NSU offers new master's in Health and Sport Science

(Tahlequah, Oklahoma) — With jobs in health education and sport administration projected to grow faster than average occupations in the next five years, Northeastern State University is offering a new master’s program geared at meeting that demand.

Northeastern State University is now offering a master’s degree in health and sport science to better prepare students for the field. The 32 credit-hour program will include coursework and a capstone project. Dr. Moosong Kim, assistant professor of Health and Kinesiology, said master’s students may choose from two emphases as part of the program: health education or sport administration/management.

Kim said the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects jobs in the health education field to grow approximately 14.5% before 2026. He added that this is much faster than the average for all occupations. Sport administration and management-related jobs are also expected to grow 5-10 % before 2026.

Kim said NSU’s new health and science degree program will prepare students to take advantage of the wide range of career opportunities in the field of health and sport science. These include careers such as health educators, athletic team directors and professional sport team managers. The program is accepting new students every fall and spring semester. For a student to be admitted he/she is required to have an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and a score of graduate entrance exams such as the GRE or MAT by the end of the first semester.

Kim said the master’s program also complements many existing health and human performance degrees the university currently offers its undergraduate students. For certain undergraduate degrees, students can apply up to nine credit hours earned to both their bachelor’s and master’s.

For example, Kim said students admitted to the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Education in Health and Physical Education would be able to complete up to nine hours of graduate-level credit towards a Master of Health and Sport Science with a health education focus as an undergraduate student. The completed credit will also count towards the student’s undergraduate degree.

Additionally, Kim said students admitted to the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance will also be able to complete up to nine credit hours of graduate-level credit towards a Master of Health and Sport Science with a sport administration/management focus as an undergraduate student. Credit hours earned will be applied to both degrees.

The master’s program also offers students opportunities to gain more in-depth knowledge and skills through partnerships with other university departments. 

Kim said the program is partnering with the Department of Business to offer classes in sport administration and management. Additionally, Kim said, some graduate students in the program will have the opportunity to work with NSU athletic teams as graduate assistants or work in high schools as an athletic coach or manager.

Students can learn more by visiting the website, https://academics.nsuok.edu/healthkinesiology/DegreePrograms/HealthandSportsScience,MS.aspx

For more information, contact Kim at kimm@nsuok.edu or by phone at 918-444-3217.