Ph.D. in Kinesiology - New Mexico Tech

B. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAM
The Department of Human Performance, Dance and Recreation has evolved over the last two
decades from a service-oriented department, offering physical education and recreation
opportunities to NMSU students, to its current position as a thriving science-based discipline
that specializes in the academic training of scientists and professionals entering a variety of
human service careers.
The department offers several Bachelor of Science degrees in a variety of disciplines within the
field of Kinesiology. The field has grown tremendously in recent decades, and so too has the
department of HPDR at NMSU. The interest in the field is enormous, as evidenced by the nearly
150% growth in the number of majors (from 228 to now over 500 majors) over the past eight
years. The growth is not limited to NMSU. The University of North Texas presently is home to
1100 Kinesiology Majors. During the last few years, the program at Iowa State University has
grown from 350-750 majors.
At the graduate level, the field has become focused on basic, applied, and translational research.
Among the overarching purposes of the research agenda is the development and implementation
of evidence-based health and wellness programming and public policy. Thus, it is critical for the
discipline, even for the undergraduate student, that the department develops a vital program of
research and graduate studies.
Consequently, over the last few years, the University, College of Education, and Department
have made a concerted effort to bring talented faculty to the department with the strategies of
continuing to grow the undergraduate programs and developing vibrant graduate programming
so as to compete for top future scholars in the region and eventually nationwide.
1. Need (Economic): The proposed program will not only meet significant economic needs of
the state of New Mexico, but will also provide a direct and immediate impact on New
Mexico State University.
a. Impact on the economy of the state. The proposed PhD program will impact the
economy of the state in two distinct ways. First, the program will assist the state in
meeting labor force demands in the healthcare and education, and secondly the
program will be instrumental in the promotion of health behaviors through the
development and exploration of new knowledge, technologies and methodologies
for the delivery of healthcare. This will effectively improve health outcomes and
reduce healthcare costs for the state of New Mexico.
Labor Force. Data from the US Department of Labor indicate that within the next
decade, the nation will face a significant increase in the demand for college faculty as
well as health care practitioners. More specifically, a 31% increase in the demand for
college faculty is expected over the next decade or so. Further, by 2018 we will
experience a 22% increase in the demand for health care practitioners of all disciplines,
and as much as a 36% increase in the need for practitioners such as physical therapists, a
discipline that is particularly dependent upon Kinesiology. Moreover, minorities are
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