B.S. in Health and Exercise Science Undergraduate Program Questions
What are my housing options?
In 2008, Health and Exercise Science initiated the sponsorship of a Health and Exercise Science Living and Learning Community that currently occupies two floors of Corbett Hall, which is just across the street from the department. Health and Exercise Science is the only department to sponsor a Living and Learning Community; all others are college level sponsors.
What are my Financial Aid options?
Visit the College of Health and Human Sciences web page on Paying for College .
What is Open Advising?
Open Advising is designed for students with 30 completed credits or more and who have at least a 2.0 cumulative CSU GPA. Open Advising occurs during the first two weeks after registration opens.
How do I make an appointment with a faculty member?
Faculty members hold five hours a week for office hours, which are posted on their office doors. Please make an appointment with the specific faculty member you would like to speak with regarding advising. During Open Advising, individual faculty advising appointments are limited.
How do I register for my classes?
- Bring your proposed list of classes or schedule and questions to your advising appointment.
- Freshmen will make an appointment to meet with their Academic Success Coordinator to get their advising code.
- Sophomores can attend Open Advising (see above) OR make an appointment with their Academic Success Coordinator to get their advising code.
- Juniors and seniors should plan to participate in Open Advising which is offered each Fall and Spring semester. A student with greater than 60 completed credits will not have advising codes.
- Log on to RAMweb.
- Click “registration.”
- Follow the prompts.
How do I get an advising code?
- Bring your proposed list of classes or schedule and questions to your advising appointment.
- Freshmen will need to make an appointment to meet with their Academic Success Coordinator to get their advising code. Codes will not be released via email.
- Sophomores can attending Open Advising if over a 2.0 cumulative CSU GPA (see above) OR make an appointment with their Academic Success Coordinator to get their advising code.
What do I do if a class is full?
An online, electronic waitlist enhancement is in place for all undergraduate, on-campus sections. This will allow students to ‘waitlist’ electronically for a space in a full section. Students must meet the prerequisites and section restrictions to sign up on a waitlist and then when a space becomes available, students will be notified via email (and text messaging if they have chosen this option) to register for the class. The student will have 24 hours to add the section. Students are not automatically registered for a class when a space becomes available.
As a student, you may also email the faculty instructor for your desired class. Faculty may still do Enrollment Limit overrides to allow students to register for a full class, but the final decision is left up to each faculty member. Most faculty are using the waitlist option to maintain fairness for students.
What is repeat/delete?
Repeat/Delete is an option for undergraduate students to repeat up to 12 credits or three CSU courses. The initial grade will remain on the transcript but only the new grade will be used in calculating your GPA. It is the student’s responsibility to request a Repeat/Delete option from the Registrar’s Office (Centennial Hall) before the W-drop period for the course.
M.S. in Health and Exercise Science Graduate Program Questions
I do not have all the prerequisite courses; can I still apply?
No, all prerequisite courses must be completed before admission.
My undergraduate GPA is 2.97; how will this affect my application?
We cannot admit a student with less than a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, regardless of how close the GPA is to 3.0. In rare circumstances, the Department can petition the graduate school to admit a student with less than a 3.0 GPA, but there must be strong evidence to support this type of admission. The Department cannot financially support a student admitted in this manner, as they are admitted conditionally, on probation. We generally do not review applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA.
My undergraduate GPA is 3.0 from my degree granting institution. As part of my degree, I did take a couple of courses from a community college. Will those courses affect my GPA?
Yes. Your undergraduate GPA is calculated based on all courses taken at all institutions involved in your degree program. This may lower or raise your current GPA.
I have a 3.3 GPA in my last two years, though my overall GPA is 2.9. Do you consider the last two years or the GPA in the major when reviewing an applicant?
No, we consider the overall GPA. In this case, it is less than a 3.0 and would not be considered. If the overall GPA were 3.0 or better, we would also consider how the student performed in courses relevant to the graduate program to further evaluate the student. We do not separate the last two years or the GPA in the major. Current average GPA of admitted students is 3.6.
I am an in-state resident; will this help my application?
No. The state in which the applicant resides is not considered when reviewing the applicants, therefore it neither helps nor hinders. The Department encourages in-state applicants to apply.
I am an out-of-state resident; how do I become an in-state resident for tuition purposes?
It requires a calendar year to become an in-state resident. Our Graduate Teaching Assistants are required to achieve in-state status for the second year. Students must begin immediately prior to their first semester to meet the requirements. The website for residency has the requirements.
