Welcome to the Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics!
First-Year Course Pattern
Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics students typically take the following courses in their first year of study:
| HKIN 115 | Introduction to Human Kinetics (1st or 2nd term) |
| HKIN 136 | Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (1st or 2nd term) |
| HKIN 150 or HKIN 154 |
Introduction to Sport in the Humanities (1st or 2nd term) Introduction to Ethics of Sport (1st term) |
| HKIN 161 | Applied Human Physiology (1st term) |
| HKIN 162 | Applied Human Anatomy (2nd term) |
| Skills | 3 credits (two 1.5-credit courses) |
| Science Subject A | 6 credits * |
| Science Subject B or Arts Subject X | 6 credits * |
Information about Required Courses
- Courses that last for one term are typically worth three credits. Courses that last for both fall and winter terms are typically worth six credits.
- A standard full course load is 30 credits. In a basic first-year course pattern, you will register for 13.5 credits in one term (4 courses plus one skill) and 16.5 credits in the other term (5 courses plus one skill.) You can choose to have the heavier course load in either term.
- HKIN 115 and HKIN 136 are offered in both terms and both courses have labs. You must register for a lab in the same semester as the course. For instance, if you choose to take HKIN 115 in second term, you must choose a second-term HKIN 115L (lab course). You must register for the course and the lab at the same time, before saving your registration choices. If you try to register in one without the other, you will receive an error message and your registration will not be saved.
- You will need to take either HKIN 150 or HKIN 154. HKIN 150 is offered in both terms and HKIN 154 is offered in first term only. Choose whichever option works best for your interests and schedule.
- HKIN 161 and HKIN 162 each have labs. For the HKIN 161 lab, you will choose from sections 11 through 18 (eight options). For the HKIN 162 lab, you will choose from sections 21 through 28 (eight options). Lab sections with an "N" are restricted to students in the BSc in Nursing program only.
You must register for the course and the lab at the same time, before saving your registration choices. If you try to register in one without the other, you will receive an error message and your registration will not be saved. - You will enroll in two skills courses (1.5 credits each.) HKIN skills are found in the course timetable by looking for the 1.5-credit courses listed. There are both 100-level and 200-level skills courses; first-year students normally take only 100-level skills. You do not need to have existing proficiency in a skill to do well in the course. Skills courses are graded as Pass/Fail only and do not impact a student's academic average.
You should choose your skills after all other courses have been scheduled. Note that some skills courses are popular and you may not be able to take a preferred skill in your first year. You can try to register for your preferred skill in later years of your degree.
Choose Your Stream
There are three ‘stream’ options to consider, and they relate to the minor you want to complete within your degree.
- Health Sciences is a minor intended for students considering further study in a health sciences fields (for example, medical school.) The health “minor” is not in one subject but is a set of specific biology, chemistry and physics courses to prepare students for admission to various health sciences programs. Students interested in a health sciences career are not required do complete the Health Sciences minor, although it is a logical choice for those interested in attending medical school.
You should choose BIOL 111 and 112 as your Science A. For your final 6 credits choose either PSYC 101 and 102, or SOCI 101 and 102. You will eventually need both sets of courses for your degree, so choose whichever option you prefer or the one that works best for your first-year schedule. - The Nutrition minor requires several specific science and human nutrition courses. Students should ensure they take foundational science courses in their first and second years to prepare.
Choose CHEM 101 and 102 as your Science A, as these are foundational science courses for the human nutrition discipline. Don’t forget these courses have labs.
If you want to take science courses for your remaining first-year credits, choose BIOL 111 and 112 .Don’t forget these courses have labs. If you would prefer to take an arts course and leave BIOL 111 and 112 to second year, see the "Arts Courses" section below. Any arts discipline will fulfill the required arts courses for your degree program. - Students may complete a minor in any one science (biology, chemistry, climate and environment, computer science, Earth and environmental sciences, mathematics, or physics).
If you don’t know which stream to choose, select the courses that interest you the most and that you think you are most likely to need. There is flexibility in the program to change direction if you determine a particular field isn’t for you.
