First grads in Physical Health and Education program
Get ready to get active, Canada! The first graduating class from Nipissing University’s innovative Bachelor of Physical Health and Education (BPHE) program will receive their degrees on Friday, June 10, at 9:30 a.m.
The newly minted graduates now have a broad range of career choices to consider in the field of health and wellness, from teaching, personal training and occupational therapy to kinesiology and sports medicine. Some may also choose to pursue graduate level degrees or conduct research in the field.
In total, 45 students will graduate with a degree from the BPHE program this year.
“We are very proud of all of our graduates. They’ve worked and studied hard over the past four years, both in the community and in the classroom,” said Dr. Jim McAuliffe, director of the School of Physical and Health Education and vice-dean of the Schulich School of Education. “We’ve been very lucky to have such a great group of students in the inaugural year. They’ve helped mentor new students and have definitely made a significant contribution to the success of this program.”
The BPHE program was launched in 2007. In its first year, 212 students applied and 60 were accepted. Since then, 90 first-year students have been accepted into the program annually. There are currently 270 students who have applied for the fall 2011 session. With the continued success of the program, the university is constructing a new state-of-the-art athletics facility, in part to accommodate its growth.
Graduating student Matt Adamson, has been accepted to the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine out of the BPHE program.
“The BPHE program introduced me to a wide range of material related to health science and medicine that grabbed my interest and I quickly became very interested in attending medical school,” he stated. “The BPHE program helped prepare me to reach my academic and professional goals by providing a great framework in health and wellness issues along with plenty of opportunities for practical experience. The faculty was always very supportive and approachable and gave us an incredible learning experience.”
One of the key strengths of the program is the community leadership placement. Students are placed with a diverse group of experienced personal trainers, coaches, and teachers from diverse sectors of the community including health units and physiotherapy clinics. Through the practicum component of the program, students also get the opportunity to learn new skills in a variety of sports and physical activities related to teaching and coaching others to be active for life.
“Our aim is to provide students with the necessary skills and tools to become well-rounded individuals and strong advocates for the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Dr. Barbara Olmsted, an instructor in the BPHE program and Olympic medallist.
Honorary degree recipient, Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chief Scientific