Chair's Welcome

Our mission is to enhance all people's experiences, learning, and wellbeing, including those with diverse needs. We strive to achieve this mission through cutting-edge research, innovative teaching, and continuous collaboration with government agencies, interprofessional partners, and the community.

Welcome to the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies Department of Human Movement Sciences (HMS). Our mission is to enhance all people's experiences, learning, and wellbeing including those with diverse needs. We strive to achieve this mission through cutting-edge research, innovative teaching, and continuous collaboration with government agencies, interprofessional partners, and the communities. To this end, we offer academic programs and conduct research in these areas: Health and Physical Education, Park, Recreation & Tourism Studies, Special Education, and Sport Management.

The department offers undergraduate degrees in the areas of Health and Physical Education, Special Education, and Sport Management. Specifically, Health and Physical Education has K-12 teacher preparation, and minors in physical education and coaching. Special Education offers bachelor's degree programs for Virginia teaching endorsement in Special Education General Curriculum K-12, Special Education Adapted Curriculum K-12, Visual Impairments K-12, and Early Childhood Special Education (Birth to 6), and a minor in special education. We also offer an undergraduate degree in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies that focuses on recreation management, and tourism and hospitality management.

Our Vision: All individuals can reach their fullest potentials with their life pursuits.

At the graduate level, we offer Master of Science programs in the areas of Adapted Physical Education, Curriculum and Instruction in Physical Education, Coaching Education, Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies, Special Education General Curriculum K-12, Special Education Adapted Curriculum K-12, Early Childhood Special Education (Birth to 6), and Sport Management. We also offer graduate certificates in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis. We offer a Doctoral Degree in Education with emphasis areas in Health and Sport Pedagogy, Special Education, and Sport and Recreation Management. The doctoral program is research intensive that prepares future professionals to assume leadership and faculty roles.

To further our research and services, we have two centers affiliated with the department, including the Center for Implementation and Evaluation of Education Systems (CIEES) and the Center for Movement, Health, and Disability (CMHD). The department and centers offer a variety of programs which provide students opportunities for educational and research experiences through service to various populations from the Hampton Roads community and beyond. The Training and Technical Assistance Consortium (T-TAC) also operates in the Child Study Center in affiliation with our department. T-TAC was designed to improve services to preschool children with disabilities in Virginia and is one of five regional centers that provide to field based technical assistance, such as training seminars, consultation, and demonstration.

Please enjoy your review of our department website. If you need more information, please contact us at 757-683-4995.