New courses address critical areas in job market

By Barbara Gutierrez bgutierrez@miami.edu 06-25-2025

This fall, the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development will unveil a major and a minor to address two critical areas in today's job market.

The major in the Bachelor of Science in sports medicine will prepare students to eventually pursue jobs that include athletic training, physical therapy, and professions within the field of sports medicine.

The counseling minor will not only provide students with background knowledge and skills to pursue a job in counseling psychology but also give them the skills necessary to be successful in almost any career.

Todd Warner, senior lecturer and director for the undergraduate program in community and applied psychological studies, said the minor comes at a time when the need for counselors is great.

"It is not a secret that there is a huge mental health crisis that is happening in our country, specifically for young people who have increasing rates of anxiety and depression," said Warner.

For the minor, students must complete five courses, which include Psychosocial Change and Well-Being; Introduction to Family Studies: Dating, Coupling, Parenting; and Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Those students who wish to enter the counseling profession must complete graduate work and licensure, said Warner.

But the minor will also be helpful to those who wish to pursue other career paths.

"We feel that a minor in counseling will be useful for any student no matter what they are studying," he said.

Warner said that many employers want a workforce that can communicate well, has empathy, and can work well in groups. Many of the courses in the minor will teach these critical skills that are transferable to any occupation.

For example, some of these courses are Group Processes and Development, Listening and Helping Skills, and Creating Belonging Through Dialogue.

"All these skills can be applied in the legal, medical, or business professions, if they want to go into those fields," he said. "Obviously, if they want to be a therapist or counselor, these courses are relevant and create a good foundation for graduate school as well."

The global sports medicine market was estimated at $5.91 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach around $13.03 billion by 2034, according to Precedence Research. The estimate is based on the growing awareness of sports injuries, the increase in research, and the corresponding need for injury prevention and rehabilitation programs in the growing athletic world.

The new major in the Bachelor of Science in sports medicine will provide foundational knowledge and skills to pursue further graduate education required to become a certified athletic trainer and/or a physical therapist. It will also offer an interdisciplinary array of courses and experiences for students interested in a career in sports medicine.

Maggie Aldousany, associate clinical professor and program director of both the graduate program in athletic training and the undergraduate program in sports medicine programs, said she valued developing an interdisciplinary major that exposed students to a variety of allied health care professionals (athletic trainers, physicians, physical therapists, etc.) in their coursework, to ensure the student develops an appreciation for how a variety of allied health care professionals collaborate to deliver patient care.

"I wanted for the professors and clinicians in those courses to represent that interdisciplinary vision," she said. "It is important that students shadow different professions and to determine which is the best fit for their personality."

The 37-credit major also requires a one semester practicum course so that students can gain hands-on knowledge in their field, she said. Students may do the practicum in local clinics, hospitals, high school, and college athletics.

Some of the courses offered in the major include Functional Human Anatomy, General Medical Conditions, Introduction to Athletic and Sport Injuries and Therapeutic Rehabilitation.

Aldousany said the University is privileged to have an athletic department that collaborates closely with physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers all working together to optimize patient care. Students taking the major will benefit from exposure to the University's renowned interdisciplinary approach to patient care in sports medicine.