Over the last 20 years, there has been an increased research focus on the role of exercise and nutrition on health, performance, and disease.  There has also been an increased interest in identifying strategies to reduce risk to chronic diseases through behavioral modification and wellness intervention programs.   The goal of this research has been to identify ways to optimize health and quality of life.  Clinically-related research on preventive and rehabilitative health represents one of the strongest areas for private and public funding.  There are also significant resources available to implement community-based fitness, recreation, and wellness education programs particularly to under-served communities.  Historically, research in this area has been conducted in a multidisciplinary manner through the collaborative efforts of scientists trained in exercise physiology, nutrition, rehabilitation, health, psychology, chemistry, molecular biology, nursing, and/or medicine.  While this collaborative approach has been successful, there has been a well-recognized need to develop doctoral programs that integrate exercise, nutrition and preventive health so that researchers are better prepared to conduct multidisciplinary health science research.  Although several universities have been working on developing such a program, there are currently no doctoral programs that train research specialists in the areas of exercise, nutrition, and preventive health.  In consideration of Baylor University’s 2012 vision, the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation in the School of Education has developed a unique PhD program in Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health.  This program emphasizes research in three primary areas.  First, it evaluates the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, and human performance.  Second, it  evaluates the impact of wellness education and health promotion intervention programs on behavioral modification, risk to disease, and disease management.  Finally, it examines practical ways to encourage individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle through recreation and leisure activities.   The following describes the vision, mission, rationale and program. 

Vision

To become the preeminent doctoral and research program in the United States focused on evaluating the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, and performance through research and scholarly activity in order to improve the health and well-being of Americans. 

Mission

To train researchers to conduct interdisciplinary clinically based research focusing on the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, and performance in order to improve quality of life.

Rationale

Over the last two decades there has been an increasing amount of research dedicated to investigate the interaction of exercise and nutrition on health, disease and human performance.  Much of this research has indicated that exercise, diet, and/or various nutrients can directly affect health, disease, and/or human performance.  Moreover, that implementation of various health and wellness interventions can reduce risk to disease and/or improve quality of life.  The goals of developing the PhD program in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health at Baylor will be to: 

• train doctoral students to conduct exercise, nutrition and preventive health research from a multidisciplinary and Christian wellness perspective of promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health;

• conduct quality funded health science research that can impact on the general health and well-being of healthy and diseased individuals; and,

• enhance the national and international reputation of Baylor University in the area of health science research.

Program Description

The program is uniquely designed to train researchers to conduct multidisciplinary clinical research evaluating the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, and performance.  A minimum of 72 hours will be required.   The program will have a 27 hour core of courses providing a foundation to conduct exercise, nutrition and health intervention research by providing a strong foundation in statistics, experimental design, research methods, and laboratory skills.  This will allow each student to have a strong statistical background and a detailed understanding of the methods of conducting exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, and preventive health research.  We feel that this integrated core experience is essential for researchers to understand how to properly design, evaluate, and conduct multidisciplinary clinical research trials involving exercise, nutrition, and health.  Once completed, students will then pursue advanced study in one of three program emphasis areas consisting of 18-21 hours.  This will provide specialized training in scientific principles, research methodologies, and laboratory techniques of exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, or preventive health.  The student will then take 12-15 hours of guided interdisciplinary electives prior to taking 12-18 hours of research and dissertation.  The following describes graduate school admission criteria, specific guidelines for the doctoral degree, and an outline of the proposed doctoral program in Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health.  

Graduates

Class of 2006

Chad Kerksick, PhD                    Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma
Lemuel Taylor, IV, PhD               Assistant Professor, University of West Florida
Colin Wilborn, PhD                     Assistant Professor, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Terri Magrans-Courtney, PhD       Consultant, Part-time Lecturer, Baylor University
Brandon Marcello, PhD                Director of Sports Performance, Stanford University

Class of 2007

Bill Campbell, PhD                       Assistant Professor, University of South Florida
Paul La Bounty, PhD                     Assistant Professor, Baylor University
Travis Harvey, ABD                       Assistant Professor, United States Military Academy
Melyn Galbreath, ABD                   Research Coordinator, UTMB-Marlin 
Jen Wismann, ABD                       Research Coordinator, Waco Asthma Clinic
Jackie Beckham-Dove, ABD           Post-Doc in Pediatric Obesity, TAMU-Medical Center

General Graduate Admission Requirements 

Students wishing to pursue the Doctoral of Philosophy Degree in Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health must apply and meet all general requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Baylor University.   Qualified students will be admitted regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, age, or disability.  The applicant’s packet will be considered complete when all application materials have been received.

Department Admission Requirements 

The following are the specific requirements from the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy of Philosophy degree in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health.    

1. An equivalent of a masters degree in a related area of exercise physiology, nutrition, health, sports medicine, physical therapy, nursing, or medicine. 
2. Completion of a department doctoral program application form describing academic preparation, degrees earned, interests in the doctoral program, professional goals, research skills, and teaching/work experience.
3. Samples of writing or copies of representative publications (articles and abstracts).
4. Three letters of reference from mentors who have insight regarding potential for success in the doctoral program.
5. An appropriate and acceptable score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE examination or an equivalent level score on the MCAT examination. 
6. A minimum of a 3.50 overall GPA on graduate work completed at an accredited college or university.
7. Students who have exceptional work and/or research experience may be considered for provisional acceptance into the program if they do not meet the standardized examination scores or GPA requirements. 

General Program Information

Once admitted to the program, the following will serve as guidelines for the period of study, departmental supervision, committee composition, the preliminary examination, admission to candidacy, time limitations, dissertation supervision, the dissertation, and final examination.  

Period of Study  

The equivalent of three academic years of full-time study beyond the master’s degree and the completion of 12-18 semester hours of research and dissertation constitute the minimum requirements for degree completion. The doctorate is not based on a number of courses or time units, but rather on the demonstrated ability to be a contributing scholar. Consequently an individual may spend more than the minimum time earning the degree.

