Doctor of Philosophy—Human Performance and Movement Science

Doctoral program offered by the University of North Texas

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The Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation offers coursework leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Performance and Movement Science (HPMS) with tracks in:

Applied Physiology
Human Performance Psychology

Research

The HPMS program prepares PhD graduates to conduct research and education within human performance and disease prevention through movement science. The HPMS program also provides opportunities to address health disparities in minoritized populations through physical activity and lifestyle change.

Due to the unique focus on underrepresented populations and distinct research topics among faculty, students will gain competencies specific to the advisors and labs they join, with an emphasis on research-based experiences.

Our faculty members are outstanding teachers, recognized scholars, and active researchers. They’ve earned honors from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). A few specific areas of expertise include foundational quantitative methods, basic science, community-based implementation, and interrelatedness between movement and health.

To explore current areas of research that you could participate in, check out the Human Performance and Movement Science faculty page.

Laboratories

The state-of-the-art facilities that are utilized by the HPMS faculty are:

Watch the video to see the facilities and equipment utilized for research

Careers

Career paths include academic teaching, research, and/or administrative positions within colleges and universities, non-profit service and research organizations, policy-making positions in government agencies, and in industry using basic and applied kinesiology research knowledge and skills.

Contact Information

Sabrina Queen
Graduate Coordinator
Sabrina.Queen@unt.edu
940-565-2544
Physical Education Building (PEB) 209

Admission to the doctoral program in Health Performance and Movement Science (HPMS) in the Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation (KHPR) department is a multi-step process. Each potential applicant must first connect with a HPMS graduate faculty member prior to applying. If a mentor-mentee relationship is established, potential applicants will then need to apply to Toulouse Graduate School. Applicants are then reviewed by the KHPR department for a final decision.

Connect with HPMS Graduate Faculty

Each applicant must first connect with a faculty member prior to applying. This is an apprenticeship-style program, therefore, reaching out directly to the faculty member you are most interested in having as a mentor/advisor is strongly suggested.

Apply to Toulouse Graduate School

Once a mentor/advisor is secured, potential applicants must:

Complete an application at applytexas.org, if all UNT Toulouse Graduate School requirements have been met.
- Traditional admission requirements: https://tgs.unt.edu/future-students-graduate-admissions-traditional
- International admission requirements: https://tgs.unt.edu/international
Have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (or equivalent) in Kinesiology of related field.
Understand it is expected that typical GPA scores for successful applicants will be approximately 3.5 and above (on a 4.0 scale) for both bachelor’s and master’s degree holders who are applying to the program. However, GPA scores are listed for advisory purposes only and will not be the only deciding factor under consideration. If applicable, scores of 79 on the internet-based TOEFL, 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, or 6.5 on the IELTS will be expected.
Have official transcripts from each college or university you have attended sent to the Toulouse Graduate School. Submit documents to:

University of North Texas
Toulouse Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459 (USPS)
1147 Union Circle, ESSC Room 354 (UPS/FedEx)
Denton, TX 76203
Email: GradAdmission@unt.edu
Phone: 940-565-2383
Fax: 940-565-2414

Provide required supplemental materials:
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Personal Statement (750-word maximum) that addresses the following:
  - How does your background make you a good candidate/fit for the program?
  - Research interests and experiences.
  - Selection of a faculty mentor/advisor including why you would select them.
  - Career goals related to academia, industry, government, or other positions.
- List of three references including contact information.
  - Provide an acceptable score on either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for applicants whose native language is not English and if not the holder of a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an institution in the USA.

Note: Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores will not be required for admission.

Apply to the College of Education

After being accepted into UNT’s Toulouse Graduate School, your application and supplemental materials will be sent to the KHPR department in the College of Education. Please note admission to Toulouse Graduate School does not guarantee admission to the HPMS PhD program.

The potential mentor/advisor will review all application materials, with input from other HPMS graduate faculty, and decide on admission based on a holistic consideration of all information provided. No single quantitative or qualitative measure, or any specific combination thereof, constitutes a definitive standard for admission.

The Human Performance and Movement Science doctoral program requires 54 total credit hours if entering with a master’s degree, and 90 total credit hours if entering with a bachelor’s degree. The HPMS program allows for ample research opportunities and development within the applied physiology track or the human performance psychology track.

Entering with B.S. Degree:

Required Core, 39 credit hours
- Courses in Kinesiology, Research, Statistics
Electives, 39 credit hours
- Includes track-specific courses
Dissertation, 12 credit hours

Entering with M.S. Degree:

Required Core, 24 credit hours
- Courses in Kinesiology, Research, Statistics
Electives, 18 credit hours
- Includes track-specific courses
Dissertation, 12 credit hours

Estimate tuition and fees by using the Tuition Calculators. For more information about tuition plan options, fees, and tuition, see Student Financial Services.

Contact a potential advisor to discuss departmental funding opportunities.

Financial Aid

UNT offers a variety of options to help finance your education. Visit financialaid.unt.edu to find out more about the application and award process.

UNT has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys© for 25 consecutive years and offers the quality of a private university at an affordable cost.

