New Student Registration: Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics

1. I am interested in Development Studies, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level. What else should I take in the other semester to fill out my schedule?
You can take any other 3-credit course from the arts (or science) subjects listed above. If you decide to do a pair (see explanation above) in DEVS, you will need to complete 9 additional credits of DEVS, to include one of DEVS 201 or 202, over the remaining years of your degree.  If you decide to do a minor in Development Studies, you will need to complete DEVS 201 and 202, plus an additional 15 credits of DEVS, over the remaining years of your degree.

2. I am interested in Public Policy and Governance, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level. What else should I take in the other semester to fill out my schedule?
You can take any other 3-credit course from the arts (or science) subjects listed above. If you decide to do a pair (see explanation above) in PGOV, you will need to complete 9 additional credits of PGOV, to include one of PGOV 201 or 202, over the remaining years of your degree.  If you decide to do a minor in Public Policy and Governance, you will need to complete PGOV 201 and 202, plus as additional 9 credits of PGOV, over the remaining years of your degree.

3.I am interested in Sport Management, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level. How would taking this course affect my registration?
You would then choose 9 credits in other arts (or science) subjects. You should choose 6 of those credits from one arts subject (if that subject has 6 credits available at the introductory level) and 3 credits from a different subject.  At the end of the year, if you are interested in pursuing a Sport Management minor, you will need to apply for it. Admission into this minor is competitive so be aware that the better your academic performance in first year, the better your chance of being accepted into the minor. Students who take SMGT 101 in first year, but who do not pursue a Sport Management minor, will use the first-year course as an arts elective in their degree pattern.

4.  I am interested in English, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level.  What else should I take in the other semester to fill out my schedule?
You can take any other 3-credit course from the arts (or science) subjects listed above.  If you choose ENGL 111 in the first term, you can also choose any 200-level English course that is offered in the second semester, subject to availability. However, most second-term English courses are likely to be full before first-year registration opens, so this option may not be a possibility for you.

5. What if I am interested in taking a course in a subject that is not mentioned above?
The other subjects offered at StFX are in our other professional or applied science programs: Aquatic Resources; Business Administration; Engineering; Health; Human Nutrition; Nursing. (Human Kinetics also falls into this category.)  These subjects cannot be used as minors or pairs, or, with the exception of Aquatic Resources, as "arts/science” electives. Most courses in these departments (other than Aquatic Resources) are restricted to students in these programs.  If you are interested in taking courses from one of these programs you will need to contact the relevant department chair.  Override permission for HNU, ENGR, and BSAD courses will normally be granted if seats are available after their degree students have registered.  Override permission for Health and Nursing courses will not be granted.

Should you be permitted to take any of these courses in the future, you will be permitted a maximum of 12 credits and will have to use those credits in the “open elective” slots of your degree pattern. You are strongly advised not to consider doing so until later in your program. If you still want to explore the option of taking courses from these departments in first year, you should speak with the Human Kinetics chair or an academic advisor to discuss the implications to your overall program.

6. The Academic Calendar refers to “Subject A” and “Subject B”. What do these mean?
Subject A is your minor, in which you will have to complete a total of 24 credits over the duration of your degree. Subject B is your 12-credit pair subject.

7. What if I am interested in an honours degree?
Course selection is no different for first year. You may wish to check table 4.1.5 in the Academic Calendar for grade and average requirements, so that you are aware of the grades you will need for admission to this program at the end of third year.

8. I want to do a Bachelor of Education degree after I complete my Human Kinetics degree. Are there any particular courses that I should be taking?
This answer will be given in the context of the StFX B.Ed. program. You should understand that each university to which you might want to apply could have slightly different admission requirements, and you should do some research on each university in which you might be interested. Overall, the admission requirements will be similar in many ways, but there will definitely be differences, and you’ll want to try to incorporate those different requirements into your HKIN degree.

At StFX, as at other universities, there are two basic streams of study in the B.Ed. program: elementary and secondary. The full explanations of these programs are found in the Academic Calendar, chapter 6. If you are interested in the B.Ed. program, you are strongly advised to read that section and to attend information sessions offered by the Faculty of Education (normally in October). The earlier you make yourself aware of the requirements for that program, the easier it will be to tailor your HKIN degree to fulfill the necessary requirements. The Faculty of Education loves to see first-year students attend those information sessions!

StFX also offers an option for Human Kinetics students to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics and a B.Ed. concurrently in a 5-year program.  More information on this program can be accessed through the Human Kinetics department or through the Human Kinetics Advisor in the Academic Advising department.

Following is a summary of section 6.1.3 and 6.1.4, with information as it pertains directly to courses offered at StFX.

For the elementary stream, there are four basic requirements:

(i) 6 credits of social studies from any one or any combination of the following disciplines: history, economics, political science, anthropology, sociology and/or philosophy.  Introductory courses in any of these subjects will fulfill these credits.
(ii) 6 credits of mathematics. The most common choices are MATH 101 and 102. An alternative is 6 credits of calculus, MATH 106 and 107.  A third option is 6 credits from MATH 101, 102, 105, 106; or one of these 3-credit courses plus 3 credits of statistics.  6 credits of statistics is not acceptable for this requirement.
(iii) 6 credits of English. ENGL 111 and a 200-level ENGL course would fulfill this requirement.
(iv) 6 credits of science. Your required first-year HKIN 161 and 162 will fulfill this requirement.

So if you’re interested in the elementary stream of the B.Ed., choosing 6 to 12 credits this year from the social studies, English, and Math options outlined above could be beneficial to your goal.

For the secondary stream, there are two basic requirements:

(i) “Major Subject Field”: A minimum of 30 credits of university coursework in one discipline of a subject field taught in Nova Scotia secondary schools. For you, this will be “Physical Education”, and the required HKIN courses in your program will more than satisfy this requirement.
(ii) “Minor Subject Field”: A minimum of 18 credits of university coursework in one discipline of a second subject field taught in Nova Scotia secondary schools. Allowable subject fields are English; French; Social Studies (all 18 credits must be in one of the related disciplines: economics, history, political science, sociology, or anthropology); Mathematics; Science (all 18 credits must be in one of the related disciplines: biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, or physics); Fine Arts (studio art or music); Gaelic; Spanish; Family Studies (which is not possible within the framework of the HKIN degrees); Business (which is not possible within the framework of the HKIN degrees). 

If you’re interested in the secondary stream of the B.Ed., you should think about which of the “Minor Subject Field” options you would want to choose. As a student in the BA in Human Kinetics, the science options are not open to you, but the others are. You should be sure to take an introductory course in that subject this year. If you’re uncertain, that’s okay. Take introductory courses in a couple of the allowable subjects that you may be considering. Ultimately, the minor you choose for your BA HKIN degree will be your “Minor Subject Field” in a B.Ed. program.