Departmental Supervision 

The Graduate Program Director in the Department of HHPR will serve as the initial supervisor for the student.  Students will then be assigned a doctoral program faculty member that will serve as a mentor and advisor throughout the program.  This mentor will typically be a graduate faculty member who is conducting research in the area of specialization of interest to the student.  

Committee Composition 

A doctoral program planning committee will be formed for each student in the doctoral program.  The committee will be comprised of the students of the following: 

• The students advisor or dissertation research supervisor
• Two faculty members of the students’ emphasis area in either exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, or preventive health.
• One faculty member from each of the non-emphasis areas (total of 2 members)
• At least one member of committee from a department outside of HHPR in which the student has taken elective courses.

Preliminary Examination 

Students will take a four-day written preliminary examination at the end of completing the second year of coursework in the program.   Two topic areas will be tested each day in two separate four hour exams.  The student will be given questions from professor’s who taught the three core research methods courses as well as from five courses taught in the student’s emphasis area.  Students will be expected to appropriately address any topic or topics covered in these courses as well as address related research design and/or statistical questions.  Each examination area will be graded by the professor who provided the questions for that area and graded as pass, pass with stipulation, or failure.  If the student fails any part of the examination they will fail the exam.  If the student passes more than one question with stipulation, they fail the exam.  If the student does not pass the preliminary examination, a second examination may be given no sooner than four months after the first examination.  After two failures, the student will not be able to continue in the program.

Admission to Candidacy 

Students are recognized as candidates for a doctoral degree only after they have passed the preliminary examination, completed all departmental requirements (except the dissertation), and received approval by the Graduate School of their formal application for admission to candidacy. An application for admission to candidacy must be filed with the Office of the Graduate School upon successful completion of the above requirements, but should be filed no later than five months prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. Students must be registered for at least one semester hour of graduate credit during the semester of intended graduation. 

Time Limitation 

The maximum time limit for the doctoral degree is eight years from the point of admission. After this time, the appropriate required coursework may be revalidated or not according to the policy of the individual degree program in consultation with the Graduate School. Candidates are not allowed to continue in the doctoral program after ten years has elapsed from the semester of admission.  

Dissertation Supervision 

The dissertation committee is designated by the director of graduate studies with the approval of the Graduate School. The committee will be composed of the following:  

• The students advisor or dissertation research supervisor
• Two faculty members of the students’ emphasis area in either exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, or preventive health.
• One faculty member from each of the non-emphasis areas (total of 2 members)
• At least one member of committee from a department outside of HHPR in which the student has taken elective courses.

The student’s research mentor is the chairperson of the committee and must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. One of the members of the committee must be a full Graduate Faculty member who is not affiliated with the program in which the student is studying. 

Dissertation 

Candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must present an acceptable dissertation on a problem in the field of their major subject. The dissertation must give evidence that the candidate has pursued a program of research, the results of which reveal scholarly competence and a significant contribution to knowledge.  Candidates should acquire the Guidelines for Preparing the Dissertation and Thesis and other necessary materials at the beginning of the semester in which graduation is expected. The most recent edition of Guidelines is available on the Baylor homepage http://www.baylor.edu/Graduate_School. If the student is unable to download Guidelines, a copy can be obtained from the Graduate School. Additional degree completion materials not available on the homepage are provided to students when they file for graduation. The Guidelines contain the directions for the procedure to complete the dissertation, an explanation of forms necessary, the semester calendar, and an explanation of fees associated with the process.  

Final Examination 

The final oral examination will be conducted by an examining body appointed by the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the director of graduate studies within 1 – 4 weeks after passing the written preliminary comprehensive examination.   The examination committee will be comprised of all professors who participated in evaluating the student during the preliminary written examination as well as one faculty member who has graduate faculty status from another department.  The student’s academic advisor will chair the examining body and ensure that the examination is formally announced, fairly conducted, and open to the faculty. The final examination will include a 2 hour oral defense with the final oral comprehensive examination committee. Candidates who fail this examination may take a second final oral examination no sooner than four months after the first final oral examination.   After two failures, the student will not be able to continue in the program.

Coursework

A minimum of seventy two (72) hours is required for the Ph.D. No less than twenty-seven (27) hours will come from the research and statistics core.  Students will then select one of three research tracks in exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, or preventive health and take a minimum of eighteen (18) hours.  Students will also take a minimum of fifteen (15) guided elective hours upon approval of their Advisory/Dissertation Committee.   Students may take courses outlined in other emphasis tracks within the Exercise, Nutrition & Preventive Health doctoral program or from the list of approved interdisciplinary electives below.   The remaining twelve (12) hours will be dedicated for the dissertation and its associated research. 

Statistics and Research Core (33 Hours)

ENPH Statistics Core 

REL 4395 - Bioethics or New SOE course on Christianity in Research (3) 
STA 5300 – Statistical Methods (3) 
STA 5301 – Introduction to Experimental Design (3) or EDP 6360 - Experimental Design I (3)
STA 5384 – Multivariate Statistical Methods (3) or EDP 6361 - Experimental Design II (3)

Statistics Restrictive Electives (Select one with advisors approval)

EDP 6360 - Experimental Design I (3) 
EDP 6361 - Experimental Design II (3) 
STA 5301 – Introduction to Experimental Design (3) 
STA 5351 – Theory of Statistics I (3) 
STA 5365 – Bio Statistics I (3) 
STA 5384 – Multivariate Statistical Methods (3)
MTH 5380 – Statistical Methods for Research (3) 

ENPH Research Design/Methods Core                

ENH 6300 - Research Methods: Nutrition & Weight Management (3)
ENH 6100 - Lab Rotation: Nutrition/Weight Management (1) 
ENH 6302 - Research Methods: Exercise & Rehabilitation (3)
ENH 6102 - Lab Rotation: Exercise & Rehabilitation (1)
ENH 6304 - Research Methods: Preventive Health Intervention (3)     
ENH 6104 - Lab Rotation: Preventive Health (1)    

