Welcome to the HAHS website!  Please explore our site – it should answer many questions that you have.  If not, feel free to contact us and we will answer your questions.  Let me tell you a bit about our department.

Health and Applied Human Science (HAHS) is a department comprised of seven separate programs: Athletic Training, Exercise Science, Gerontology, Health Education, Physical Education teaching certification, Parks and Recreation, and Therapeutic Recreation.  All programs share a commitment to improving health and health-related quality of life concerns for all ages across the lifespan and graduates work in hospitals, clinics, schools, nursing homes and the community.  The department is large and is expected to grow over the next five years.  This will put undergraduate majors at approximately 515.  We are in the planning stages for a master’s in Gerontology and a master’s in Health and Applied Human Sciences.  Although HAHS is one of the larger departments in the university we take great pride in treating all of our students in the manner of a small department.  Our faculty know students personally and go to great lengths to include students in ongoing research and community projects related to classes.  In HAHS students learn by doing.  Many of our classes integrate classroom learning with practical experience and several have intense internships that are full time for an entire semester.  Take a closer look at our programs – there is something for everyone and all are representative of excellence.

Athletic Training:  Graduates work in professional, collegiate, amateur, and scholastic sport venues to provide preventive injury care to athletes and emergency care to injured athletes as well as follow-up rehabilitative care in athletic training clinics.  They have extensive clinical/medical training and require athletic training facilities.

Exercise Science: Graduates have extensive training in human anatomy and physiology and the study of human movement.  They are qualified to conduct precise exercise testing and exercise prescriptions.  Many go on to study physical therapy while others choose to gain certification as a fitness consultant and trainer.  Students require lecture classes as well as extensive lab time.

Gerontology: is the study of the processes of aging.  Although aging begins before birth, most people studying gerontology are concerned with changes in middle age and later life.  It is concerned with the study of the body, intellectual ability, family relations, employment and retirement, health care, programs for seniors and many other aspects influencing aging.  This interdisciplinary program, housed in HAHS, finds its students working in retirement communities, health care organizations, government agencies, community and human services and many other agencies and organizations concerned with the quality of life of older adults and the aging process.

Health Education: Graduates work in school systems and in health care environments to provide health education to a wide variety of populations.  They may work in hospitals to teach patients to adopt healthy lifestyle changes or in community settings to bring about lifestyle changes to address such epidemiological issues as teen pregnancy; drug use; violence; obesity; disease prevention; human sexuality, etc.  Our program is heavily involved with nutrition education as one faculty is a registered dietitian and another is a certified nutrition counselor.

Physical Education teaching: Physical education graduates are highly trained in pedagogical methods to teach the "new" physical education, designed to develop lifelong healthy active lifestyles and address obesity and other health issues that result from inactivity.  Most obtain employment in school systems as teachers.

Parks and Recreation:  These graduates are trained to design, administer, and program community and agency recreation/leisure opportunities that promote healthy lifestyles and community satisfaction.  They may run parks and recreation departments, work in children's programs, become park rangers, or work in the hospitality industry as a few examples.

Therapeutic Recreation:  Graduates are trained to utilize recreation activities as rehabilitation modalities.  Their services complement physical and occupational therapy and address client's adjustment to illness or disability and education for a new lifestyle following rehabilitation.  They utilize modalities that emphasize pleasurable and personally satisfying activities for the achievement of health related outcomes.  They may work in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, home health care, school systems (with special education students) community recreation departments, and other settings.

As you can see, we are a very comprehensive department.  The University of North Carolina Wilmington is a truly exciting university.  Here you will experience great classroom instruction and preparation for an exciting career; the ambiance of a relaxed and beautiful campus; the history of a wonderful downtown; a huge array of outstanding restaurants and a variety of cuisines; and, of course, the beach.

Terry Kinney

Chairperson