Wellstar College of Health and Human Services will be offering a B.S. in Health and Physical Activity Leadership starting fall of 2023, the university announced on March 17.
HPAL will prepare students who wish to become health and physical education teachers for grade-level pre-kindergarten through grade 12.
In December 2022, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved of the new HPAL program and will take a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare education. The program will be directed by Dr. Peter St. Pierre.
The HPAL degree will include three field concentrations. The three concentrations are Teacher Preparation, Coaching and Youth Activity Leadership.
In an interview, program director Dr. Peter St. Pierre summarized what the three concentrations entail.
“Teacher Preparation prepares the student for careers in Health and Physical Education in both private and public schools. Coaching prepares students who are interested in coaching sports in a community, private schools, travel and club teams, and college,” Pierre said. “Youth Activity Leadership prepares students for a career managing and promoting physical activity and sport in the community, including camp, fitness and sports clubs, faith-based organizations, and recreation departments.”
Career examples that this degree prepares students for include athletic director or coach, fitness instructor, professional sports scout, athletic trainer and athletes’ business manager.
When asked about expected career opportunities and growth with this degree, Pierre said that the degree, “positions Kennesaw State graduates for in-demand careers, with expected growth opportunities between 20-30% through 2030” and that “the new degree program further bolsters KSU’s commitment to improving health outcomes among both children and adults. It opens up job opportunities in a number of different ways but still uses the same purpose in reaching kids and getting them excited to be healthy.”
According to KSU’s webpage on the HPAL degree, over 7,000 companies recruited students and alumni from Kennesaw State in 2020. There are also over 2,000 job openings and nearly 27,000 currently employed in HPAL related fields. Alongside HPAL degree, students who decide to pursue a double major pathway may accompany this degree with Exercise Science, Sports Management or Physical Education.
“With more families seeking recreational opportunities for their children and more students wanting to influence healthy lifestyles, Kennesaw State will provide students with the education required to make a difference in these lives,” Wellstar College Dean Monica Swahn said, according to a KSU press release.
Kennesaw State University hosts this program as the only degree in Georgia nationally recognized by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. For more information, visit the Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Activity Leadership webpage on Kennesaw State University’s Bachelor Programs tab.