ENPH Research Seminar / Clinical Rotations

ENH 6106 - Research Seminar (1-3) or
ENH 6V30 - Clinical Research Rotation (1-3)

Research Emphasis (Select One Emphasis Area - 18-21 Hours)

Exercise Nutrition

ENH 6320 - Nutritional Biochemistry (3)
ENH 6322 - Exercise, Nutrition, and Endocrinology (3)
ENH 6324 - Muscle Physiology & Metabolism (3) 
ENH 6326 - Advanced Nutrition I: Macronutrients, Exercise, & Health (3)
ENH 6328 - Advanced Nutrition II: Micronutrients, Exercise, & Health (3)  
ENH 6330 - Obesity & Weight Management (3) or      
FCS 5351 – Nutrition and Aging (3)                                                       

Exercise Rehabilitation

HP 5333 - Exercise Testing and Prescription (3)     
BIO 5322 - Physiology of Aging (3)  

ENH 6340 - Health Aspects of Strength & Conditioning (3)                      

ENH 6342 - Health Aspects of Cardiopulmonary Conditioning (3)

ENH 6344 - Therapeutic Exercise Programming for Special Populations (3)  

ENH 6346 - Orthopedic Rehabilitation (3)

ENH 6348 - Exercise Adherence/Motivation (3)

Preventive Health

HED 5337 - Health Concepts in Epidemiology (3)  
NUR 5350 - Advanced Human Pathophysiology (3)    
ENH 6360 - Theories and Strategies for Health Behavior Change (3)  
ENH 6362 - Design of Outcome-Based Health Interventions (3) 
ENH 6364 - Analysis of Health Promotion Interventions (3) 
ENH 6366 - Preventive Health in Medically Underserved Populations (3) 
ENH 6368 - Preventive Health in Aging Populations (3)    

Guided Electives (15-18 hours selected from other emphasis areas or interdisciplinary electives)

BIO 5322 - Physiology of Aging (3)     
BMS 5240 - Research Methods in Biochemistry (3)
BMS 5302 - Current Concepts in Immunology (3)
BMS 5304 - Biochemical and Molecular Genetics (3)
BMS 5310 - Molecular Biology of the Cell (3)
BMS 5343 - Studies in Intermediary Metabolism (3)
BMS 5344 - Clinical Chemistry (3)
BMS 5401 - Special Techniques in Immunology (3)
EDP 5346 - Advanced Analysis of Behavior (3)
EDP 6336 - Qualitative Research and Data Analysis (3)
EDP 6337 - Psychometric Theory and Test Construction (3)
EDP 6338 - Grant Writing (Cross-listed as EDC 6338) (3)
FCS 5350 – Childhood and Adolescent Nutrition (3)
FCS 5361 - Advanced Nutrition Counseling (3)
HCA 5339 - Medical Informatics - Health Networks, Databases and Applications (3)
HCA 5301 - U. S. Health Care Systems (3)
HCA 5310 - Statistics for Health Care Administration (3)
HCA 5313 - Health Policy (3)
HCA 5317 - Health Management Information Systems (3)
HCA 5311 - Health Care Research Methods: Design and Analysis (3)
HCA 5320 - Advanced Statistical Applications in Health Care Delivery (3)
HED 5337 - Health Concepts in Epidemiology (3)
HP 5328 - Physiology of Exercise I - Neuromuscular Aspects (3)
HP 5330 - Physiology of Exercise II – Cardiopulmonary Aspects (3)
HP 5331 - Laboratory Skills in Exercise Physiology (3)
HP 5340 - Advanced Biochemistry in Exercise Science (3)
HP 5352 - Advanced Principles of Exercise and Sport Nutrition (3)
HP 5354 - Advanced Methods of Strength and Conditioning (3)
HP 5357 - Advanced Methods of Exercise Programming for Individuals with Chronic Diseases and Disabilities (3)
HP 5384 - Biomechanics of Human Movement (3)
HP 5358 – Environmental Physiology (3)
HP 6V30 – Clinical Research Rotations (1-6)
HP 6106 -  Research Seminar (1)
NSC 5319 - Clinical Neuroscience - Advanced (Cross-listed as PSY 5319) (3)
NSC 5330 - Neuropharmacology (Cross-listed as PSY 5330) (3)
NSC 5360 - Neurophysiology (Cross-listed as PSY 5360) (3)
NSC 5430 - Neuroanatomy (Cross-listed as PSY 5430) (3)
NUR 5350 - Advanced Human Pathophysiology (3)
NUR 5351 - Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners (3)
NUR 5352 - Advanced Health Assessment/Promotion/Disease Prevention (3)
PSY 5305 - Advanced Experimental Design (Cross-listed as STA 5305) (3)
PSY 5307 - Advanced Statistics II (Cross-listed as STA 5307) (3)
PSY 5334 - Health Psychology (3)
PSY 5384 - Multivariate Statistical Methods (Cross-listed as STA 5384) (3)
PSY 5386 - Exploratory Factor Analysis (Cross-listed as STA 5386) (3)
PT 5323 - Pathophysiology of Therapeutic Exercise (3)
PT 6310 - Soft Tissue and Bone Pathophysiology (3)
PT 6340 - Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics I (3)
PT 6341 - Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics II (3)
RLS 5392 - Leisure Well-Being in Later Life (Cross-listed as SOC 5392) (3)
RLS 5396 - Administrative Practices and Issues in Recreation Therapy (3)
SWO 5333 - Human Wellness and Health Care (3)
SWO 5397 - Methods in Aging Research (Cross-listed as GRT 5397 and SOC 5397) (3)
SOC 6307 - Statistical Methods for Survey Research (3)
SOC 6310 - Mail Surveys (3)
SOC 6325 - Needs Assessment (3)
SOC 6340 - Face to Face Surveys (3)
SOC 6360 - Demographic Modeling (3)
SOC 6391 - Grant Writing and Proposal Development (3)
STA 5300 - Statistical Methods (3)
STA 5362 - Time Series Analysis (3)
STA 5364 - Survival and Reliability Theory (3)
STA 5370 - Sampling Techniques (Cross-listed as SOC 6318) (3)
STA 5384 - Multivariate Statistical Methods (See PSY 5384) (3)
STA 5386 - Exploratory Factor Analysis (See PSY 5386) (3)
STA 5401 – Introduction to Experimental Design (See PSY 5401) (3)
STA 6351 - Advanced Statistical Inference I (3)
STA 6352 - Advanced Statistical Inference II (3)
STA 6353 - Nonparametric Statistical Inference (3)
STA 6383 - Advanced Multivariate Analysis (3)
STA 6384 - Discrete Multivariate Analysis (3)

