Welcome to the Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics!
First-Year Course Pattern
Bachelor of Arts 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 (2nd term) |
| HKIN 162 | Applied Human Anatomy (1st term) |
| HKIN Skills | 3 credits (two 1.5-credit courses) |
| Arts Subject (Minor) | 6 credits |
| Arts Electives | 6 credits |
Information about Required Courses
- Courses that are offered in one term are typically worth three credits. Courses that are offered over 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 21 through 28 (eight options). For the HKIN 162 lab, you will choose from sections 11 through 18 (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. If you are not able to register for a preferred skills course this year, you can try to register for it in a future year.
Arts and Elective Courses
First-year students register for 18 credits of HKIN course and typically choose arts courses for their remaining 12 credits.
Minors and Arts Electives
For your degree, you will be required to complete a minor (24 credits) in one arts subject and an additional 12 credits of electives from the Faculty of Arts. If you know which subject you would like to pursue for your minor, you should be sure to register for the foundational 100-level courses in that subject (whether 3 or 6 credits) so that you will have the necessary prerequisites to take upper-level courses in future years. If you are as yet undecided (as may first-year students are), choose courses in two subject that sound interesting to you. If you find at year-end that you are not interested in further study in any subject you try in first year, you can try new disciplines in second year. You will still have room in your degree pattern to accommodate new subjects.
Taking Science Courses
You may register in science courses but they only count as open electives in the BA HKIN and cannot be used toward a minor. It is generally recommended that first-year BA HKIN students take arts courses to give foundations in possible minor subjects, and to use towards the arts electives. However, if you do wish to take a course or two in the sciences, your degree program can accommodate that.
B.Ed. Preparation
If you are considering applying to a B.Ed. program after completion of your Human Kinetics degree, see Question 5 under "Frequently Asked Questions" for more specific recommendations regarding course choice this year.
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 a minor in the BA HKIN program. Most courses in CLEN cannot be used as arts electives, however. Only CLEN 201, 320, and 355 can serve as arts electives in this program.
** Computer Science and Mathematics & Statistics are departments in the Faculty of Science, but these subjects can be considered as arts options for minors in the BA HKIN program. Courses from these departments cannot be used as arts electives, however, because those 12 credits must be from the Faculty of Arts.
*** German and Mi'kmaq are arts electives but are not options for minors because there are not enough courses in the curriculum.
**** Sport Management is an option for a minor, or can be an arts elective in the BA HKIN program.
Things to Remember
- When building your course schedule, be sure to begin with your required HKIN courses, as most are offered in only one timeblock each semester.
- You should then schedule your arts courses. Begin with arts courses that are offered at only one time, and schedule other courses around those.
- Leave your choice of skills to the end, as there are many options from which to choose.
Questions You Might Have
1. I am interested in taking 6 credits of English in first year, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level. Are there other English courses that I can take this year?
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, second-term 200-level English courses may be full before first-year registration opens, so this option may not be a possibility for you.
2.I am interested in Sport Management, but there is only one 3-credit course available at the 100-level. How would taking this course affect my registration?
You would then choose 9 credits in other arts (or science) subjects. You should choose 6 of those credits from one arts subject (if that subject has 6 credits available at the introductory level) and 3 credits from a different subject. At the end of the year, if you are interested in pursuing a Sport Management minor, you will need to apply for it. Admission into this minor is competitive so be aware that the better your academic performance in first year, the better your chance of being accepted into the minor. Students who take SMGT 101 in first year, but who do not pursue a Sport Management minor, will use the first-year course as an arts elective in their degree pattern.
3. What if I am interested in taking a course in a subject that is not mentioned above?
The other subjects offered at StFX are in our other professional or applied science programs: Aquatic Resources; Business Administration; Engineering; Health; Human Nutrition; Nursing. (Human Kinetics also falls into this category.) These subjects cannot be used as minors, and are available as open electives only. Most courses in these departments (other than Aquatic Resources) are restricted to students in these programs. If you are interested in taking courses from one of these programs you will need to contact the relevant department chair to request a course override. Override permission for HNU, ENGR, and BSAD courses will normally be granted if seats are available after their degree students have registered. Override permission for Health and Nursing courses will not be granted.
4. What if I am interested in an honours degree?
Course selection is no different for first year. You may wish to check table 4.1.5 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.
5. 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., choosing 6 to 12 credits this year from the social studies, English, and Math options outlined above could be beneficial to your goal.
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 BA in Human Kinetics, the science options are not open to you, but the others are. You should be sure to take an introductory course in that subject this year. If you’re uncertain, that’s okay. Take introductory courses in a couple of the allowable subjects that you may be considering. Ultimately, the minor you choose for your BA HKIN degree will be your “Minor Subject Field” in a B.Ed. program.
Registration Help Centre
By Email Only: nsr@stfx.ca
The registration help centre will be in operation and will respond to email from June 9 through August 29.
Hours of Operation are Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Atlantic Time
For registration issues after August 29, please email the registrar's office: registrar@stfx.ca
Please include your full name and Student ID number in all correspondence.
