Degree Type:
Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment:
Department of Health, Physical Education and RecreationProgramme Duration:
3 years (Standard Entry)
Modes of Study:
RegularAbout Programme:
The PhD Physical Education programme has been running since 2014. Presently the Department is the only one in Ghana running the PhD in Physical Education considering the fact that since the inception of the Department in 1986, the Department has turned out a lot of graduate and post-graduate students who need avenues to rise to the top of the academic ladder, the need for this re-accreditation cannot be overemphasised.
Also with the upgrading of the Colleges of Education into first degree awarding institutions, the lecturers who have the capacity to further their studies, will need this programme. Furthermore, with the policy of employing only personnel with PhD to lecture at the University of Cape Coast, the re-accreditation of the programme is very necessary for the continuous production of human resource and the sustenance of the Department. A challenge of the Department has been attracting teaching staff, therefore coupled with the already expressed concerned, the importance of this programme in bringing out these high quality staff who will effectively handle the students under their tutelage cannot be overemphasised.
Target Groups
The programme is designed for the following categories of persons:
- staff of tertiary institutions;
- technical and management staff of the Ministry of Youth and Sports;
- persons aspiring for teaching jobs in tertiary institutions;
- persons aspiring for top management positions in Physical Education and Sports related research institutions;
- staff of security services.
Entry Requirements:
Candidates seeking admission into the PhD degree programme must:
- have an MPhil degree in Physical Education from a recognised university;
- have MA/Med/MSc/ degree in an appropriate field, with CGPA of 3.5 or better with not more than one grade C+. Also, have scored B+ or better in Research Methods course;
- submit an official transcript of academic record;
- submit at least three reference reports, one of which must be from a former lecturer.
- submit a proposal of 3-5 pages of intended area of study including a working bibliography.
- applicants will also have to pass a selection interview.
Goal / Aim / Objectives:
Goal
To produce academicians and technocrats in Physical Education and Sports to assume teaching, research and management positions in academic institutions and other organisations.
Objectives
The objectives are to produce personnel who can:
- apply knowledge on the role of physical activity in health and development.
- conduct research in Physical Education, sports science and sports management.
- design, implement, and evaluate sports programmes in school and community settings.
- manage sports at local, national and international level.
- plan, supervise and evaluate physical activity based learning activities.
- translate theory and research knowledge in exercise and sports science into enhanced health and sports performance.
Career Opportunities:
Not published
Programme Structure
Level 900
First Semester
EPH 909: Strategic Planning for Sports Organisations
This course focuses on the application of strategic planning to management of sports. An understanding of the policies and mechanics of strategic planning will be applied to sports. Students will be taken through the basic phases involved in strategic planning such as: analysis or assessment, strategy formulation, strategy execution, and evaluation or sustainment/management phase. The use of environmental scans, gap analysis, action planning and benchmarking will be discussed within broad philosophical contexts.
EPH 901: Advanced Research Paradigms
This course examines the philosophical (axiological, ontological, epistemological and aesthetic) bases of research. Approaches, methodologies and designs to research resulting from the different philosophical thoughts are examined in relation to various disciplines. Students are expected to design research projects and justify the philosophical underpinnings of the proposed methodologies
EPH 904: Advanced Cardiovascular System in Exercise and Training
In this course students will examine the cardiovascular system and its components; blood pressure response to exercise; regulation of heart rate; distribution of blood; integrated exercise responses to cardiac output, distribution and oxygen transport; and cardiovascular adjustments to upper body exercise.
EPH 906: Advanced Nutrition and Human Performance
In this course, students will examine the kinds and services of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and their dynamics in exercise. Vitamins, minerals and water needs are examined in relation to exercise performance. Other content areas include pre-competition meal, glucose feedings, electrolytes and water uptake in exercise.
EPH 908: Structure and Function of Sports Organisations
The course provides an analysis of professional and amateur sports organisations from philosophical, historical and operational perspectives. It takes in-depth look at the structure and functional capacities at management and business practices of industry. The course is designed to equip students with organisational knowledge and skills required for high level management of sports.
EPH 910: Health and Exercise Psychology
The course is a critical analysis of various aspects of health and exercise psychology. It considers psychological benefits of exercise (e. g., increased wellbeing) as well as the psychological pitfalls of too much exercise (e. g., exercise addiction, overeating, anorexia nervosa).
EPH 911: Theoretical Perspectives in Sports and Exercise Psychology
This course examines various theories, models and principles applied in sports and exercise psychology. The course involves the following: various psychological factors and how they influence sports performance, participation in physical activity, and overall health and well-being. Other areas to cover are methods used by athletes and exercisers of various skill levels to achieve peak performance, scientific and theoretical background of sports and exercise participation, application of psychological skills to sports and exercise environments to enhance peak performance and quality of life, and ethical principles of applying these psychological skills.
EPH 913: Advanced Curriculum Theory in Health and Physical Education
This course provides opportunity for students to examine the philosophical, historical, sociological and scientific basis of inclusion of Health and Physical Education in the school curriculum. It also reviews various curriculum models in Physical Education and their suitability within a contemporary context. Special attention is paid to the implications of both the sports and health focus approach to curriculum development. The prospects and challenges in running a hybrid curriculum are examined.
