Masters Degree Program Requirements - What is Needed

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1 M.A. in Health and Kinesiology, NASPE/NCATE, Matrix, page Undergraduate background requirements shall be established for entry into the masters degree program. 1.1 Policies and procedures for determining deficiencies for admission shall be established and listed. A student entering the masters degree program without the baccalaureate degree in kinesiology/physical education shall remove deficiencies by completing sequential undergraduate courses or by demonstrating necessary competencies. To be considered for admission to the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology degree program in the Department of KHS, students must: (a) hold a baccalaureate degree in Kinesiology / Physical Education, or (b) hold a baccalaureate degree with a minimum of 30 undergraduate hours in Health and Kinesiology. Prior to or upon applying for admission to the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology degree program in the Department of KHS, and before registering for courses, students meet individually with the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator reviews the applicant s college transcripts, and notes if the student meets the above criteria. If the student does not hold a baccalaureate degree in Kinesiology/Physical Education, the Graduate Coordinator discusses with the student courses s/he may need for remediation/background in Kinesiology. The final determination of adequate academic background and courses the student must complete for remediation/background is the responsibility of the student s graduate committee in conjunction with the Graduate Coordinator. These decisions are made on an individual basis taking into consideration the student s undergraduate and graduate coursework completed to date, the selected area of interest, and specific prerequisite requirements for graduate coursework. 2.0 The curriculum for the masters degree program in kinesiology/physical education ensures that a minimum of 50% of the total degree program shall be in kinesiology/physical education. Students in the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology may take a maximum of 9 hours outside of the department, and those in the Kinesiology concentration may take a maximum of 9 non-kin hours. Thus, students pursuing the non-thesis option must take at least 75% of their coursework in Kinesiology, and those pursuing the thesis option must take at least 70% of their coursework in Kinesiology.

2 M.A. in Health and Kinesiology, NASPE/NCATE, Matrix, page The curriculum for the masters degree program shows competency in methods of inquiry. 3.1 A minimum of 15% of all students plan of study focuses on methods of inquiry. Required course content addresses in-depth study in research methods, research design, and quantitative and/or qualitative analyses. All students in the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology masters degree program at SLU are required to complete KIN/HS 601 (Statistics) and KIN/HS 606 (Research Methods). This 6-hour requirement represents 17% of the non-thesis program, and 20% of the thesis program. 4.0 The curriculum for the masters degree program shows evidence of one or more areas of interest. 4.1 An area of interest is comprised of a minimum of 25% of a student s program. Areas of interest must be accompanied by a listing of courses that describe the content. 4.2 One identified area of interest, which a student may select, is in teacher education (i.e., Pedagogy). The list of accompanying courses includes content in such areas as curriculum and instruction, teaching effectiveness, analysis of teaching behavior, supervision, motor learning, etc. as applied to kinesiology/physical education The framework for the program is based on the this area of interest concept, and each area of interest is linked to 9 hours of specific coursework. These 9 hours represent 25% of the nonthesis program, and 30% of the thesis program. Pedagogy courses are clearly associated with teaching and teacher education. Areas of interest and associated courses are: Adapted PE KIN 592 Perceptual Motor Development KIN 593 Physical Education for the Physically Disabled or Handicapped KIN 594 Curriculum Development for Adapted Physical Education Exercise Physiology Motor Behavior KIN 625 Cardio-respiratory Aspects of Exercise KIN 638 Neuromuscular Aspects of Exercise KIN 644 Advanced Exercise Testing and Prescription KIN 612 Motor Learning KIN 614 Principles and Theories of Motor Development KIN 621 Mechanical Analysis of Motor Performance

