What You’ll Learn

The Physical Education major includes an exciting core curriculum that blends exercise science, human anatomy, educational theory, and sports-specific teacher training. You can learn to teach swimming, dance, water sports, individual sports, racquet sports, and more.  
 
In the Health and Physical Activity Promotion Concentration, you’ll also take advanced courses to learn program planning in health and physical activity promotion. Specifically, you’ll learn about topics including assessment, community analysis and organization, program planning and selection, program implementation and coordination, and program evaluation. 
 
Your capstone course is an internship experience that provides you with an opportunity to utilize your knowledge and skills while working in the field.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

This concentration ends in a capstone course called “The Internship in Health and Physical Activity Promotion.” We’ll mentor you through the process of securing an exciting internship so you can use what you’ve learned throughout the program while building your professional network.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll learn best practices for the treatment and prevention of therapeutic injuries, principles of exercise testing and prescription, and quantitative and qualitative analysis of human kinesiology, among many other topics. You’ll also improve your professional communication and presentation skills.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

You’ll find numerous internship sites across Vermont and the northeast region. Students have recently interned at these organizations, for example: 

• Alpine Clinic, Physical Therapy  
• Central Vermont Regional Hospital, Physical Therapy   
• Chiropractic Associates of Bedford 
• Choice Physical Therapy  
• Cioffredi and Associates, Physical Therapy  
• Dan Wyand Physical Therapy and Associates  
• Freedom Physical Therapy  
• Littleton Regional Health Care, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy  
• North Country Hospital, Physical Therapy  
• Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Physician Assistant   
• Northern Metropolitan Residential Healthcare, Physical Therapy  
• Northern Physical Therapy  
• Northwestern Medical Center, Physical Therapy 
• OPT Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine  
• Trace Therapeutics, Occupational Therapy   
• University of Vermont Medical Center, Physical Therapy

Special Facilities

Vermont State’s research-quality exercise physiology laboratories provide a location for laboratory activities, faculty research, and student research, and contain specialized equipment including metabolic carts, a military-grade treadmill with harness, electrocardiograms, a Veletron cycle ergometer, and a BodPod.  

Our on-campus fitness facilities provide a location for students to train, practice, and apply techniques and programming learned in the classroom. 

Our athletic training rooms provide an opportunity for students to assist our head athletic trainers and gain unique hands-on experience. 

Certifications

American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) 

What You’ll Learn

Among many other topics, you’ll study evidence-based exercise techniques and learn to create exercise prescriptions for a variety of populations. You’ll investigate the structure and function of the human body in health and disease. You’ll also learn about acute and chronic physiological responses to exercise. 
 
Study the fundamentals of strength training, conditioning, exercise testing, and performance, and the physiological responses and adaptations to exercise and training. You’ll also improve your communication skills, learn to assess client ability and needs, and have ample opportunity for direct, hands-on learning. 

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

You’ll have significant opportunities locally and regionally to learn through internships. Recent sites include the following: 

• Berlin Hospital, Cardiac Rehabilitation  
• Brown University, NCAA Division 1 Strength and Conditioning 
• Cressey Sports Performance, Professional Sports Strength and Conditioning 
• Fortitude Fitness, Personal Training/Strength and Conditioning   
• Grafton County Nursing Home, Health Fitness  
• Kilos Performance, Lyndonville, VT 
• Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Cardiac Rehabilitation 
• Pride Fitness Performance, Personal Training/Strength and Conditioning   
• SPECTAC Health Fitness and Performance, Personal Training/ Strength and Conditioning  
• University of Albany, NCAA Division 1 Strength and Conditioning 
• University of Vermont, NCAA Division 1 Strength and Conditioning  
• Verizon Wireless Communications, Worksite Wellness   
• Weeks Medical Center, Cardiac Rehabilitation   
• Xtra Innings Performance, Personal Training/Strength and Conditioning   

Special Facilities

Our research-quality exercise physiology laboratories provide a location for laboratory activities, faculty research, and student research, and contain specialized equipment including metabolic carts, a military-grade treadmill with harness, electrocardiograms, a Veletron cycle ergometer, and a BodPod. Our on-campus fitness facilities provide a location for students to train, practice, and apply techniques and programming learned in the classroom. 

What You’ll Learn

Hallmark features of this concentration include advanced courses in applied restorative justice methods, victimology, and the foundation of peacemaking theories. You’ll learn the skills and techniques of conducting restorative conferences as well as leading conflict resolution circles. You’ll investigate constitutional amendments and Supreme Court decisions, study the ethics of evaluating and resolving conflicts, and learn how to develop programs to prevent crime.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

Many of our classes require you to spend time in the community. For example, you might do one or more of the following:

• Log ride-along hours observing local law enforcement in action.
• Conduct courtroom observations.
• Participate on a restorative community justice panel.
• Sit in on a restorative reentry Circle process.
• Complete an internship that will help you develop skills, learn how to apply knowledge, and build professional experience.
• Conduct independent research.
• Attend the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences’ annual conference with faculty mentors.
• Complete a senior thesis project and engage in community service learning.

Special Facilities

Our restorative justice concentration at the Lyndon campus provides “learning labs” for students to engage directly in restorative justice practices. Students have access to a specially designed pre-conference room and a Circle room where students design and facilitate restorative circle processes and gain experience conducting pre-conference sessions.

Students graduating with restorative justice credentials work in the following areas: 

• Victim-offender mediation  
• Diversion and delinquency prevention 
• Restorative justice practice in schools and universities 
• Victim assistance  
• Trauma and resiliency work 
• Conflict resolution 
• Anti-violence work 
• Restorative re-entry 
• Community justice 
• Youth advocacy and outreach workers 

What You’ll Learn

You’ll study traditional criminal justice systems, explore contemporary issues in criminal investigation, and develop an understanding of the organization and management of criminal justice agencies.  

We’ll introduce you to the specific stages of the criminal justice process, from investigation and arrest to punishment and release. You’ll gain knowledge of ethics used to evaluate and resolve dilemmas, and learn how government agencies use crime data to identify patterns of crime and victimization and develop programs and strategies to prevent or reduce crime.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community 

You’ll have numerous opportunities to participate in experiential learning opportunities through internships and applied coursework. For example, you’ll likely do one or more of the following: 

• Ride-along with local law enforcement
• Observe civil and criminal court proceedings
• Gain experience, build knowledge, and develop skills through a required internship 
• Conduct independent research
• Participate in service learning
• Complete a senior thesis project
• Participate in a study abroad program

What You’ll Learn

You will begin working with equipment in your first semester and will use industry-standard gear to create your films. In your final year, you will create your own show or series of short films as part of your capstone experience. Your documentaries or short films will get screened locally and at festivals around the country.

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

Work with local organizations such as Catamount Arts to gain hands-on experience in the field. Explore opportunities to work with local businesses to design and shoot commercials and promotional videos, as well as create radio spots and marketing materials.

Special Facilities

24-hour access to state-of-the-art production equipment and studio facilities, including Canon and BlackMagic Cinema cameras, DJI camera drones, and private iMac edit bays equipped with Adobe Creative Cloud and DaVinci Resolve.