How do I connect with a potential research mentor?
Admission to both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs requires a written letter from an HES faculty member stating that they will serve as your mentor if you are admitted to the graduate program. No applications will be considered that do not include this mentor commitment. Applicants are encouraged to be in contact with HES faculty well before the application deadline to discuss potential mentorship. Research lab descriptions, and contact information for potential faculty mentors, can be found at the HES Research Page.
The letter from an HES faculty member must be included as part of your application. It can be uploaded by the mentor to the online application system in the same way they would upload a standard reference letter.
How many applications do you receive and how many do you admit?
For fall admission, we typically receive around 60 applications. While it varies, we typically admit from 6-10 students for the fall. As noted above, spring admissions are far smaller in number. There are typically 5-10 applicants, and we admit (with support) only 0-2 students.
How large is your program?
We typically have 25-28 master’s students. We have 20 graduate faculty. Graduate classes typically are 10-15 students. We have over 1300 undergraduate majors.
What are my health care options?
CSU Health Network is your home for health and well-being at CSU. All fee-paying students have access to the wide range of medical, counseling, and health education and prevention services provided on-campus at the CSU Health and Medical Center.
- New Student Checklist for Graduate Students – To keep you and our campus healthy and safe, there are several health-related requirements and recommendations for all incoming students to complete upon enrolling at Colorado State University.
- Using Health Insurance at CSU Health Network – Information about the health insurance requirement, private health insurance billing, and the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan.
- Eligibility, Fees and Services Charges – Learn more about the Health Fee, Counseling Fee, and eligibility for using CSU Health Network services.
Ph.D. in Human Bioenergetics Doctoral Program Questions
Admission Requirements
Candidates for admission to the Human Bioenergetics Doctoral Program in Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University must:
- Meet the University and Graduate School minimum requirements for admission.
- Hold a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education. An applicant who holds a first professional degree (e.g., M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S.,) from a regionally and programmatically accredited college or university in the United States, or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education, may be considered on an individual basis even though he or she does not hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent as defined above.
- Candidates for admission must have a commitment from a faculty member to serve as the dissertation and academic mentor/adviser at the time of application.
International student applicants from non-English speaking countries must also demonstrate English proficiency by completing the TOEFL exam with a total score of at least 600 (paper based test), 200 (computer based test) or 100 (internet based test), no exceptions.
Applicants should be trained in a relevant area of science to be competitive to enter the program. Any course deficiencies identified at the time of application will be required to be remedied upon enrollment as a graduate student.
Students holding the master’s (or equivalent, e.g. post-baccalaureate M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S.) degree may be able to apply 30 credits or more toward the doctoral degree. This will be determined on an individual basis.
What is the application deadline?
Doctoral Program: April 15 for Fall admission or Nov. 15 for Spring admission
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite/background course requirements will depend on the specific area of research interest associated with potential faculty advisers. Generally, discipline related courses along with science courses will be necessary.
Do I need a faculty sponsor?
Required Support by Faculty Member: Admission to the doctoral program is dependent upon the availability of resources and of a faculty dissertation adviser/mentor to oversee the program of study (required course work) and to guide the dissertation project. Thus, interested students MUST contact individual faculty members in an area of interest and interview (see below). It is critical that the potential applicant initiate conversations with potential faculty adviser(s) before or simultaneously with application to the program. Because of this required linkage with a faculty mentor upon entry into the program, individual applicants might be denied admission, even though the general qualifications for admission are met, if there is not a faculty member willing or able to accept the student into his or her mentorship. Contact the Graduate Program Director, Dr. Matt Hickey if you need assistance in making contact with a faculty member or need help in identifying a potential mentor.
A personal interview by the potential faculty mentor/adviser and the Doctoral Admissions Committee is required of all finalists for admission. Final acceptance and continuation in the program are contingent upon the sponsorship by a faculty member who will serve as the dissertation and academic adviser. The admission of a student into the program and the selection of an adviser are by mutual agreement and are formalized in the letter of acceptance from the Department.
What is the application process?
To apply to the doctoral program in Human Bioenergetics in the Department of Health and Exercise Science:
- Complete the online application from the Graduate School (official transcripts for all degrees and the application fee will be required);
- Submit a letter* of application to the Department of Health and Exercise Science to include a statement of career goals and research interests (Attach your curriculum vita and any supporting documents such as thesis and/or publications); and
- Submit three letters of recommendation from former/current professors.
