Exercise Sports Science

Faculty: Assistant Professor Watson (coordinator).

Cottey’s Exercise and Sports Science program provides a broad intellectual base for students interested in improving the health and/or athletic performance of humans. This program prepares students for diverse career opportunities in health and performance by building a broad foundation of scientific inquiry. Students will explore kinesiology, assessments, exercise physiology, and resistance training techniques integrated within the classroom, laboratory, and field experiences. Exercise and Sports Science graduates will be prepared for graduate programs such as physical therapy, athletic training, chiropractic, exercise science, health promotion, coaching, and health and human performance. Furthermore, our graduates will be well-equipped to enter directly into careers in the community, clinical, and corporate sport and exercise settings. 

Degrees and Minors

Courses

ESS 110: Introduction to Kinesiology

Credits 4
This course introduces human musculoskeletal function and movement mechanics related to physical activity, exercise, and sport. Students analyze joint and muscle actions and apply mechanical principles to sport movements while exploring exercise science disciplines, subdisciplines, and career specialty areas for future professional practice and study.

ESS 115: Human Nutrition

Credits 4
This course provides an introduction to the science of nutrition: basic structure and function involved in the ingestion, digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients.

ESS 200: Medical Terminology

Credits 2
This course introduces students to the language of healthcare, focusing on breaking down complex terms into word roots, suffixes, and prefixes to better understand anatomy, diseases, procedures, treatments, abbreviations and the human body, providing a foundation for various healthcare careers.

ESS 210: Fitness Assessment & Prescription

Credits 4
This course prepares students to develop knowledge and skills to effectively administer health appraisals and fitness tests in measuring cardiovascular endurance, muscular fitness, flexibility, body composition, and balance in varied populations of individuals. Students will learn how to collect information from their fitness test to develop an exercise prescription.

ESS 215: Care and Prevention of Injuries

Credits 4
An introductory course that explores a variety of common athletic injuries and focuses on prevention, care, and some rehabilitation. Other issues such as fitness, nutrition, and psychological effects of injury will be briefly discussed. Laboratory experience in taping and first aid techniques will be included.

ESS 220: Motor Learning

Credits 4
Study of motor learning and development to provide the practitioner with background necessary for identification of the physical, mental, social, and emotional development of clients/special populations and their effect on behavior movement.

ESS 315: Exercise Physiology with Lab

Credits 5
Study of the human body’s physiological adaptations to short-term and long-term exercise. Areas of study include energy metabolism, musculoskeletal function, cardiovascular and respiratory responses and adaptations, environmental factors, and neurological control. Laboratory experience involves measurement and evaluation of muscular strength, cardiovascular and respiratory function, flexibility, body composition, and movement analysis.

ESS 330: Strength Training & Program Design

Credits 4
The course will familiarize students with the discipline, methods and benefits of strength training. Students will develop competence with strength training machines and free weights, as well as methods for enhancing strength and reducing injury. Special attention will be given to proper safety, lifting and spotting techniques. Students will have the opportunity to develop programs with practical application of knowledge through a needs analysis. Students will also learn how to adapt conditioning programs for special areas such as obesity, elderly, children, pregnancy, and injury.

ESS 415: Advanced Biomechanics

Credits 4
Explore an in-depth analysis of the biomechanics of gait, posture, movement and injuries, and the mechanisms of injury occurrence, risk reduction, and the estimation of forces. An understanding of external and internal forces impact on motion and position and how biomechanical principles can be applied to analyze movement and improve performance.

ESS 480: Senior Practicum

Credits 4
Students will incorporate skills and techniques learned from previous courses to collect data on Cottey student-athletes pre-season, during season, and after season. Students will also have the opportunity to work on injury prevention and strength training development. All information collected with be presented in Senior Capstone.

ESS 490: Senior Capstone

Credits 4
Students will complete a field or literature research project to culminate their degree. The project may contain or be based off a practicum or internship-based component. The project will be completed with the support of the faculty or project mentor and will include a written professional report and oral presentation.