Research/Dissertation (12 - 18 hours)

ENH 6V99 - Dissertation

Program Course Sequence

The program is designed to consist of two years (fall, spring, and summer sessions) of didactic course work and laboratory rotations and one year of dissertation research as detailed in the Program Course Sequence.  During the first year, students will take a core of statistics and research methods courses designed to provide a strong multidisciplinary background in conducting exercise, nutrition, and preventive health research.  During the second year, students will take emphasis area coursework and electives to provide research specialization.  The third year is dedicated to dissertation research. 

Course Descriptions

Statistics and Research Core (27 Hours)

REL 4395 Bioethics
Ethical issues in the fields of health care and other life sciences. Some of the issues studied include behavior modification, abortion, euthanasia, health care delivery, human experimentation, and genetic modification. A major research project on a selected issue approved by the professor will be required of each student.

SOE – Christianity in Research (In Development)
An examination of the role of conducting health related research from a Christian moral and ethical perspective.  The course will discuss how faith affects learning, research, and professional interactions. 

STA 5351 Theory of Statistics I
Introduction to probability theory. Fundamentals of probability theory, random variables and their distributions, expectations, transformations of random variables, moment generating functions, characteristic functions, and convergence concepts.

STA 5352 Theory of Statistics II
Prerequisite(s): STA 5351.
Theory of statistical estimation and hypothesis testing. Topics include point and interval estimation, sufficiency, properties of estimators, sampling distributions, methods of estimation, and resampling techniques.

STA 5365 Biostatistics
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
A survey of current parametric and nonparametric methods in biostatistics. Topics include the design and analysis of clinical trials, cohort studies, methods for rates and proportions, multifactor screening, and case-control studies.

STA 5362 Time Series Analysis
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
Statistical methods of analyzing time series. Topics include autocorrelation function and spectrum, stationary and non stationary time series, linear filtering, trend elimination, forecasting, general models and auto regressive integrated moving average models with applications in economics and engineering.

STA 5364 Survival and Reliability Theory
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
Basic concepts of lifetime distributions. Topics include types of censoring, inference procedures for exponential, Weibull, extreme value distributions, parametric and nonparametric estimation of survival function and accelerated life testing.

STA 5370 Sampling Techniques (Cross-listed as SOC 6318)
Prerequisite(s): Six hours of statistical methods.
Planning, execution, and analysis of sampling from finite populations. Simple random, stratified random, ratio, systematic, cluster, sub sampling, regression estimates, and multiframe techniques are covered.

PSY 5384 Multivariate Statistical Methods (Cross-listed as STA 5384)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5401.
Discriminant analysis, canonical correlation analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance.

PSY 5386 Exploratory Factor Analysis (Cross-listed as STA 5386)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5384 and 5401.
Exploratory factor analysis with emphasis on applications in the behavioral and health sciences, education, business, including the description and use of available software.

PSY 5401 Introduction to Experimental Design (Cross-listed as STA 5401)
Prerequisite(s): PSY 2402.
Simple and complex analysis of variance and analysis of covariance designs. The general linear model approach, including full-rank and less than full-rank models, will be emphasized.

ENH 6300 - Research Methods: Nutrition & Weight Management

A comprehensive overview of research methods and experimental design issues of conducting nutrition and weight management research.  3 hours lecture. Lab fee required.

ENH 6100 – Lab Rotation: Nutrition & Weight Management

Laboratory rotation in nutrition and weight management research.  1 hour lab rotation.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6302 - Research Methods: Exercise & Rehabilitation

A comprehensive overview of research methods and experimental design issues of conducting exercise intervention and rehabilitation research in a university and clinical setting.   3 hours lecture.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6102 – Lab Rotation: Exercise & Rehabilitation

Laboratory rotation in exercise and rehabilitation research.   1 hour lab rotation.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6304 - Research Methods: Preventive Health Intervention

A comprehensive overview of research methods and experimental design issues related to conducting health promotion and intervention research trials in the university, clinical, and community health environments.  3 hours lecture.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6104 – Lab Rotation: Preventive Health Intervention

Laboratory rotation in health promotion and intervention research.  1 hours lecture.  Lab fee required.

Research Emphasis (18-21 Hours)

Exercise Nutrition Emphasis

ENH 6320 - Nutritional Biochemistry
An advanced study of the biochemical pathways related to macro- and mico-nutrient synthesis and metabolism.   3 hours lecture.

ENH 6322 - Exercise, Nutrition, and Endocrinology
An overview of the role of the endocrine system on metabolism and how nutrition affects hormonal control, regulation, substrate availability, catabolism, and anabolism.  3 hours lecture.

ENH 6324 - Muscle Physiology & Metabolism
An advanced study of the microstructure, function, and metabolism of human muscle with attention to molecular, histochemical, and biochemical assessment methodology used to assess the effects of exercise, training, and/or nutritional interventions on muscle physiology and biochemistry.    3 hours lecture.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6326 - Advanced Nutrition I: Macronutrients, Exercise, & Health                
An advanced study of the role of carbohydrate, fat, and protein on exercise, performance, and health. The course will focus on how dietary manipulation of macronutrients affects resting and exercise metabolism, disease prevention, and/or disease management.  3 hours lecture.

