The program promotes acquisition of appropriate individual and group counseling, appraisal and assessment, and referral skills for use in mental health settings. This is a joint program between the Departments of Health and Physical Education at Fort Valley State College and Georgia College. The Master of Education degree within Health and Physical Education prepares students as scholars, leaders, and educators. Graduate education provides the opportunity to acquire an advanced theoretical and research base for planning and providing education that is culturally sensitive and learner-centered. Value for the health of individuals and communities is a focus of this educational preparation.
Students acquire education for the education specialist option or for doctoral study.
This program includes classroom, laboratory, research, and field experience in sport, occupational, and rehabilitative biomechanics, exercise physiology, fitness assessment, exercise program design, and program management. The concentration areas within the program provide the advanced academic preparation for a successful career in the health and fitness field or for advancement to doctoral-level study. Health promotion efforts are directed at influencing or facilitating health-related behavior, advocating healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action,developing personal skills, and reorienting health services. A fundamental assumption of the department's teaching, research, and service missions is that effective health promotion interventions are derived from a comprehensive understanding of health-related behaviors at the individual, community and societal levels. The Department offers a comprehensive professional preparation curriculum that meets the diverse needs for health education specialists in a variety of settings such as public schools and colleges, public and voluntary health agencies, professional organizations, hospital health promotion centers, government agencies, and corporate and commercial wellness centers.