2010-2011 UNK Graduate Catalog/ Health, PE, Rec & Leisure Studies Program Informaton

Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Leisure Studies Program Information and Admission Requirements

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Physical Education Exercise Science - Master of Arts in Education Degree
General Physical Education - Master of Arts in Education Degree
Physical Education Master Teacher - Master of Arts in Education Degree
- Pedagogy Emphasis
- Special Populations Emphasis
PE Courses
Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Leisure Studies

Master of Arts in Education Degree

Physical Education Exercise Science
General Physical Education
- Sports Administration Specialization
- Recreation and Leisure Specialization
Physical Education Master Teacher
- Pedagogy Emphasis
- Special Populations Emphasis

Admission to degree work is contingent on (1) achieving a minimum score of 750 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination, and (2) evaluation of the candidate's undergraduate transcript. These criteria are supplemented by a personal statement indicating the student's experiences, plans for the future, and philosophy of physical activity.

Graduate students in the department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Leisure Studies must select either a thesis or a non-thesis option.

Thesis Option

In addition to academic coursework, students must complete a 6 hour thesis project (PE 896) under the direction of a thesis advisor. At the time a student elects to write a thesis, the advisor and the Chair of the HPERLS Graduate Program Committee shall obtain approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research on the composition of the committee by submitting a "Proposed Supervisory Committee" form. This committee will approve a thesis problem and guide the student in the writing of the thesis. The committee will also examine the student in the required oral examination at the completion of the project. The time and place of the examination will be determined by the Chair of the Committee.

Thesis and Thesis Committee

A completed thesis must be submitted for the approval of the thesis committee within two years from the completion of the course work. This time requirement may be waived at the discretion of the majority of the Department's Graduate Committee. The thesis committee shall consist of four members:

The candidate's thesis advisor who will serve as chair,
A member representing the candidate's major discipline (generally from the degree granting institution),
A third member representing a related field in the college in which the candidate's major field is located, and
A fourth member selected at large from the University of Nebraska Graduate Faculty. This member may be an additional representative from the candidate's department.

Non-Thesis Option

In addition to their coursework, students pursuing the MAE in Physical Education Exercise Science, General Physical Education, or Physical Education Master Teacher must successfully complete a comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Comprehensive examinations are to be taken on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney unless an off campus site and a waiver for the on campus requirement are approved by a majority vote of the HPERLS graduate faculty. Comprehensive examinations will be offered the last week of March, June, and October. The comprehensive written examination will consist of at least three questions.

one question relating to research techniques
one question relating to content from their graduate coursework
one question relating to the student's area of focus/emphasis

Scoring of the comprehensive written exam will be scored as

Pass - no further examination is required
Conditional Pass with an oral examination required - Following the oral exam the student can then be granted a Pass or No Pass with remediation required. Students earning a No Pass must then take another written comprehensive examination within a time period specified by the examination committee.
No Pass - the committee will then recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research that the candidate be reexamined after a specified interval. Means for improvement shall be recommended to the candidate by the committee.

After a student takes a second comprehensive examination, the student will be given the same scoring as above, except in any situation in which the student receives a score of No Pass the committee will then recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research that the candidate be refused graduation.

Comprehensive Examination Committee

The comprehensive exam committee will consist of two graduate faculty members of the student's choosing within their field of study, with the Graduate Program Chair (or another graduate faculty member if the Graduate Program Chair is on the exam committee) serving as a third member if arbitration of grading is needed.