Department of Applied Physiology and Sport Management curricula establishes the scientific and biological basis of health, fitness and human performance; introduce the business principles and skills necessary for management careers in the sport, health, coaching and fitness industries; and familiarize students with the legal and ethical aspects of the fitness, health, coaching and sport industries.
The major in sport performance leadership provides students with academic and experiential training pertinent to the leadership, coaching, and instruction of sport. Graduates of the program are equipped with an evidence-based scientific foundation for their leadership and instructional aspirations. The program serves two objectives:
- To enhance understanding of scientific evidence for human performance improvement in the context of sport.
- To provide a philosophical and historical foundation for successful, safe and ethical athletic coaching.
Several features distinguish the program from those at other institutions. Most programs include classes on teaching the fundamentals of sport. Fewer programs apply the psychological component of dealing with motivation, confidence, intensity, focus and emotional well-being. Rarely do programs address the communicative aspect of coaching. SMU’s program in sport performance leadership addresses all three components, equipping students with a unique and dynamic skill set to offer the coaching marketplace. Students also complete three hours of experiential learning. This type of exposure to real-world coaching helps to assure superior preparation for graduates of the program.
SMU Degree Requirements
An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum , one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows:
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