Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
South Dakota State University. College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
South Dakota State University. Dept. of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
South Dakota State University. Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Physical education has been part of the South Dakota State University curriculum since its early years, reflecting the institution’s commitment to developing mind, body, and spirit. Students were historically required to complete coursework in either physical education or military science to graduate. Instruction evolved over time and was housed in departments with names such as Music and Physical Culture, Elocution and Physical Culture, and eventually Physical Education and Recreation.
A major in physical education was introduced in the 1940s with separate tracks for men and women, and a graduate degree was added in 1953. The department was renamed Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) in 1969–70, followed shortly by the introduction of a degree in public recreation. Additional majors and minors were later developed.
Now part of the College of Education and Human Sciences, the department operates as the Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, offering undergraduate programs in Athletic Training, Nutrition and Dietetics, Exercise Science, Health Education, Physical Education, and Sport, Recreation and Park Management, along with related minors.