- Acquire the Health and Exercise graduate faculty adviser support letter detailing the faculty adviser’s support of the application and the financial support plan.
*Note: in your letter, indicate the faculty member with whom you have interviewed as your potential adviser.
Departmental Address:
Graduate Program Director
Health and Exercise Science
220 Moby B Complex
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1582
What are the program or degree requirements?
All course and degree requirements must meet Graduate School requirements for awarding of the Ph.D. degree.
Total Minimum Credits Required for Degree (72 credits):
A minimum of 49 credits (22 credits of core requirements, 6 credits of statistics cognate, 9 credits of electives, a minimum of 12 dissertation credits), plus up to a maximum of 30 (or more if CSU master’s degree) credits submitted from the master’s degree in partial fulfillment of the doctoral degree should equal a minimum total of 72 credits. If the department accepts fewer than 30 credits for the master’s degree and this is insufficient to meet the 72 minimum credits overall, the remaining credits must be taken to reach a minimum of 72 credits for the doctoral degree. Additional courses may be required by a graduate committee to address deficits in a given applicant’s training/academic preparation. In addition, the credit totals for a given program of study may be well above the minimum credit expectations detailed above and below. Required credits are detailed later in this Handbook.
For students enrolled in a continuous master’s/Ph.D. program, all courses used towards the CSU master’s degree (listed on the student’s GS6 Program of Study for the master’s degree) may be applied to the Ph.D. degree, even if the total master’s degree credits exceed 30. The Credits from Master’s Degree section on the GS6 Program of Study form must be filled out in order for the master’s credits to be added to the total Ph.D. credits. Of the courses earned at CSU, at least 21 credits must be in 500 or higher level courses.
Teaching Requirement:
As part of a comprehensive doctoral training program, students are required to teach 10 contact hours in a single undergraduate “regular” course in a single semester, with a minimum of five contact hours with the teaching mentor. The Ph.D. Teaching Requirement Planning Form (Appendix A) must be completed by the student in consultation with the adviser and the course instructor and signed by the adviser and course instructor and department head. This form is due four weeks prior to the start of the semester. A teaching mentor will be assigned (this will usually be the adviser or course instructor) to monitor the teaching and provide assistance to assure quality classroom experiences for students in courses taught by Ph.D. candidates. The student registers for Supervised College Teaching (HES 784V) for one credit when engaged in this teaching requirement. These credits for supervised teaching do not count toward the minimum number of credits toward graduation and are NOT included on the “Program of Study” (GS 6 form). Appendix B has the Teaching Requirement Completion Form that is completed at the end of the experience. The Department Head and Graduate Program Director clear this requirement for graduation on the GS 25B form signed at the end of the last semester.
The faculty instructor, or their designee, must evaluate the doctoral student who teaches in this regard at least twice during the course. This can be accomplished using the HES peer teaching evaluation form, or a similar written narrative evaluation. Students within the course should be permitted to complete a Student Course Survey specifically for the graduate student teaching in the course. All evaluations must be forwarded to the Department Head. In the case of poor performance, the adviser in consultation with the Department Head should execute a remedial plan, before the student can teach again.
