Exercise and Sports Studies Graduate Program


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Exercise and Sport Studies Graduate Program

The Curriculum (51 Credits)

Theory Courses
Full theory courses of four (4) credits each include:

ESS 510	Biomechanics of Sport
ESS 515	The Physiology of Exercise
ESS 550	Women in Sport
ESS 560	Socio-cultural Analysis of Sport
ESS 565	Seminar in Skill Acquisition and Performance
ESS 570	Seminar in Sport Psychology

These courses typically meet for a minimum of three hours a week, and several require an additional two hours of laboratory work. Students who do not have the prerequisites for ESS 510 or ESS 515 may take prerequisites at Smith in addition to their normal course load. The department offers Applied Exercise Science (ESS 175), Kinesiology (ESS 210), and Exercise Physiology (ESS 215). Students may elect to take prerequisites either for undergraduate credit or as an audit, but in either case they are expected to do all work, and to earn a passing grade.

Applied Coaching Courses
Coaching theory courses are one and two credit courses, and are organized as seminars and colloquiums. They include:

ESS 501	Seminar in Administration of Athletic Teams (2 cr)
ESS 502	Seminar in Philosophy and Ethics of Coaching (2 cr)
ESS 502a	Sport Law (1 cr)
ESS 507	Proposing Special Studies/Thesis (1 cr)
ESS 540	Microcomputers in ESS (2 cr)
ESS 555	Health and Nutrition (2 cr)
ESS 575	Sports Medicine: Concepts in Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries (2 cr)

Experiential Courses

ESS 520	Leadership/Experiential Workshops (3 cr)

Coaching Practicum

ESS 505/ESS 506	Two credits per term for a total of eight (8) credits.

The Coaching Practicum entails serving as an assistant coach, and includes: Theoretical and Practical Foundations of Coaching (ESS 505), and Advanced Practicum in Coaching (ESS 506). The coaching practicum in ESS 505 is designed to provide students with the opportunity to observe and assist the head coach in as many areas as possible. The intent of ESS 506 is to give students increased responsibilities, after having spent a season with a head coach and team. Here assistant coaches may be given responsibility for certain areas within their sport's program such as the development and implementation of a recruiting plan, developing a budget, organizing a tournament, or planning and running practices. In the assistant coaching context, students are exposed to the following: (a) team organization, including tryouts, team selections, and the choosing of captains, (b) scheduling, budgeting, providing for meals and officials, (c) recruiting, (d) medical exams, (e) planning, implementing, and evaluating practices, (f) developing, implementing and evaluating training protocols, (g) sport promotion and fund raising, (h) NCAA rules and athletic department policies, and (i) sport governing body issues.


Note:
With the exception of the ESS 502, 505/6, 507, and special studies and theses credits, courses are offered on an alternate year schedule. To view the next two-year cycle, click here.