225: Introduction to Exercise Science and Health Sciences

This course will explore various concepts related to the fields of exercise and health sciences. Specific focus will be on disciplines of health science, exercise and nutrition prescription, behavior modification and movement physiology. Students will explore possible career opportunities that are available with a major of exercise or health sciences. Class activities will include readings, classroom discussions, written assignments and laboratory activities. This is a writing intensive class

ESS 285: Internship Exercise and Sport Sciences

This 80-hour minimum experience (2 credits) for exercise science majors and 120 hour minimum experience (3 credits) for sport management majors is organized to allow for student participation in programs relevant to the student’s major and professional interests. Graded Pass/Fail.

ESS 313: Fitness Management

This course prepares students to organize and administer fitness programs and facilities. Business principles and administrative responsibilities related to managing fitness programs and facilities will be examined. Topics include leadership, organizational design, hiring, staff development, performance evaluation, compensations strategies, sales and marketing, programming, customer service, fiscal management, legal issues, health and safety issues and equipment and facility maintenance.

ESS 315: Leading Group Exercise

Group exercise instructors play a unique and valuable role in the healthcare continuum and in the lives of their participants (ACE, 2018). This course is designed to prepare students to teach safe, effective and enjoyable group exercise classes for apparently healthy individuals. Various principles, concepts and guidelines related to scope of practice; class design and preparation; class instruction; and safety, nutrition and legal considerations will be examined through practical application and classroom discussions. The course will also give students the knowledge and understanding necessary to prepare for the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification Exam.

ESS 318: Strength and Conditioning

This course takes a multifaceted approach to the science and application of strength training. Topics covered include exercise physiology concepts and applications, testing and evaluation, flexibility and exercise techniques, program design and periodization. This course also provides a practical challenge for the student to apply scientific concepts and principles into the development of sport or client specific training programs. Students will keep a journal of exercise habits, observe and reflect on personal training appointments, summarize peer reviewed literature in the strength and conditioning field and develop a comprehensive training program for a client of their choosing.

ESS 321: Foundations of Health Education

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the education process including instruction design, program delivery, learner assessment, educational planning and strategies, intervention development and evaluation techniques. In addition, this course challenges students on current health education issues, implementation strategies, theoretical concepts, code of ethics and cultural competence when communicating health and health education information. Students build the foundation for upper-level coursework with an understanding of the health education role in the current health care environment.

ESS 323: Applied Kinesiology and Clinical Technique

This course introduces students to the concepts and principles related to the study of human motion including, normal osteokinematics, arthrokinematics and pathomechanics. This course focuses on the influence of anatomical structure, with an emphasis on the skeletal, neural and muscular systems. Principles of posture, ergodynamics and gait analysis are discussed. Two-dimensional analysis of movement and force vectors is utilized to reinforce understanding of biomechanical principles.

ESS 324: Exercise Physiology (+lab)

This course concentrates on physiological adaptations made by the human organism to the stress of exercise. Acute and chronic adaptations are reviewed. Some of the topics covered include the effects of exercise on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, the nutritional basis for human performance, physical training techniques, ergogenic aids, environmental factors, exercise and energy for physical activity. Laboratory work that involves scientific instrumentation is included.

ESS 328: Theory of Coaching

This course is an overview of current theory and practice in coaching education. Topics include sport pedagogy, physiology, psychology, administration and risk management. This course addresses issues common across all levels of performance and competition as well as issues specific to child, youth and collegiate coaching. Principles of coaching are applied in a laboratory setting.

ESS 329: Sport Nutrition

Sport nutrition combines the sciences of exercise physiology and nutrition. Students will enhance their exercise physiology knowledge with an understanding of the relationship among essential nutrients, energy metabolism and optimal sport performance. Students will also learn to assess a CSC athlete’s diet and provide the athlete with a dietary prescription aimed at enhancing performance.

ESS 345: Global Sport

Students will explore the political, socio-economical, historical, cultural, ethical, gender and racial perspectives of international sport. This course encompasses the identification and study of popular amateur and professional international sports. In addition, there is a focus on the framework of sport ranging from newly introduced grassroots sports to recognized international sport organizations and governing agencies.

ESS 421: Exercise Prescription (+lab)

This course centers on the development of skills and knowledge related to exercise testing, prescription, measurement and evaluation in both the health and chronic disease populations. Topics include medical/health screening, exercise test administration and evaluation, metabolic calculations, exercise program development and medications specific to chronic disease. This course closely follows the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (C-EP) curriculum. Upon complete of the course, students will be prepared to take the C-EP (seniors) or Certified Personal Trainer (Juniors) certification exams.

ESS 426: Sport Law

This course examines the legal aspects of sport (i.e., coaching; administering fitness; instructional, recreational and athletic programs; sport marketing). Areas of study include, but are not limited to, constitutions; legislative enactments; case law related to administrative, constitutional, contract, labor, product liability and tort law; and risk management techniques.

ESS 428: Senior Seminar in Sport Management

This course brings together all aspects of sport management building on the foundation and specialized course Prerequisites in the exercise and sport sciences and business administration programs. Course content includes organizing, motivating, planning, staffing and supervising. Emphasis is on the practical application of the sport management knowledge base.

ESS 485: Internship in Exercise and Sport Sciences

This 200 hour minimum experience in exercise and sport sciences is organized to allow for student participation in programs relevant to the student’s major and interests. This final required internship experience serves as an opportunity to apply and more fully develop those professional competencies necessary for a successful work experience. Graded Pass/Fail.

ESS 487: Research in ESS: Critical Components

In this first semester of the capstone students explore a topic of their choosing. This exploration involves reviewing and synthesizing the primary literature in the area as well as developing an original area of inquiry and the methods necessary to complete the investigation. Throughout the process, students review, learn and incorporate basic techniques and procedures associated with the research process.

ESS 488: Research in ESS: Assessment and Analysis

In this course students complete the investigation of the topic they designed in ESS 487 and present the results and analysis of their findings. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of various types of data and information as well as the interpretation of the findings.