Who We Are

The Department of Sport Management, Wellness, and Physical Education (SWP) primarily includes three large areas of student majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These include Health and Physical Education (BSED and MED), Health and Community Wellness (BS and MS), and Sport Management (BS and MS). The department also includes four academic minors (coaching, nutrition, health and community wellness, and sport management). The departmental programs, faculty, and students support various community service opportunities in the areas of effective teaching in health and physical education, part-time coaching in youth and school-based sports, the promotion of physical activity in various school and community settings, on- and off-campus physical activity, nutrition education, health education and related service efforts, and internship and practical hands-on experiences in sport and recreation, in line with professional and amateur sports organizations.

Our Areas of Expertise

Health and Physical Education

Our faculty includes members with K-12 and higher education experiences, plus national, regional, and local leadership in professional organizations, specifically in the area of teacher preparation and effective curriculum development and instruction. Numerous national publications and presentations are documented elsewhere. The program and award-winning faculty members are well-connected to the discipline and have long-standing professional relationships with SHAPE America, PE Central, and numerous districts/district coordinators in and out of Georgia. The program has a strong reputation in health and physical education.

Health and Physical Education provides services in: 

• Quality curriculum development and instruction
• Assessing student learning
• Skill development, physical activity and fitness learning activities
• Coaching education
• School-based health education
• Strength and conditioning
• Technology in physical activity and physical education
• Social and emotional learning (SEL), 
• Child advocacy (Darkness-to-Light training)
• The Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) specific to health and physical education 

Health and Community Wellness

Our program includes faculty members with several years of experience in health-related fields, partnerships with local hospitals and wellness centers, advanced certifications in the discipline, large external funding awards, and service learning opportunities for students. Partnerships on- and off-campus are well-established. The program has a strong and growing reputation in the local community and is gaining recognition at the national level with the National Wellness Institute (NWI). We also have faculty members contributing to our program who are National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC). 

Health and Community Wellness provides services in:

• Nutrition education
• Personal fitness and exercise science
• Community-based health education and ATODs (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs)
• The promotion of physical activity 
• Health and wellness coaching
• Mental health and wellness, resiliency, social and emotional learning (SEL), and more. 

Sport Management

Our program includes faculty members with industry and higher education experience, vast connections with professional, college, and other amateur sport organizations, and well-established relationships with the big five professional sport organizations in Atlanta (United, Dream, Braves, Falcons, & Hawks), plus numerous practicum and internship partnerships with industry leaders. Some faculty members in the program are well-published, have participated in grant-related efforts, and demonstrate expertise in a variety of areas (e-sports, marketing, data analytics, facility management, athletics, etc.).

Sport Management offers services in:

• Sport program development
• Video broadcasting
• E-sports
• Professional development for sport-based careers
• Facility management
• Data analytics