Athletic Training
The certified athletic trainer (ATC) is a highly educated and skilled allied health professional. In cooperation with physicians and other allied health personnel, the ATC functions as an integral member of the health care team for the physically active. Traditional job settings for ATCs are colleges and universities, professional teams, sports medicine clinics, and secondary schools. ATCs are rapidly expanding their employment into new settings such as physician offices, health and wellness centers, and industry.
Clinical Laboratory Science
A clinical laboratory scientist or medical technologist is capable of performing - under the supervision of a pathologist or other qualified physician or laboratory director - the various chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic, and other medical laboratory procedures used in the diagnosis, study, and treatment of disease. Students pursuing the clinical laboratory science (or medical technology) major complete approximately 100 semester hours at UE (six semesters) and then complete 12 months of study at a hospital endorsed by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) and the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) of the American Medical Association. The first three years provide a solid foundation based on the natural sciences with an emphasis on biological sciences and chemistry. The fourth year consists of combined classroom and laboratory studies that provide experience in clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, serology, histology, urinalysis, parasitology, and instrumentation. If accepted to a clinical program, the student registers for EXSS 478 in the fall, spring, and summer sessions. Some students complete a four-year bachelors degree before entering the clinical year of training. An option for those students interested in a career in clinical laboratory science is to complete the four-year combined exercise science - clinical laboratory science degree and then enter the clinical experience during the fifth year.
Applied Exercise Science
Applied exercise science combines the subdisciplines of exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, and sport psychology into the study of how the human body responds to exercise and sport training. The applied exercise science major prepares students for leadership roles in a number of career opportunities, including clinical exercise settings and corporate and hospital wellness programs, or as personal fitness trainers, exercise specialists, and strength and conditioning coaches. Students are well prepared for graduate programs in exercise physiology, biomechanics, exercise and sport psychology, or health and wellness.
Preprofessional Exercise Science
The preprofessional exercise science major embraces a curriculum that prepares students in the scientific aspects of exercise as it relates to healthy, injured, and high risk populations. It is an applied discipline that emphasizes a hands-on approach toward understanding the physiological and biomechanical consequences of human movement. Due to the strong natural science curriculum, preprofessional exercise science is excellent preparation for graduate study in physical therapy, exercise physiology, biomechanics, medicine, podiatry, and occupational therapy. In addition, graduates with a preprofessional exercise science degree are prepared for employment in clinical or hospital settings, health and wellness intervention programs, and other health-related careers.
Physical Education and Health
The major in physical education and health prepares students for their initial teacher licensure in the developmental educational levels. The curriculum gives students a broad understanding and practical application of issues important to the teaching of physical education and health.
Sport Communication
An ever-increasing number of opportunities exist in the field of sport communication due to the continually increasing amount of sport-related activity that appears on television, radio, and print communication outlets. The sport communication major is a collaborative academic program with the Department of Communication that provides a well-rounded sport communication background, allowing students to focus on broadcast, print, or Web-related areas of specialization. This major provides experiences for students wishing to find employment as a sports information director, sports writer, radio or television reporter/announcer, public address announcer, or in a variety of sport-related Web site areas.
Sport Management
The explosive growth of sport at all levels has greatly increased the need for management, marketing, and administrative personnel with sport-specific knowledge and expertise. It is estimated that sport marketing and management represent a $200 billion industry in this country, and this major provides opportunities for students interested in working in a business related area of sport such as the director of athletics, manager of a sporting arena, owner/director of a fitness and aerobic center, or other areas of sport management or administration.