3 M.A. in Health and Kinesiology, NASPE/NCATE, Matrix, page 49 Pedagogy Sport and Exercise Psychology One course selected from: KIN 613 Physical Education in the Elementary School KIN 620 Curriculum Development in Physical Education KIN 622 Implementation of Physical Education Programs KIN 623 Human Behavior in Exercise and Sport KIN 624 Applied Research in Exercise and Sport Behavior KIN 628 Kinesiology Seminar KIN 632 Independent Research KIN 634 Independent Reading 5.0 The curriculum for the masters degree program shows evidence of breadth in the theoretical base of the discipline building on initial experiences acquired at the undergraduate level. 5.1 Breadth in the curriculum enables all students to select courses in kinesiology/physical education outside their areas of interest. The theoretical base of the discipline includes such areas as, but not limited to, biomechanical, historical, philosophical, physiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. The model framework for the degree program provides that students are required to complete one course in two interest areas other than the interest area they select. For example, a student who elects Exercise Physiology as their interest area, must also take one course in two additional areas selected from Adapted Physical Education, Motor Behavior, Pedagogy, and Sport/Exercise Psychology. In addition, students in the non-thesis option have an additional 15 hours of electives, 6 of which must be KIN courses, while students in the non-thesis option have an additional 3 hours of electives which may be a KIN or Health Studies course, or a course outside of the department. 6.0 The curriculum for the masters degree program in kinesiology/physical education requires some form of scholarly endeavor resulting in a culminating experience. 6.1 Culminating experiences shall include endeavors such as a masters thesis, research or creative project, comprehensive examination, etc. Students pursuing the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology at SLU who elect the thesis option must complete a thesis under the direction of a thesis advisor and thesis committee. This involves proposing the study, collecting data, writing the thesis document, and making a formal presentation to the committee and other interested faculty and students. During the final semester, students who elect the non-thesis option undergo an oral comprehensive examination conducted by their graduate committee and other faculty who taught courses they completed.

4 M.A. in Health and Kinesiology, NASPE/NCATE, Matrix, page Workshops and courses that have as their primary emphasis the acquisition of participant s motor skills are not appropriate. No graduate courses in the Department of KHS falls into this description/category. 7.1 Courses shall rarely be offered concurrently for undergraduate and graduate credit. For a course to be offered for dual credit, the majority of the enrollment must be graduate students, and the content of the course must be presented at the graduate level. Rationale must be provided for any course offered for dual undergraduate and gradual level. The majority of courses in the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology are offered only at the graduate level. However, the 3 courses associated with the Adapted Physical Education interest area are dual listed as both undergraduate and graduate. These courses are dual listed because they are courses required for certification in Adapted Physical Education (APE). A number of undergraduate students in the Health and Physical Education Teacher Preparation degree program concurrently pursue APE certification and enroll in the undergraduate version of these courses. Graduate students who elect this area of interest are current Physical Educators who return to school to pursue both APE certification and a masters degree. The table below provides student enrollment data from the past 4 years in these courses. KIN 492/592 KIN 493/593 KIN 494/594 UG GR UG GR UG GR Su Fa Fa Fa Fa Su Su Fa Totals Percent 60% 40% 77% 23% 53% 47% While the student enrollment in these courses has not met the 50% standard in recent years, the courses are designed as graduate courses, information is presented at the graduate level, and graduate students are evaluated on a different basis than are undergraduate students (see course syllabi, pages 58-64).

5 M.A. in Health and Kinesiology, NASPE/NCATE, Matrix, page A maximum of 20% of the credit hours required for the masters degree may be transferred from another institution. The regulations for transfer credit, established by the SLU Graduate School include the following: 1 After completing a minimum of 12 graduate hours at SLU, a student may appeal to the graduate coordinator or graduate advisor for approval to apply for transfer credit from another university (which must be an accredited institution that regularly grants the masters degree or an equivalent foreign institution). The student must have earned a minimum grade of B in each course to be transferred. No more than one-third of the hours required for graduation may be transferred. The graduate director or graduate advisor will recommend to the Graduate Dean the courses to be transferred, and the Dean will make the final decision. In light of Guideline 8.0, the KHS Graduate Faculty Committee met and approved the departmental regulation that a graduate student in the M.A. in Health and Kinesiology degree program may transfer a maximum of 6 hours from another institution. 2 With this change, 6 transfer hours would represent 17% of the non-thesis program, and 20% of the thesis program. See pages for documentation of this change. 9.0 Credit earned more than six years prior to graduation shall not be counted toward the masters degree unless a revalidation of course competencies is demonstrated. Regulations for the Graduate School at SLU regarding time limitations stipulate that all credit toward the degree must be completed within 6 years SLU General Catalogue (p. 244) 2 See pages for documentation of this decision and changes to the Catalogue SLU General Catalogue (p. 245)