ENH 6328 - Advanced Nutrition II: Micronutrients, Exercise, & Health                                
An advanced study of the role of vitamins and minerals on exercise, performance, and health. The course will focus on how dietary manipulation of vitamins and minerals affects resting and exercise metabolism, disease prevention, and/or disease management.  3 hours lecture.

ENH 6330 - Obesity & Weight Management               
An overview of the pathophysiology and health impact of obesity.  This course will describe current theories, methods, and techniques related to weight loss, weight management, and conducting obesity research.  3 hours lecture.

FCS 5351 – Nutrition and Aging
Nutritional needs of individuals as they age. Disease prevention, nutrition assessment, and the central role of nutrition in maintaining health and well being.

Exercise Rehabilitation Emphasis

HP 5333 - Exercise Testing and Prescription                                                                                              
Prerequisite(s): Six semester hours of graduate exercise physiology.  Exercise testing and prescription that emphasizes the necessary preparation for certification by the American College of Sports Medicine. 3 hours lecture.  Laboratory fee required.

BIO 5322 - Physiology of Aging     
Prerequisite(s): BIO 3422 and consent of instructor. 
Status of biological knowledge in gerontology. Designed for those in biology and other areas of science who require a broad knowledge of special aspects of aging. 3 hours lecture.

ENH 6340 - Health Aspects of Strength & Conditioning                           
An advanced overview of the role of resistance exercise and training on optimizing the physiological adaptations of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems in order to optimize health in order to prevent or manage chronic disease.  3 hours lecture.

ENH 6342 - Health Aspects of Cardiopulmonary Conditioning                    
An advanced analysis of the integrative responses of the cardiopulmonary system and relationship to health and disease.  The course will provide a scientific perspective with relevant implications for clinical and applied settings as well as conceptual models and techniques for discovering regulatory mechanisms.  3 hours lecture.

ENH 6344 - Therapeutic Exercise Programming for Special Populations             

An advanced study of the methods and techniques of designing, monitoring, and assessing outcomes of therapeutic exercise rehabilitation programs for individuals with chronic disease and/or disabilities.  3 hours lecture.               

ENH 6346 - Orthopedic Rehabilitation                                          

Learning injury rehabilitation through the principles of rehabilitation and applications of various tools and techniques such as manual techniques for orthopedic assessments and gait analysis and isokinetic technology applied to rehabilitation following injury and surgery.  3 hours lecture.  Lab fee required.

ENH 6348 - Exercise Adherence/Motivation                                                                                                
An overview of the theoretical foundations and research base of physical activity behavior change and exercise adherence.  Innovative methods for affecting attitudes, knowledge, and behavior regarding exercise initiation and adherence in individuals and groups will be presented.  3 hours lecture.

Preventive Health Emphasis

HED 5337 - Health Concepts in Epidemiology
Descriptive and analytical epidemiological methods in the investigation of diseases of contemporary health interest.

NUR 5350 - Advanced Human Pathophysiology                           
Pathologic deviations from normal physiology are discussed. Methods for identification and diagnosis are presented.

ENH 6360 - Theories and Strategies for Health Behavior Change
Emphasizes behavior change and planning models (e.g., Operant Conditioning, Social Cognitive Theory, Social Ecological Framework, Health Belief Model, PRECEDE-PROCEED, PATCH, MATCH, Community Empowerment) used in health behavior research design.  Theory-based preventive health and health promotion strategies (e.g., faith-based, recreational/leisure, coordinated school health programs) also discussed. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisites: All core courses.

ENH 6362  - Design of Outcome-Based Health Interventions
Focuses on research-specific needs assessment and design of health intervention programs to produce measurable impact and outcomes. Addresses influences (e.g., policies, capacities, cultures of government agencies, corporations, community organizations) on intervention processes and results. Grant-writing project frames intervention design and enables collaboration with grant-funding decision-makers. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisites: ENH 6??? Theories and Strategies for Health Behavior Change.

ENH 6364  - Analysis of Health Promotion Interventions
Focuses on analysis of health promotion programs as interventions to detect measurable impact and outcomes. Overviews program evaluation from a practitioner's viewpoint and helps students understand the differences between process, impact, and outcome analyses and the relative use of each within a research paradigm. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisites: ENH 6??? Design of Outcome-Based Health Interventions

ENH 6366  - Preventive Health in Medically Underserved Populations
Overviews knowledge and skills needed to conduct culturally competent health research among medically underserved populations. Overviews health status and contributing factors of the medically underserved. Presents concepts, theories, and terminology used in multicultural preventive health and health promotion efforts. Examines traditional cultural health beliefs and practices of a variety of ethnic groups and overviews the culture of poverty. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisites: All core courses.

ENH 6368 - Preventive Health in Aging Populations
Overviews psychosocial aspects of aging and concepts, theories, terminology used in preventive health among aging populations. Research evidence for health disparities among aging populations in a variety of settings will be covered. Adapting preventive health research methods and strategies to work effectively with aging individuals in a variety of settings (e.g., faith-based, recreational/leisure, coordinated school health programs,) will be a primary focus. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisites: All core courses.

Guided Electives

Biology

5322 Physiology of Aging
Prerequisite(s): BIO 3422 and consent of instructor.  Status of biological knowledge in gerontology. Designed for those in biology and other areas of science who require a broad knowledge of special aspects of aging. (3-0)

5407 Bioenergetics
Discussion and laboratory experiences on the processes, pathways, and rate of biological energy transformation. (2-6)

Biomedical Studies

5240 Research Methods in Biochemistry
Prerequisite(s): CHE 3332. Corequisites: Concurrent enrollment in CHE 4341, 4342, or 5348.
Basic methods used in protein biochemistry. The theory and applications of quantitative optical microscopy will be extensively covered including dark field, phase, interference, Nomarski, confocal and 3-D light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, including both UV and visible light microscopy. An extensive coverage of advanced physical methods in protein biochemistry will be provided. (2-0)

