Mar 28, 2024  
University of Alberta Calendar 2017-2018 
    
University of Alberta Calendar 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation


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The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta is the oldest Faculty of its kind in the Commonwealth and offers high-calibre academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as a wide variety of services to students and staff at the University through our Campus and Community Recreation and Interuniversity athletic programs.

The vision of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the pursuit and achievement of excellence in sport, leisure, and physical activity.

In striving to achieve this vision, our mission is to develop, disseminate and apply knowledge of sport, leisure and physical activity through teaching, coaching, research, and service. As the Faculty commits its resources to this mission, we affirm the following values:

  • Pursuit of Excellence,
  • Collegiality,
  • Diversity,
  • Critical Thinking,
  • Equity and Respect,
  • Ethical Behaviour,
  • Participative Governance,
  • Contribution to Community.

Graduates of the Faculty gain the requisite preparation to be:

  • Professionals in fields related to physical education, kinesiology, recreation, tourism, sport management and sport science
  • Scholars who can advance the frontiers of knowledge pertaining to physical activity, leisure, active living, and their relationships to personal and societal health and well-being, and to environmental conservation and preservation.

Undergraduate degree programs include:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport and Tourism (BARST),
  • Bachelor of Kinesiology (BKin),
  • Bachelor of Kinesiology/Bachelor of Education combined degrees (BKin/BEd) in both Elementary and Secondary Education (five-year program),
  • Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (BScKin).

Our degree programs attract students from all over the world but the majority of our undergraduate students are from Alberta. We offer opportunities for study internationally and continue to develop a wide range of exchange programs in Canada and internationally.

An important element of all of our undergraduate programs is the requirement for a practicum experience which places students in supervised work settings for extended learning experiences. Play Around the World is a unique practicum opportunity we offer. Students travel to South America, Asia or NWT Canada, to work with underprivileged populations in developing sustainable play and recreation programs.

Job opportunities for our graduates abound in diverse work settings, including recreation and sport facilities and organizations, fitness centres, extended-care facilities, hospices and other health-related environments.

Our graduate program has a long tradition of excellence and our graduates are well-represented in research and academic settings throughout the world. The MA, MSc, MCoach and PhD programs attract talented students from many countries and there is strong competition for admission. Our Faculty members, many of them world-renowned, have developed well-established research programs in all of the basic disciplines of the social, behavioural and biological sciences as well as in the area of recreation and leisure.

The Campus and Community Recreation program at the University of Alberta is proud of its tremendous record of student and staff participation in a wide variety of intramural, club, and instructional programs, serving over 36,000 students in over 500 programs. The Golden Bears and Pandas interuniversity teams compete in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) which is a member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The many championship banners in the Van Vliet Complex and Saville Community Sports Centre, attest to the level of success achieved by individual student-athletes and teams in the 19 CIS sports. One of the proudest achievements, however, is the number of Academic All-Canadians that play on Pandas and Golden Bears teams. The University of Alberta has produced the highest number of Academic All-Canadians in Canada for eight of the past ten years.

The Faculty is linked to the other health sciences Faculties on the U of A campus through the Coordinating Council of Health Sciences. The Council provides coordination for many collaborative interdisciplinary programs and projects. The Centre for Health Promotion Studies, the Centre for Neuroscience, and the Centre for Gerontology are three such joint ventures involving the Faculty.

If you have any questions about any aspect of our programs or activities, please contact us.