Applying for financial aid

Apply for financial aid online at fafsa.gov. The application is required for all types of financial aid, including Pell and other federal grants, state grants and loans. The FAFSA and Renewal FAFSA are available annually.
You must enroll in 6 hours (over one or two online sessions) in order to be eligible for financial aid.
Financial aid awards will be disbursed 10 days prior to the first day of class. Awards will not disburse if you are enrolled in only 3 credit hours.
Contact Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at 940-565-2302 or by visiting online at financialaid.unt.edu

Other Financial Assistance Opportunities

Graduate Assistantship recipients may serve as a teaching fellow (TF), teaching assistant (TA), research assistant (RA), or graduate services assistant (GSA).

Graduate Assistants are paid a stipend of approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for nine months (20 hours per week), depending on the role and years in the program. Summer fellowships are often available. You must be formally admitted to one of the graduate programs and enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours each fall and spring semester to qualify for funding.

Scholarships

The department, college, and university award many scholarships each year. These scholarships typically apply to tuition and fees for two semesters. The award amounts depend on the scholarship. More information is available at http://www.coe.unt.edu/scholarships.

Faculty

Lydia Caldwell

Lydia Caldwell

Assistant Professor

Kinesiology
Ph.D. 2019, The Ohio State University

Physical Education Building 210-P

940-565-4845

Lydia.Caldwell@unt.edu

Faculty Profile

Lydia Caldwell is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She joined the faculty at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2020. She earned her B.S. in Biology and M.S.E in Exercise Science from the University of Dayton prior to completing her Ph.D. in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University. During her doctorate studies, Caldwell was funded by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where she supported research with the 711^th Human Performance Wing (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

Dr. Caldwell’s primary research interests are centered around the physiology of exercise performance and recovery optimization. Her most current work has focused on the use of a novel recovery modality, flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy, to reduce biomarkers of stress and improve resiliency in military and athletic populations.

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Andrew Colombo-Dougovito

Andrew Colombo-Dougovito

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Physical Education Building 210-A

940-565-3403

Andrew.Colombo-Dougovito@unt.edu

Andrew Mark Colombo-Dougovito

Faculty Profile

Andrew Colombo-Dougovito is an Associate Professor of Sport Pedagogy and Motor Behavior in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at University of North Texas. He serves as the Director of the UNT Physical Activity and Motor Skill program and Faculty Liaison to the Kristin Farmer Autism Center at UNT. Colombo-Dougovito's research focuses on understanding the motor abilities and development characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum and how the development motor skills impact social and adaptive skill development, as well as physical activity participation across the lifespan. Through this research, he strives to develop intervention, assessment and teaching strategies to better improve the quality of physical activity participation of autistic individuals.

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Sarah Deemer

Sarah Deemer

Assistant Professor

Kinesiology
Ph.D. 2017, Texas Woman’s University

Physical Education Building

Sarah.Deemer@unt.edu

Faculty Profile

Dr. Sarah Deemer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas. Dr. Deemer received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her PhD in Exercise Physiology from Texas Woman’s University in 2017. She completed an NIDDK T32 post-doctoral fellowship in the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Deemer’s research focuses on the mechanisms contributing to the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Her main focus is elucidating the role adipose tissue and skeletal muscle have on metabolic health and how this process may be modified by diet and/or exercise. Additionally, she is interested in investigating the biological factors and mechanisms that underlie the increased prevalence of obesity and metabolic disease in racial and ethnic minority populations in an effort to reduce the prevalence of health disparities and improve minority health.

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David W. Hill

David W. Hill

Regents Professor

Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory

Physical Education Building 205-L

940-565-2252

david.hill@unt.edu

Applied Physiology Laboratory

Faculty Profile

David W. Hill is Regents Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at the University of North Texas. Dr. Hill earned his BA and BS at Southern Illinois University, MAPE at The University of Florida, and PhD at The University of Georgia. He has served as a faculty member at UNT since 1988.

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Jerraco Johnson

Jerraco Johnson

Assistant Professor

Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation
Ph.D., 2019, Auburn University

Jerraco.Johnson@unt.edu

Faculty Profile

Dr. Jerraco Leontae Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation. An overarching theme of his research is health disparities among young, underserved children. Johnson's primary research aims are to develop and improve childhood health behaviors (i.e., fundamental motor skill competence, physical activity promotion) in young children from under-represented backgrounds. These children are highly at-risk for poor health trajectories (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease) and motor developmental delays. He specializes in implementing mastery motivational climate movement and health interventions in Preschool and Head Start settings, primarily for low-income children of color. A major emphasis of his research is on addressing and combating ethnic/racial, gender, and socioeconomic related disparities for this population. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is an integral component of his research.During his graduate studies he was the recipient of several awards from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) including the Graduate Student Dissertation Research Grant, Outstanding Student Paper Award, and Graduate Student Award for International Conference Travel.

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Scott B. Martin

Scott B. Martin

Professor

Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation

Physical Education Building 210-F

940-565-3418

scott.martin@unt.edu

Faculty Profile

Scott Martin received his doctorate of philosophy degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry, and an invited member of the Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Partnership. His extensive knowledge in sport, physical fitness, and health psychology has provided him opportunities to interact with numerous coaches, athletes, musicians, military personnel, and business leaders about their performance. His research interests include examining attitudes toward and effectiveness of mental skills services, psychosocial factors associated with health-related fitness — cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition — and effective coaching behaviors and leadership styles. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 refereed professional articles, 10 non-refereed articles, five book chapters, and 200 presentations at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Martin has received more than $2 million in funding from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (Science Education Partnership Award), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, The Cooper Institute, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and Girls in the Game.

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