5302 Current Concepts in Immunology
Prerequisite(s): BIO 4301 or 5301.  Lectures developing technology and trends in immunology, particularly those elements that relate to medical and research applications of immunology. The annual reviews of immunology and recent literature, as well as the fundamental problems being addressed in immunology research by staff, will serve as resource information.  New concepts and approaches to vaccine production, diagnostic procedures, and immunotherapy, immunomodulation, gene family antibody synthesis, and cell and cell-humoral agent interactions will be surveyed. (4-0)

5304 Biochemical and Molecular Genetics
Prerequisite(s): Previous or concurrent enrollment in CHE 4341, 4342, or 5348, or consent of instructor.
Biochemical and molecular aspects of the inborn errors of human metabolism. Particular attention will focus on laboratory methods employed for the detection of hereditary disease, including organic and amino acid analysis, and routine metabolic screening. Molecular studies will include common techniques such as DNA and RNA isolation and purification; electrophoresis of nucleic acids; preparation of DNA libraries; and Western, Northern, and Southern analysis. (3-0)

5310 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Prerequisite(s): BIO 4307.
Advanced topics in cell biology. Cell division, replication, and recombination of DNA and mutations and repair of DNA will be reviewed. Application of restriction enzymes, recombinant DNA technology, and sequencing of DNA to study molecular architecture of the cell will be overviewed. (3-0)

5343 Studies in Intermediary Metabolism
Prerequisite(s): CHE 4341 or consent of instructor.
Investigation of the interrelationships of energy utilizing and producing metabolic pathways. Consideration will be given to glycolysis, Kreb’s cycle, oxidative pathways of fatty acids and amino acids, and the pathways of lipid and sterol formation, in addition to various aspects of gluconeogenesis and the pentosephosphate shunt. (3-0)

5344 Clinical Chemistry
Prerequisite(s): Previous or concurrent enrollment in CHE 4341, 4342, or 5348.
Common techniques employed in hospital clinical laboratories, including determination of small molecules such as glucose, lactate, pyruvate; determination of acid/base balance and disturbances; quantification of electrolytes; and the measurement of routine hepatic enzymes such as LDH, SGOT, and SGPT. (2-3)

5401 Special Techniques in Immunology
Prerequisite(s): CHE 4341 and 4342 or consent of instructor.
Immune responses of vertebrate animals, including immunochemistry and molecular genetics. Cellular responses will be analyzed by conventional skin tests, in vitro correlates of delayed-type hypersensitivity, histology, and laser-activated cell sorting. (2-6)

Educational Psychology

5346 Advanced Analysis of Behavior
The analysis of behavior and behavior change through single subject research design. Included is the application of the principles of behavior analysis to the assessment and treatment of learning and behavior problems.

6336 Qualitative Research and Data Analysis
Prerequisite(s): EDP 5335.
The development of an in-depth understanding of the major methods of inquiry associated with qualitative research will be emphasized. These include participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis. Additionally, an appreciation for the strengths and limitations of engaging in qualitative research and a general understanding of the paradigms that undergird qualitative research and their implications for conducting qualitative inquiry will be cultivated.

6337 Psychometric Theory and Test Construction
Prerequisite(s): EDP 5340.
Review of the theoretical literature and construction of direct and indirect performance tests. Course will cover cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, theoretical assumptions underlying test design, criteria for the appropriate construction of discreet item forms, processes used to establish test validity and reliability, and use of test construction software.

6338 Grant Writing (Cross-listed as EDC 6338)
Information about sources of external funding and instruction in the techniques of grant writing.

Family and Consumer Sciences

5350 Childhood and Adolescent Nutrition
Nutritional needs of individuals from childhood through adolescence, with special emphasis on growth.

5361 Advanced Nutritional Counseling
Prerequisite(s): 6 hrs in nutrition, undergraduate class in nutrition counseling and/or psychology
Students will use their knowledge of nutrition and human behavior in the nutrition counseling situation.  Basic theories of modifying eating behaviors, change models, and effective counseling skills to achieve desired life style goals will be explored.  Opportunities will be provided for development of successful skills in various clinics.

Health

5337 Health Concepts in Epidemiology
Descriptive and analytical epidemiological methods in the investigation of diseases of contemporary health interest.

Human Performance

5328 Physiology of Exercise I - Neuromuscular Aspects
Neuromuscular physiology, its relationship to exercise, muscle physiology, energy production, and nerve transmission. (Laboratory fee required.)

5330 Physiology of Exercise II - Cardiopulmonary Aspects
Circulatory-respiratory physiology, its relationship to exercise, emphasizing oxygen uptake, stress testing, and exercise prescription. (Laboratory fee required.)

5331 Laboratory Skills in Exercise Physiology
Laboratory experience with tests and measures commonly employed in human performance research laboratories. The selected lab tests are designed not only to reinforce the basic principles learned in the lecture courses but also to teach the basic principles and skills of measurement and evaluation in the field of exercise physiology. Practical experiences include cardiovascular tests, ECG, blood analysis techniques, body composition, electromyography, and respiratory tests. (Laboratory fee required.)

5333 Exercise Testing and Prescription
Prerequisite(s): Six semester hours of graduate exercise physiology.
Exercise testing and prescription that emphasizes the necessary preparation for certification by the American College of Sports Medicine. (Laboratory fee required.)

5340 - Advanced Biochemistry in Exercise Science
An advanced overview of the role of exercise and training on metabolic pathways, energy production/regulation, signaling, muscle excitation-contraction, metabolism, and adaptation focusing on how various biochemical markers can be assessed at rest, during, and following exercise using various biochemical assays and techniques.    Lab fee required.

5352 - Advanced Principles of Exercise and Sport Nutrition
An overview of the role of nutrition as a means to enhance health and performance in exercise and sport. Topics to be covered include principles of healthful nutrition, energy metabolism and nutrients, regulation of metabolism by vitamins and minerals, weight control, and analysis of the validity of proposed nutritional ergogenic aids.