- Biology minors will choose BIOL 111 and 112 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science (most commonly CHEM 101 and 102 for biology minors) or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Chemistry minors will choose CHEM 121 and 122 or CHEM 101 and 102 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Climate and Environment minors will choose CLEN 101 and 102 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Computer Science minors will choose CSCI 161 and 162 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Earth and Environmental Sciences minors will choose EESC 171 or 173, and EESC 172 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Mathematics minors will choose MATH 106 and 107 as their Science A. The final 6 credits will either be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
- Physics minors will choose PHYS 121 and 122 or PHYS 101 and 102 as their Science A. The final 6 credits should be MATH 106 and 107 if students are taking PHYS 121 and 122, because those PHYS courses are calculus-based. If a student is taking PHYS 101 and 102, the final 6 credits can be another science, or an arts discipline. See the "Arts Courses" section below for options.
Arts Courses
Explore the available options and choose course(s) that sound interesting to you. There are no wrong choices!
If you are considering applying to B.Ed. programs after completion of your Human Kinetics degree, see Question 5 at the end of this document for more specific recommendations regarding course choice.
Please note that the subjects displayed in the following tables are also links to their respective pages on this website. If first-year, 100-level courses are offered in a particular subject, their course descriptions are displayed at the bottom of the applicable subject page.
* Climate and Environment is a program in the Bachelor of Arts and Science, so can be considered as an arts option for Arts X or Arts Y in the BSC HKIN program.
** Computer Science and Mathematics & Statistics are departments in the Faculty of Science, but are also permitted to fulfill the Arts X or Arts Y requirements for the BSC HKIN program.
Things to Remember
- When building your course schedule, begin with your required HKIN courses as they are offered once each term.
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Then schedule your science courses and labs, as there are fewer options available for those than for most arts courses. Choosing afternoon labs may provide more flexibility in your choices for skills.
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Next, schedule any arts courses you have chosen. If there is no way to fit your desired courses into your schedule, you may need to change your choice of arts course. Your science courses are most important to your program and you should work around when they are offered.
- Last, choose your skills at the end.
Questions You Might Have
1. The Academic Calendar refers to “Arts X”, “Arts Y”, “Science A” and “Science B”. What do these mean?
“Science A” and “Science B” are terms that are normally used only in the stream in which a student does a minor in one science subject. Science A is your minor, in which you will have to complete a total of 24 credits over the duration of your degree. Science B is your second science, in which you are required to complete 6 credits.
“Arts X” and “Arts Y” are terms used in all Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics streams. You are required to complete a “pair” in one arts subject. (A "pair" is 12 credits in one subject; for full definition, please see the "Glossary of Terms".) This is your Arts X. In addition, you are required to complete 6 credits in a second arts subject. This is your Arts Y.
2. 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 a 3-credit course from any of the other arts and science subjects listed above. If you decide to do a pair in DEVS, you can complete your additional 9 credits in future years.
3. 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 a 3-credit course from any of the other 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.
4. 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 a 3-credit course from any of the other arts and science subjects listed above. If you decide to do a pair in PGOV, you can complete your additional 9 credits in future years.
5. I am interested in Sport Management. Can I take courses in this subject?
You can take SMGT 101 (as an open elective course) in the first or second term. Please note that Sport Management can only be a minor in the BA Human Kinetics and the Business programs. If you are interested in pursuing Sport Management as a Minor, you would need to change your program to the BA in Human Kinetics.
6. What if I am interested in an honours degree?
Course selection is no different for first year. You may wish to check table 7.1.5 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.
7. Is it true that I can complete a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition in one year after completing my Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics with the Nutrition Minor stream?
Yes. With careful course planning, you most certainly can. The Human Kinetics and the Human Nutrition sections of the Academic Calendar each outline the courses needed to complete these two degrees in five years. You may also want to meet with an academic advisor if you have questions about this program.
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., and you plan to take 6 credits of arts courses this year, it would be wise for you to choose 6 credits of the English or social studies requirements outlined above. If you are intending a minor in mathematics, you will be taking your math requirement this year, as well. You can take any remaining requirements in later years.
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 BSc in Human Kinetics, you would need to choose mathematics or one of the other sciences. Ultimately, the minor you choose for your BSC HKIN degree will be your “Minor Subject Field” in a B.Ed. program. You will be following the "minor in one science" stream in you intend to pursue an education degree.
Registration Help Centre
By Email Only: nsr@stfx.ca
The registration help centre will be in operation and will respond to email from June 10 through August 30.
Hours of Operation are Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Atlantic Time
For registration issues after August 30, please email the registrar's office: @email
Please include your full name and Student ID number in all correspondence.
