Masters Degree Program:
Exercise, Fitness and Health Promotion

The Master of Science in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion (EFHP) focuses on the role of physical activity in the promotion of health, fitness and quality of life. This program is designed to prepare professionals in a variety of fields including physical education, health education, fitness, and health promotion/disease prevention careers.

Completion of this degree may lead to the pursuit of advanced academic study (doctoral programs) and/or to preparation of professionals enabled to more adequately serve their communities.

See below for additional information about the MS EFHP program:

• Careers in the Field
• Admissions
• Degree Requirements
• Degree Options
• EFHP Faculty
• Advising Information
• Contact Information

Careers in the Field

Graduates are prepared to assume positions that require a balance of qualifications in exercise, fitness, and health promotion knowledge, research experience, educational programming expertise, and behavioral change skill training. The program has an excellent history of preparing professionals in these areas of competence. Recent graduates have assumed successful positions in public and private sector schools, community health agencies, public health departments, health care centers including hospitals and corporate fitness facilities located in a variety of businesses and industries.

Admissions

Prospective students applying for admission to the Master of Science in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion program should have completed undergraduate course work in:

• human anatomy
• human physiology
• nutrition
• kinesiology
• physiology of exercise

In addition to fulfilling the graduate admission requirements of the university, all applicants will be required to:

• Submit three letters of recommendation.

• Provide transcripts of all previous college work, showing that they have completed the required undergraduate course work (human anatomy, human physiology, nutrition, kinesiology, and physiology of exercise).

• Forward recent scores (within previous five years) of either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT).

• Submit a written goals statement (500-1,000 words) relating study in the M.S. program to the applicant’s education and career objectives.

Begin the application process by visiting the George Mason Univeristy Office of Admissions, or its online application website. The M.S. in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion is listed under the College of Education and Human Development.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, with admission reserved for the following semester.

Degree Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the graduate degree requirements of the university, the student must complete 30 graduate credit hours including the following courses.

Core Courses

(18 graduate credit hours)

• EFHP 606: Foundations of Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 610: Advanced Exercise Physiology (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 611: Fitness Assessment: Theory and Practice (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 614: Advanced Exercise Nutrition (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 618: Exercise and Sport Psychology (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 623: Research Design and Statistical Reasoning (3 credit hours)

Elective Courses

(6 or 12 graduate credit hours depending on option selected, see below)

• EFHP 500: Workshop in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion (1-3 credit hours)
• EFHP 598: Special Topics (1-6 credit hours)
• EFHP 615: Epidemiology and Environmental Health (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 630: Exercise, Health, and Fitness Program Development (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 660: Management of Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion Organizations (3 credit hours)
• EFHP 680: Ethical Issues in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion (3 credit hours)

Thesis

(6 graduate credit hours for thesis option)

• EFHP 799: Thesis (1-6 credit hours)

Degree Options

Students may select either a thesis or non-thesis/comprehensive examination option for completion of the MS EFHP degree.

Thesis Option

Completion of the core (18 graduate credit hours)

Completion of electives (6 graduate credit hours)

Completion and oral defense of a thesis (6 graduate credit hours)

Oral examination of the complete written thesis

• • conducted by Chair of the Thesis Committee (required)
• • attended by Members of the Thesis Committee (required)
• • attended by other interested faculty/students (optional)

Nonthesis Option

Completion of the core (18 graduate credit hours)

Completion of electives (12 graduate credit hours)

Written comprehensive examination

• • includes five questions (one hour per question)
• • one question from the content area of EFHP 623 Research Design and Statistical Reasoning
• • four other questions focusing on student’s strengths and content of the degree program    (student selects from six)
• • examination is scheduled twice each semester and once during the summer

EFHP Faculty

Jatin P. Ambegaonkar, PhD, ATC, OT, CSCS, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 2007; Assistant Professor, Athletic Training Education Program. Co-Director, Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (S.M.A.R.T.) Laboratory. Lower extremity injury, performing arts medicine, neuromuscular and biomechanical analysis of movement, athletic performance.

David S. Anderson, PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1983; Professor and Coordinator, Health Promotion and Exercise Science. Alcohol and drug prevention with youth and young adults; holistic health and wellness; evaluation strategies; health communication; strategic planning.

Robert E. Baker, Ed.D., The College of William and Mary in Virginia, 1995; Associate Professor and Coordinator, Sport Management. Stakeholder dynamics in sport among leadership, contextual issues, and governance/policy; and sport management professional preparation.

Amanda M. Caswell, PhD, The Ohio University, 2004; Assistant Professor and Director, Athletic Training Education Program. Alternative assessments and feedback methods in allied health fields.

Shane Caswell, PhD, The Ohio University, 2003; Assistant Professor, Athletic Training Education Program. Co-Director, Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (S.M.A.R.T) Laboratory.

Craig R. Esherick, J.D., Georgetown University, 1982; Assistant Professor of Sport Management. Sport history; basketball and basketball history; the club sports system in Europe; US interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics; and coaching, parenting and leadership of athletes.

Laurie K. Harmon, PhD, RLA, The Pennsylvania State University, 2005; Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. Social psychological connections to and technology impacts on the natural world.

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., PhD, The University of Maryland, 1986; Associate Professor of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. Legal and legislative issues in recreation administration and disability rights law in sport and recreation.

Richard E. Miller, Ed.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1981; Associate Professor, Health education. Instrumentation in health promotion and disease prevention, safety literacy, and measurement of driver knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

John Nauright, PhD, Queens University, Ontario, Canada, 1992; Professor, Sport Management. Sports marketing; sports history; and the sociology of sport and tourism in South African history.

Ellen B. Drogin Rodgers, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, 1991; Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Teaching and Academic Affairs, College of Education and Human Development. Research methodology and evaluation; social psychology of leisure; and human dimensions of natural resources.

R. Pierre Rodgers, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, 1991; Associate Professor and Co-Coordinator of EFHP Graduate Program. Sport management and sport communication. Race and sport, rhetoric and popular culture; interracial/intercultural and gender/racial/social marginalization communication; and sport as cultural phenomenon.

Lori B. Shelby, PhD, Colorado State University, 2006; Assistant Professor of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. Human dimensions of natural resources, research methodology, nature-based tourism, and recreation resource management.

Cindy L. Waddell, PhD, University of Maryland, 2003; Coordinator of Internships and Academic Advising. Sport performance enhancement through psychological interventions; optimism and sport participation; and perceptions of competence in sport and physical activity.

Ava J. Walker, PhD, University of Tennessee, 1991; Associate Professor, Exercise physiology and adult fitness/wellness.

Brenda P. Wiggins, PhD, University of Oregon, 1984; Associate Professor, Coordinator of Student Affairs and Co-Coordinator of EFHP Graduate Program; Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. Leisure inclusion across the lifespan.

David K. Wiggins, PhD, University of Maryland, 1979; Professor and Director, School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. 
Sport history and philosophy of sport and physical education.

Advising

Currently, all graduate students receive advising from the Co-Coordinators of the Graduate Program, Doctors Pierre Rodgers (prodgers@gmu.edu) and Brenda Wiggins (bwiggins@gmu.edu), Bull Run Hall, Prince William Campus.