5354 - Advanced Methods of Strength and Conditioning
An overview of the physiological responses and adaptations associated with strength training with laboratory demonstrations in isokinetic dynamometry, free weights, resistance machines and fundamental Olympic lifts.  Practical mastery as well as theoretical understanding is required.  Lab fee required.

5357 Advanced Methods of Exercise Programming for Individuals with Chronic Diseases and Disabilities
A study of the pathophysiology of common diseases with the concentration in the design, implementation and administration of a multidimensional therapeutic rehabilitation programs.  Emphasis will be given to developing exercise programs for individuals with chronic diseases and disabilities.

5384 Biomechanics of Human Movement
Prerequisite(s): HP 4384.
Review of current research on the biomechanics of human movement. Practical experience in the methods of biomechanical research. (Laboratory fee required.) 

5358 – Environmental Physiology
An advanced analysis of the physiological regulation of exercise in stressful environmental conditions (heat, high altitude, humidity, air pollution, cold, windchill, day length, air ions, and hyperbaric conditions).  The course will explore ways to optimize health and fitness when exercising in stressful environmental conditions.   3 hour lecture.

6V30 – Clinical Research Rotations
This course provides students with an opportunity to participate in research and clinical practice rotations within the Department, University, and/or collaborative clinical research centers conducting research on exercise, nutrition, and/or preventive health. 

6106 -  Research Seminar
Research seminar designed to provide an opportunity for students to present their dissertation proposals, master’s theses, dissertation results, and results from other research projects in which they participate.  Additionally, the seminar will address special topics such as grant writing, funding opportunities for research, employment opportunities, teaching techniques, and other topics of interest in graduate education. 1 hour seminar.

Neuroscience

5319 Clinical Neuroscience - Advanced (Cross-listed as PSY 5319)
Prerequisite(s): PSY 4430 or 5330, or consent of instructor.
Neuroanatomy, brain structure-function relationships, experimental neuropsychology, and biological theories of abnormal behavior.

5330 Neuropharmacology (Cross-listed as PSY 5330)
Introduction to pharmacology with emphasis on drugs that act on the nervous system. Absorption distribution and biotransformation of drugs. Drug receptors, site and mechanism of action.

5360 Neurophysiology (Cross-listed as PSY 5360)
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Electrical and chemical behavior of neurons–excitable membranes, cell physiology of nerve cells, neural conduction, transmission, reception and integration. (Fee)

5430 Neuroanatomy (Cross-listed as PSY 5430)
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Selected topics in physiological psychology, including laboratory.

Nursing

5301 Power and Politics
Concepts of power and politics in the complex organizational structure of health care administration.

5350 Advanced Human Pathophysiology
Pathologic deviations from normal physiology are discussed. Methods for identification and diagnosis are presented.

5351 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners
Use of pharmachotherapeutics, herbals and dietary supplements for primary health care across the life span. Drugs used to treat and manage common illnesses and conditions are the focus of the course. Content includes indication, selection, adverse effects, and client education related to use of prescribed medication. Clinical decision making and review of laws governing prescriptive authority for Nurse Practitioners are also emphasized.

5352 Advanced Health Assessment/Promotion/Disease Prevention
Prerequisite(s): NUR 5350 or concurrent enrollment.
Expansion of prerequisite knowledge of health and physical assessment. Comprehensive physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural assessments across the life span are studied. Health promotion and disease prevention during life transitions are incorporated into the assessment process. Advanced health assessment and disease prevention concepts and techniques are practiced. Beginning technical skills used in clinical diagnostic procedures are included.

Psychology

5305 Advanced Experimental Design (Cross-listed as STA 5305)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5401.
Some of the more complex experimental designs currently available to the research psychologist.

5307 Advanced Statistics II (Cross-listed as STA 5307)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5401.
Selected topics from correlation, regression, non-parametric methods, survey sampling, and Bayesian statistics.

5334 Health Psychology
Prerequisite(s): Psy.D. students only.
Psychosocial treatment and prevention of illness and chemical dependency and the promotion and maintenance of health.

5384 Multivariate Statistical Methods (Cross-listed as STA 5384)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5401.
Discriminant analysis, canonical correlation analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance.

5386 Exploratory Factor Analysis (Cross-listed as STA 5386)
Prerequisite(s): PSY/STA 5384 and 5401.
Exploratory factor analysis with emphasis on applications in the behavioral and health sciences, education, business, including the description and use of available software.

5401 Introduction to Experimental Design (Cross-listed as STA 5401)
Prerequisite(s): PSY 2402.
Simple and complex analysis of variance and analysis of covariance designs. The general linear model approach, including full-rank and less than full-rank models, will be emphasized.

Recreation & Leisure Services

5392 Leisure Well-Being in Later Life (Cross-listed as SOC 5392)
Focus on how to create leisure opportunities to contribute to well-being of individuals in later years. Students will be involved in developing innovative approaches to leisure experiences for senior adults. Lab experience required.

5396 Administrative Practices and Issues in Recreation Therapy
Prerequisite(s): Foundation of therapeutic recreation or consent of instructor.
Financial, personnel, reimbursement, legal, legislative standards of practice and criteria applied during operation of clinical and community programs and services with persons with disabilities.

Social Work

5333 Human Wellness and Health Care
Prerequisite(s): SWO 5301 and 5302; or 5321, 5331, and 5332.
Examines how the intrapersonal, interpersonal, sociocultural and physical environmental systems in transactional relationships with health care consumers, contribute to the processes of wellness, stress, and illness.

5397 Methods in Aging Research (Cross-listed as GRT 5397 and SOC 5397)
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate research course or approval of instructor.
Uniqueness of aging research, its design and data interpretation. Application through research proposals, critical review of research, and evaluation of age-related programs.

Sociology

6307 Statistical Methods for Survey Research
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
An introduction to several multivariate statistical techniques appropriate for the analysis of discrete qualitative social science survey data measured at the nominal and/or ordinal level of measurement. Emphasis in the course is on logic regression, log linear analysis and latent class/latent structure analysis. Application to major social science data sets will be made.

