In May, Murdock will be the first graduate of the new program, which has 31 students enrolled. The program rotation offers four eight-week courses in each long semester. When course work is finished, students must pass comprehensive exams, then complete a supervised internship to graduate.
Murdock, Wolfforth, became the first student to enroll in the program after graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology last May. While an undergrad, she carried a full course load, held an off-campus job and competed in women’s basketball, cross country, track and tennis. The honors student also served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was active in the Baptist Student Ministry.
“I planned to apply for physical therapy schools, but in the meantime, I wanted to figure out what I wanted to do with my life while advancing through graduate school,” Murdock said.
With diploma still warm in her hand, she enrolled in two online HHP courses during each of the four-week summer sessions, courses ordinarily designed to be offered as eight-week classes beginning Fall Semester 2014. She received permission to take the four Spring Semester 2015 courses (also eight weeks each) last fall. In January, she passed her comprehensive examinations, and now is completing her 50-hour internship at the Big Bend Regional Medical Center’s Physical Therapy Clinic.
She will graduate in May with her Master’s degree in Health and Human Performance, then plans to apply to several Texas universities to pursue a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.
Because she worked 25-30 hours per week, Murdock completed her assignments, discussion boards and papers at night. “My internship is my break,” she smiled, and offered high praise for the program.
“The courses are mainly geared toward any aspect of physical therapy, and I can apply everything I have learned to my (doctoral) education.”
“The professors I had were very flexible,” she said. “They worked well with me and really pushed me through the program. They were very helpful.”
Dr. Larry Guerrero, Dean of the College of Professional Studies, developed and advocated the program in order to increase the number of graduate students in Kinesiology.
“This was a vision of mine because (Kinesiology) had the largest undergraduate program with the smallest graduate program,” he said. “When I came here (Fall Semester 2012), there were 170 undergraduates and six graduate students in the same department. By the end of my second year, we were down to one graduate student.”
“All the graduate students were graduate assistants for the athletic teams and this was a completely face-to-face program,” Guerrero said. “If a graduate student was not a grad assistant, it could be very difficult for the student to move to Alpine and go to school.”
“My vision was to reach out to them instead of them coming to us.”
The result was a 33-hour program, including eight three-credit-hour courses and a nine-credit-hour internship, with all courses offered online. Fall Semester classes are Physiological Basis of Human Performance and Research Methods during the first eight weeks, followed by Advanced Human Nutrition and Issues in Sports Law. Spring classes are Diagnostics Tests and Measurements in Exercise Science and Neurological Basis for Motor Learning and Control, followed by Group Dynamics and Health and Human Behavior.
After students pass comprehensive final exams, supervised internships during summer sessions in Exercise Science complete the program.
Approval process required about a year, but once approved, the program attracted widespread interest. After Murdock began her courses during the Summer 2014 session, “we went from one to 31 students in a single semester,” Guerrero said. Included were 10 transfer students from other graduate programs.
Enrolled students are from El Paso, Midland-Odessa, San Angelo, Houston, San Antonio, Abilene and the surrounding area, as well as the region served by Rio Grande College, including Uvalde, Eagle Pass and Del Rio. “It’s a win-win program for students and faculty,” Guerrero said. “Courses are offered on a regular rotation and a student can enter the program in the middle of a semester with the eight-week-long classes. In addition to completing the coursework online, students can stay at home and complete their internships as long as they have qualified supervisors.”
Eight-week classes are advantageous in preventing “burnout,” Guerrero said. “About the time the average student starts to ‘bonk out’, that class is about over, and they start two new classes. The faculty have been very punctual with grading, responding to emails and generally corresponding with students.”
Dr. Crishel Kline, Sul Ross assistant professor of Kinesiology, called her first fully-online class (Physiological Basis of Human Performance) a success. “It was my first go-around with absolutely no face-to-face interaction with the student,” said Kline, who taught seven students during Fall Semester. “It was very much a test run, but collectively we ironed out a lot of kinks.”
“This program benefits people who can work full-time and still get a degree,” she said. “The fast pace keeps them engaged and in line with their ultimate goals. If the program lasts a year, they can see the end more quickly (and stay motivated).”
Kline has noted considerable interest in the program from undergraduates on campus.
“There are quite a few students who will graduate in May or December who are considering the program. The fact that it is online and they can go back home and work and finish in only a year is really appealing to today’s student.”
Guerrero praised Murdock for her determination and success.
“She certainly has been the model for a brand new program,” he said. “She is highly intelligent and articulates well. Everything is complete and concise and she displays quality in her work.”
“These are the types of students we’re trying to attract and Nicole was a perfect fit.”