Second Semester
EPH 907: Advanced Respiratory System in Exercise and Training
The students will examine the pulmonary structure and function, surface area and gas exchange, mechanics of ventilation, pulmonary ventilation, and variations from normal breathing patterns other areas are the respiratory tract during cold weather exercise, regulation of ventilation during exercise, ventilation and energy demands, acid-base regulation, buffers and the effects of intense exercise.
EPH 902: Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis and Reporting
The course examines qualitative research design from the perspectives of phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, ethnomethodology through practical approaches to data collection, analysis and reporting. It also considers practical computer applications as well as ethical issues in qualitative research.
EPH 903: Advanced Quantitative Data Analysis and Reporting
The course examines quantitative data analysis considerations applicable to different research designs (survey, ex post facto, experimental, community trials, etc.). Advanced statistical procedures to be considered include multiple regression, multi variance, and path analysis. Ethical issues in quantitative data analysis and reporting are also considered.
EPH 905: Advanced Muscular System in Exercise and Training
The students will examine training principles, anaerobic and aerobic system changes, factors affecting the aerobic training response, maintenance of aerobic fitness gains, methods of training, strength measurement and resistance, structural and functional adaptation to resistance training, and factors that modify the expression of human strength, detraining, circuit resistance training, and muscle soreness and stiffness.
EPH 912: Advanced Leadership Theory and Practice in Sports Management
This course will provide students with a critical overview of theory and research in leadership within the field of sports administration. The course will examine leadership as a process, focusing on the leader, the followers, and the situation. It will involve the analysis of the sports industry with special emphasis on the sports administrators’ role and functions as well as in-depth analysis of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling as they apply to the sports administrator. Students will have the opportunity to explore several leadership theories and their application in managing sports at different contextual levels, such as amateur, professional, club, national and international sports. This will include examination of different leadership approaches, skills, and dynamics as they affect the management process, and of the evolution of professional sports management practice. Key concepts of organizational theory will be applied to various structural components that address the management specifics of how to plan, organize, control, and direct a sports enterprise as well as decision-making and communication skills necessary to be an effective leader.
EPH 914: Advanced Sports Marketing
This course is designed to equip students with advanced principles and applications of sport marketing. The course explores marketing theory in a sports context. It covers marketing strategies as they relate to businesses, such as the sporting goods industry, branding, advertising, broadcasting and sponsorship. The course presents a comprehensive examination of basic marketing functions and concepts as applied to sports-related enterprise, including school/college sports programmes, fitness centres, etc. It involves the analysis of sports business problems that involve the creation, distribution, and sale of sporting goods and services. The course content includes areas such as marketing information systems, pricing strategies, media relations, promotional methods and endorsements, resolution of sport marketing problems, demand analysis, consumer analysis and market analysis.
EPH 915: Contemporary Pedagogical Theory and Practice in Physical Education
This course reviews pedagogical trends in Physical Education in the emerging technologies and contemporary ways of doing things. This course examines contemporary pedagogical theories and their application in Physical Education. It examines the prospects and challenges of implementing practical Physical Education curricula in the era of Information Technology, distance learning and e-learning.
EPH 916: High Level Performance in Sports
This course is an intensive examination of the critical components of successful and ethical professional practice and career building in sports performance. It examines the psychosocial determinants of high level performance and factors that affect maintenance of advance level performance. Issues to be discussed will include motivation, professional sports development practices, role of corporate bodies and management of social and psychological pressure.
EPH 917: Practicum in Sports Psychology
An intensive field or laboratory experience in training, exercise physiology, exercise leadership, sports management, biomechanics, or sports and exercise psychology would be undertaken. Emphasis would be on independent fieldwork in which the student is attached to a sports team or fitness club in order to receive, practical experience in management, coaching or research. This will be done under the direction and supervision of expert practitioners as well as academics.
EPH 918: Advanced Measurement and Evaluation in Physical Education
This course focuses on theories and models, and their application in measurement and evaluation in Physical Education. Issues in learner assessment in Physical Education at different levels of education are examined with the view to developing appropriate models for each level. The course also discusses educational programme evaluation models that can be applied in evaluating the Physical Education programme. Examples of models that will be applied are Stufflebeam’s CIPP, Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels and Eisner’s Educational Connoisseurship.
EPH 919: Curriculum Leadership in Physical Education
The role of leadership in planning, implementing and evaluating the Physical Education curriculum is the focus of this course. Students will examine general leadership theories and models and apply them to curricular functions such as strategic planning, resource mobilisation and management, quality assurance, curriculum alignment, ethical practice and accountability.
Level 950
First Semester
EPH 999: Thesis
Thesis Proposal Seminars
Two seminars are required in year 2. The first seminar is essentially a report of an initial literature review in the student’s chosen specific area of research. It affords students the opportunity to explore the theoretical foundations of the research problem and justify its viability. Students produce a concept paper of their research and an annotated bibliography of potential literature for the study. The second seminar is the presentation and defence of the thesis proposal.
Second Semester
EPH 999: Thesis
Thesis Report Seminars
Two seminars are required in year 3. In the first seminar, the student is given the opportunity to present the analysis of data, preliminary results and reflections from the field. The second seminar is an oral defence of the entire thesis report (viva voce) after the thesis has passed.