Improve public health through the promotion of active lifestyles
The MPH in Physical Activity prepares students to identify the benefits of physical activity and the barriers to being active for diverse populations and to apply this knowledge to promote wellness and health equity. Our curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, health equity, policy advocacy, program evaluation, and social justice.
Perfect for those interested in
- Reducing chronic disease associated with physical inactivity
- Developing more equitable access to physical activity for underrepresented populations
- Exploring the physical and mental health benefits of being active in nature
- The built environment and its influence on our physical activity behavior
- Integrating physical activity into health behavior interventions
- Promoting healthy aging
Career Paths
- Physical activity promotion and community planning
- Non-profit sector (e.g., Special Olympics, Back on my Feet)
- Government sector (e.g., President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition; Parks and Recreation; Local and State Health Departments)
- Public Health Program Manager
- Community Health Director
- Corporate health and wellness
- Transportation and neighborhood design
- K-12 Education/ Public Health Educator
Program Overview
The MPH in Physical Activity Online can be completed in two years of full-time study or three or four years of part-time study, while minimally disrupting personal and professional life. After acquiring foundational knowledge in public health through the program’s core requirements, students are encouraged to take electives across a range of disciplines to further explore the relationship between individual behavior, community organizations, societal structures, and physical activity. Throughout the coursework and practicum experiences, students will design, implement, and evaluate physical activity interventions in a variety of populations and community settings.
Students have the option of beginning in a Summer or Fall Cohort model.
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Program Requirements
The MPH concentration in Physical Activity is a 45-credit professional degree. The coursework consists of six public health core courses and eight courses in the physical activity and related cognate areas, including the flexibility to select up to 12 elective credits.
- All MPH students are required to complete a final project and at least one practicum or applied practice experience. The 200-hour practicum is designed to enable students to gain practical experience as professionals under conditions conducive to educational development.
- Professional development experiences are also built into the curriculum so that students leave the program with a resume and a portfolio of public health related projects.
Competencies
Graduates with an MPH in Physical Activity will be able to:
- Critically assess and analyze the influence of structural racism on historical housing practices and policies within the context of physical activity and health inequities.
- Explain how physical activity integrates with one of the Essential Public Health Services, also analyzing the benefits to, and challenges of, integration.
- Appraise and assess built and social environmental determinants of physical activity in two different communities in relation to health outcomes in those communities.
- Apply and evaluate different physical activity assessment instruments.
- Conduct impact and/or process evaluations for community-based physical activity interventions
Course Offerings
- KNES600: Kinesiology in Public Health
- KNES601: Epidemiology and Physical Activity
- KNES602: Physical Activity Program Planning and Evaluation
- KNES603: Research Methods in Kinesiology and Public Health
- KNES643: Public Health & Physical Activity in the Classroom (elective)
- KNES780: Preparation for Capstone Project in Physical Activity and Public Health (elective)
Contact Us
Our program allows for one-on-one mentoring and the flexibility to design an experience that best aligns with your interests. Are you ready to learn about the physical and mental health benefits of physical activity and leverage this knowledge to combat major public health issues facing our world today? Join our program or request info!
Valerie Cholet, DEd
Director of Online MPH in Physical Activity
vcholet@umd.edu
484-561-9401