About Us
Mission Statement
The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department (HPER) fosters multiple roles and best practices in science-based academic and field-engaged career preparation in school health education, community health education, physical education teacher preparation, coaching certification, exercise science, corporate wellness, pre-physical therapy, parks and recreation administration, and therapeutic recreation. These majors are content rich, laboratory supported and field based, resulting in high quality, professional association-accredited and solution-focused curricula.
Highlights
The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department at USU offers a wide range of high quality, accredited professional and activity courses leading to several options for students. The department offers a Bachelor of Science in three majors: Health Education, Physical Education, and Parks and Recreation. Along with teaching options in Physical Education and Health Education, HPER offers a large number of lifetime skill development classes in physical education, adventure recreation, and dance. These classes are open to all majors. We hope you will come and visit us in the HPER Department.
Located on 700 North, the HPER Department is the gateway to the northwest section of the campus.
- The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department (HPER) is fully accredited by the National Certification for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NPRA).
- HPER has it's own 50,000 square foot building featuring 20 faculty offices, 8 classrooms, 2 advising offices, 3 multipurpose studios, 1 gymnastics room, 2 swimming pools, 3 multipurpose gymnasiums, 1 weight room, 6 raquetball courts, and 14 outdoor tennis courts.
- HPER has three specialty laboratories - a wellness laboratory open to campus involvement, a biomechanics lab, and a pedagogy lab - all dedicated to student learning and research.
- HPER has a fully staffed advising center to assist students. Advisors are available daily and have progress files on all HPER majors.
- HPER offers Master's degree programs in Exercise Science, Corporate Wellness, Pysical Education, and Health Education.
- HPER certifies over 200 students each year for professional teaching, first aid, emergency medical technicians, and health education specialists.
- HPER offers over 100 lifetime skills courses for the general student body. Classes such as skiing, tennis, self-defense, and golf have been very popular.
- HPER has seven endowed scholarships for students and offers graduated teaching and research assistantships to 20 graduate students each year.