Required Examinations
All graduate program exams are governed by the Graduate School rules, regulations, and appeal processes as stated in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
- Preliminary (Candidacy) Examination:
Note: The GS6 form, Program of Study, must have been filed prior to the initiation of the Preliminary/Candidacy exam. The Preliminary/Candidacy exam cannot be taken if the GS6 form is not on file at the Graduate School. The Student must be in good standing with the Graduate School with a GPA of at least 3.00. The intention to hold a Ph.D. preliminary examination must be publicized two weeks prior to the event by the adviser. This information should go to the Graduate School, the Department Head, and the Graduate Program Director.No later than the end of the semester following completion of core coursework (fourth semester), and at least two terms before the final examination, Ph.D. candidates will be required to complete a comprehensive knowledge examination. The student’s graduate committee, in consultation with the graduate student, will determine the timing of this examination and its content. Content and examination format will vary from student to student and is up to the discretion of the graduate committee. The exam will always consist of two parts: written and oral. The written exam will be completed over a two-day period and submitted to the student’s graduate committee for grading. The results of the written exam must be satisfactory to the committee before moving to the oral portion of the exam. The oral defense of the examination will take place no later than two weeks after the written exam and is administered by the student’s graduate committee. Students who fail to successfully complete the written or oral component of the comprehensive exam will, at the discretion of the student’s graduate committee, be given no more than one attempt to retake the examination. A Ph.D. candidate must successfully pass the preliminary exam before being eligible for further progress in the program. The result of the preliminary/candidacy exam is reported to the Graduate School on the “Report of Preliminary Examination” (GS 16) and establishes the student’s official candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The Department Head signs this form. The student and adviser are responsible for filing this form with the Graduate School within two business days following completion of the exam. - Research Updates:
The student will be required to meet annually with the graduate committee. During these meetings, the student is expected to provide a research update to the graduate committee. The graduate committee will evaluate whether adequate progress is being made toward completion of the dissertation. If deficiencies are noted, the graduate committee will provide benchmarks for adequate progress and suggest strategies to aid in the dissertation completion. In the first and second years, these meetings correspond with the formation of the dissertation committee (year one) and preliminary exam (second year). Additional years are performed annually with the final report completed after the dissertation defense. Yearly reports (Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report) will be completed by the student and adviser and signed by the adviser, student, and Graduate Program Director. - Dissertation Proposal:
Within three years of entry into the program, students will propose a sequence of studies constituting a dissertation. The dissertation proposal per se will be comprised of a written proposal, the format of which is determined by the student’s graduate committee; but usually in the form of a grant proposal. A public presentation of the dissertation proposal (time and date scheduled through the Graduate Program Director at least two weeks prior) will be followed by a more in-depth discussion with the doctoral committee. The written proposal will be provided to the student’s graduate committee no later than two weeks prior to the date of the presentation of the proposal. The student’s graduate committee will examine both the written and oral examination to determine if the student has an adequate proposal to proceed on to their dissertation research. The results of the dissertation proposal and yearly update will be communicated to the departmental Graduate Program Director and included in the Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report. - Dissertation Defense:
The dissertation defense will be scheduled upon satisfactory completion of data collection and analysis as determined by the student’s graduate committee in consultation with the student. The student’s graduate committee conducts the defense. The defense must be publicized across the University at least two weeks prior to the date of the defense. The date and time of the public presentation must be scheduled through the Graduate Program Director at least two weeks prior. The dissertation defense is public and is an oral presentation followed by the examination of the student’s dissertation that is carried out by the student’s graduate committee. The public presentation will be 40-45 minutes followed by 15-20 minutes of questions from the public (not the committee members). The graduate committee will perform further examination after the public presentation. The results of the dissertation defense are reported to the Graduate School on the “Report of Final Exam Results” (GS 24) and are included in the Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report. The Student and Adviser are responsible for filing this form with the Graduate School within two business days following completion of the exam.
The Dissertation:
Dissertation research must represent “original inquiry” and constitute a body of work that represents a progression of research studies that address a significant problem, and that investigate the underlying mechanisms/issues involved. “Negative result” and “descriptive” studies are generally not acceptable for a dissertation unless such findings constitute a significant contribution to the understanding of the problem addressed, add significantly to the body of knowledge, or serve as preliminary studies that have led to more substantial research projects within the dissertation.
Guidelines for the format of the dissertation are available on the Graduate School website (Dissertation Manual). You are strongly encouraged to review these guidelines prior to writing the dissertation and to refer to them as you prepare your dissertation. Note that while alternative overall formats for the dissertation are permitted (multi-part and two volumes), there are basic formatting requirements required. Multi-part dissertations may be best when the dissertation represents several manuscripts for publication. The Graduate Program Director can assist when alternative formats are considered. Preparation of at least one manuscript from the dissertation for submission to a peer-reviewed journal is required. The Department Head and Graduate Program Director clear this manuscript requirement by signing the GS 25B form completed as part of the completion of all requirements for the degree.
Grant Writing Experience:
As part of the doctoral training, a grant writing experience and submission will be required. This experience may be in the form of a formal course, or as directed by the graduate student’s adviser and committee, or as part of the dissertation proposal. The adviser evaluates the experience and proof of submission is required and will be included in the Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report.
Final Disposition of the Dissertation:
Submission of the dissertation is done through the Graduate School by the posted semester deadline. All requirements and the processes are posted on the Graduate School website. The dissertation MUST be submitted electronically and must follow Graduate School guidelines. A PDF electronic copy of the final dissertation must be provided to the Department via the Department’s Graduate Program Director.