6310 Mail Surveys
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Students will design, conduct, and analyze a mail survey in this course. Special emphasis will focus on questionnaire construction, question design, sampling techniques, cover letters and research identity, and other special problems unique to self-administered surveys.

6325 Needs Assessment
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
An introduction to community needs assessment in which available data (e.g. crime rates, poverty levels) and newly created data (e.g. elite surveys, program inventories) are combined to estimate various levels and types of community needs. Emphasis is on all facets of needs assessment including need definition, data selection, data creation, analysis, interpretation and presentation.

6340 Face to Face Surveys
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Students will develop and conduct a face-to-face survey under the direction of the instructor. In this process, students will train interviewers in the interpersonal dynamics of interviewing which comply with current federal guidelines concerning the protection of human subjects. In addition, the issues of dialects, illiteracy, and multicultural awareness will be addressed.

6360 Demographic Modeling
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
An introduction to the various models of demographic projection and modeling including linear regression, ratio techniques and cohort component. Emphasis is on mastery of base data acquisition and model construction to determine demographic trends and predict population levels, crime rates and disease patterns.

6391 Grant Writing and Proposal Development
Provides intensive exposure to the technical and political aspects of grant writing and proposal development. Emphasis is placed on defining proposal ideas to match funding sources, researching private foundations, corporations and government funding agencies, and developing successful proposals. Participants will prepare a grant proposal during the course, which will be submitted to an appropriate private or public agency.

Statistics

5300 Statistical Methods
Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics may be selected from the following: descriptive statistics and graphs, probability, regression, correlation, tests of hypotheses, interval estimation, measurement, reliability, experimental design, analysis of variance, nonparametric methods, and multivariate methods.

5351 Theory of Statistics I
Introduction to probability theory. Fundamentals of probability theory, random variables and their distributions, expectations, transformations of random variables, moment generating functions, characteristic functions, and convergence concepts.

5352 Theory of Statistics II
Prerequisite(s): STA 5351.
Theory of statistical estimation and hypothesis testing. Topics include point and interval estimation, sufficiency, properties of estimators, sampling distributions, methods of estimation, and resampling techniques.

5362 Time Series Analysis
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
Statistical methods of analyzing time series. Topics include autocorrelation function and spectrum, stationary and non stationary time series, linear filtering, trend elimination, forecasting, general models and auto regressive integrated moving average models with applications in economics and engineering.

5364 Survival and Reliability Theory
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
Basic concepts of lifetime distributions. Topics include types of censoring, inference procedures for exponential, Weibull, extreme value distributions, parametric and nonparametric estimation of survival function and accelerated life testing.

5365 Biostatistics
Prerequisite(s): STA 5352.
A survey of current parametric and nonparametric methods in biostatistics. Topics include the design and analysis of clinical trials, cohort studies, methods for rates and proportions, multifactor screening, and case-control studies.

5370 Sampling Techniques (Cross-listed as SOC 6318)
Prerequisite(s): Six hours of statistical methods.
Planning, execution, and analysis of sampling from finite populations. Simple random, stratified random, ratio, systematic, cluster, sub sampling, regression estimates, and multiframe techniques are covered.

5384 Multivariate Statistical Methods (See PSY 5384)

5386 Exploratory Factor Analysis (See PSY 5386)

6351 Advanced Statistical Inference I
Prerequisite(s): STA 5353.
Advanced statistical inference and decision theory. Topics include the foundations of statistics, classical estimation and hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, decision theory, and asymptotic theory.

6352 Advanced Statistical Inference II
Continuation of STA 6351.

6353 Nonparametric Statistical Inference
Prerequisite(s): STA 5353.
Theory and practice of nonparametric statistical inference. Topics include the theory of order statistics, one- and two-sample location models, one- and two-way layouts, rank correlation, and the nonparametric linear model.

6383 Advanced Multivariate Analysis
Prerequisite(s): MTH 5383.
Multivariate normal and related distributions. Topics include generalizations of classical test statistics including Wilk’s Lambda and Hotelling’s T2, discriminant analysis, canonical variate analysis, and principal component analysis.

6384 Discrete Multivariate Analysis
Prerequisite(s): STA 5353.
Theory and methods for the analysis of cross-classified categorical data. The main subject areas covered will be measures of association for two-way contingency tables, log linear and logic models for multidimensional tables, and specialized methods for ordinal categorical data.

Affiliated Programs

Health Care Administration (Dallas, TX)

5339 Medical Informatics - Health Networks, Databases and Applications
This course is designed to explore the role of medical informatics in the delivery of health information at the point of care. The course will focus on the development of medical applications and explores fundamentals of relational databases, security, access and clinical acceptance. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of both broad and unique medical informatics concepts.

5301 U. S. Health Care Systems
Conceptual dimensions for health services organizations/systems at the macro and micro level are considered. Various aspects of health delivery systems are examined including clinics and hospitals, as well as managed care systems and other third party payers. Provides a conceptual framework for identifying, analyzing, evaluating and managing factors that influence the design, structure and effective operation of hospitals and other health care organizations. Material for this course considers a historical perspective and is drawn from a variety of disciplines, including economics, sociology, and the behavioral and biological sciences.

5310 Statistics for Health Care Administration
Statistical techniques for problem solving and decision making including theoretical and applied statistical and quantitative skills to understand, conduct, and evaluate biomedical, scientific, and managerial research. Emphasis on selection, computation, and interpretation of analytic procedures and methods. Functional relationships, descriptive measures, probability distributions, sampling, hypothesis testing, inference, chi-square, student’s test, correlation and regression, and analysis of variance are discussed.

5313 Health Policy
A comprehensive model of health policy analysis to include its major objectives and methods and its relationship to the field of health services research. An organizing framework is provided that integrates concepts and methods from the fields of epidemiology, economics, ethics, political science and related disciplines. Emphasis is on integrating policymaking with the major system performance objectives of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. This course includes the impact of health policies on the health of individuals and populations, the political tradeoffs and soci