Undergraduate Programs

The Health and Sport Studies Undergraduate Program provides students with exemplary learning experiences in the promotion of health and the historical and cultural context of sport and physical activity.  Students majoring in Health and Sport Studies choose one of two emphasis areas: Health Promotion or Sport Studies. There is a selective admission process for each track.

Sport Studies

Sport Studies is for students who want to examine sport within its historical and contemporary cultural contexts. Coursework in the history, sociology, and psychology of sport and physical activity provides students with the critical skills necessary to understand sport as a significant aspect of cultural life. Sport's interactions with educational institutions, the media, the economy, and the political system are all critically examined. Race, class, and gender differences in the sport experience are explored.

Health Promotion

Health Promotion integrates the theory and applied study of health education with the biological, behavioral, and social factors that affect health. Iowa’s health promotion program is especially known for its content emphases in exercise prescription, active living, dietary assessment, and healthy eating. The curriculum blends natural science and social science approaches to focus on empowering individuals and building healthy communities through changes in lifestyle and the environment.

Further Information

Health Promotion Application Form (.doc) and Sport Studies Application Form (.doc)

Departmental Scholarship Application Form (.doc)

Departmental Internship Manual (.pdf)

Curriculum Sheets for Health Promotion (.pdf) or Sports Studies (.pdf)