Exit Interview with Department Head:
All graduate students must schedule an exit interview with the Department Head following the successful defense of their dissertation and prior to graduation. Students complete a survey on their graduate experience prior to the exit interview. Students bring the Graduate School form “Departmental Requirements Clearance Form” (GS 25B) for signature. Prior to this, the Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report should be completed with the Graduate Program Director (Appendix D).
Publication of Dissertation:
In partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree, each Ph.D. candidate must publish a minimum of one journal manuscript based on the dissertation research in a quality journal (as determined by the student’s graduate committee). As the lead-time for a manuscript to be accepted for publication can be up to a year, the student’s graduate committee may permit a manuscript submission at the time of completion of the degree as fulfillment of this requirement to publish. The requirement to publish the dissertation research is cleared for graduation via Department Head signature on the GS 25B form at the end of the final semester.
Additional Expectations:
In expectation of a quality doctoral experience, Ph.D. candidates should have presented their work in abstract form at an appropriate number of national meetings and published at least one peer-reviewed manuscript prior to graduation (as principal or as co-author). It is in the interest of the Ph.D. candidate to have a body of work that has been peer-reviewed and accepted by the discipline via publications to reflect their academic and scientific ability upon awarding of the degree. Additionally, evidence of successful grant writing and submission will greatly enhance the student’s credentials. These additional expectations are documented during yearly research updates and completion of the Ph.D. Progress and Completion Report.
What are the course requirements?
Please refer to the Course Catalog for the most up-to-date requirements.
Total Minimum Credits Required for Degree (72 credits):
A minimum of 49 credits (22 credits of core requirements, plus 6 credits of statistics cognate, plus 9 credits of electives, plus a minimum of 12 dissertation credits), plus up to a maximum of 30 (or more if CSU Master’s degree) credits submitted from the master’s degree in partial fulfillment of the doctoral degree should equal a minimum total of 72 credits. If less than the department accepts fewer than 30 credits for the Master’s degree and this is insufficient to meet the 72 minimum credits overall, the remaining credits must be taken to reach a minimum of 72 credits for the doctoral degree. Additional courses may be required by a graduate committee to address deficits in a given applicant’s training/academic preparation. In addition, the credit totals for a given program of study may be well above the minimum credit expectations.
As stated above, a master’s degree from an accredited college or university may be accepted for a maximum of 30 credits, or more if it is a CSU Master’s degree for a student who is continuing into the doctoral program without interruption. In addition, up to ten credits in courses earned after the date on which the master’s degree was awarded may be accepted in transfer if approved by the student’s advisory committee, the department, and the Graduate School. A minimum of 32 credits must be earned at Colorado State University after admission to a doctoral program. At least 21 credits beyond the master’s degree must be earned in courses numbered 500 or above. See the Graduate and Professional Bulletin for details if credits from a Master’s degree are not being applied toward the Ph.D. Note: courses at 100-200 levels cannot count as graduate credits and will not be counted in the GPA calculation (and cannot be placed on the GS6 form described below).
The Program of Study: GS6 Form
Individual student course work is planned early (first-second semester) in the student’s program. All course work is then submitted on the GS 6 form, Program of Study; which should be completed and submitted no later than the student’s second semester. This constitutes the required curriculum for the student. As part of the required curriculum, courses to address deficits in preparation may likely be included. The Program of Study can be modified after submission to the Graduate School, but there are limitations. Any course that has received a grade cannot be removed. Courses not yet taken can be removed. Courses with a “D” or worse cannot be counted toward the degree. Any course can be added.
If changes in the Program of Study have occurred, this is reconciled when the student completes the GS 25 Application for Graduation form. The student can make no change to the Program of Study; all changes must be in consultation with and with the approval of the adviser.
What are my healthcare options?
CSU Health Network is your home for health and well-being at CSU. All fee-paying students have access to the wide range of medical, counseling, and health education and prevention services provided on-campus at the CSU Health and Medical Center.
- New Student Checklist for Graduate Students – To keep you and our campus healthy and safe, there are several health-related requirements and recommendations for all incoming students to complete upon enrolling at Colorado State University.
- Using Health Insurance at CSU Health Network – information about the health insurance requirement, private health insurance billing, and the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
- Eligibility, Fees and Services Charges – learn more about the Health Fee, Counseling Fee, and eligibility for using CSU Health Network services