Jeremy S. Jordan, Dean
falk.syr.edu/

About the College (Graduate Study)

David B. Falk College of Sport

David B. Falk College of Sport leads the way in sports research, education, and innovation to shape the future of the industry. Its distinct academic programs -  Exercise Science, Nutrition, Sport Analytics and Sport Management - produce hundreds of students every year who are educated across multiple disciplines and well-prepared to lead in the burgeoning sports field. Falk College is the first standalone college on an R1 campus that specifically focuses on sport through a holistic academic lens. It blends rigorous academics with real-world opportunities to advance careers, insights and impact in and beyond the field.

The College has identified four areas of academic excellence: Sport Business, Human Performance, Sport Technology and Innovation, and Community Sport and Wellness. With these areas in mind, Falk College aligns with Syracuse University’s commitment to applying an entrepreneurial and innovative philosophy to elevating sport across the campus and around the world.

As educators, Falk College faculty and staff are focused on students’ academic programs and set high expectations for them in the classroom and community. Many attributes make Falk College unique, including:

Students in all Falk College academic programs can conduct research working with faculty mentors across Syracuse University, an R1 research institution.

Students benefit from Falk College’s numerous long-term relationships with national and Central New York-area agencies and businesses by gaining hands-on learning through internships, immersion programs, and field placements, making them job-ready upon graduation.

Members of Falk College faculty have tremendous global connections in their respective fields; consequently, students benefit from these connections through internship/job placement opportunities, one-on-one career guidance, and guest lectures on campus.

Accreditation

• Falk College offers accredited programs in nutrition science and dietetics at the undergraduate level and nutrition science at the graduate level accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. (ACEND)

Graduate Program Overview

David B. Falk College of Sport

In the David B. Falk College of Sport cross-professional collaboration is the cornerstone of teaching, research, and practice. Like professionals in the field, students and faculty in the college work and learn together across discipline lines to find new, more effective approaches to important challenges and opportunities in sports and applied health. Master’s degree programs are offered in exercise science, nutrition science, and sport analytics. A Ph.D. program is offered in exercise science.

Faculty members include high-impact researchers as well as current and former practitioners who provide a real-world perspective on the professional field. Our small college atmosphere allows for personalized attention from the faculty and staff who guide students through the educational experience. Requirements are flexible in each program of study, allowing students to choose course combinations to match their personal and professional interests. Additional University resources allow students to further enhance their studies and professional development.

The integration of theory and practice is at the heart of the college’s mission. Through field and clinical placements in a wide variety of settings, students gain valuable hands-on experience that complements their classroom learning and better prepares them for their careers.

Today’s Falk College graduates hold positions of importance and distinction all over the world in diverse disciplines and industries alongside their fellow Syracuse University alumni.

For more information about Falk College graduate admissions, please call or visit our admissions office at:

David B. Falk College of Sport
340 White Hall
Syracuse, New York 13244
(315) 443-5555
falk@syr.edu

Fees

Graduate Financial Assistance

Falk College academic programs offer a limited number of graduate assistantships and tuition scholarships. Graduate admissions officers in each graduate program allocate this financial aid based largely on merit. Graduate assistantships in the form of research assistantships and teaching assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis from among applications received by February 1; assistantships are usually not available at any other time of the year. Research assistants are required to assist their sponsoring faculty to perform research. Teaching assistants are required to assist with undergraduate/graduate instruction and work on research projects. Recipients of these assistantships receive a stipend in addition to a tuition scholarship.

Syracuse University fellowships are awarded competitively from applications received by January 1 on an all-University basis. Doctoral fellows receive a stipend, plus a tuition scholarship of 30 credits for the academic year. Fellows are devoted full time to their studies and are not assigned duties.

To apply for University fellowships or college assistantships, students are asked to indicate their interest in the designated area on the application for admission.

Facilities

Graduate students are uniquely advantaged by the Falk College facilities where they learn and study

Falk College’s Milton Conrad Sport Technology Lab doubles as a student classroom and computer lab that meets the latest programming trends in sport analytics as well as event and sport venue operations. Students train to operate live events using Daktronics equipment identical to what is found at major sport venues, including ribbon boards and a scoreboard systems controller. Undergraduate and graduate programs integrate learning with activities at the JMA Wireless Dome as Syracuse University is the only institution in the nation with a sport facility of its size on the main campus.

The Department of Exercise Science houses integrative research laboratories at the Syracuse University Women’s Building, including the Human Performance Laboratory that explores the impact of exercise on emerging markers of cardiovascular disease risk. In the Clinical Research Lab, researchers study cardio-metabolic risk factors, such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, in obese populations. The Kinesmetrics Laboratory helps researchers understand the impact of behaviors such as sleep, sedentary behavior and physical activity on health. The Hypoxia Lab features a full-scale normobaric hypoxia chamber for simulated altitude training, investigations of the human physiological response to low oxygen, and for the staging and testing of protocols that are used during field research conducted in the Andes and Himalayas. 

Also in Exercise Science, the Neuromuscular Physiology Lab uses noninvasive brain stimulation and assessment of motor unit behavior to investigate changes that occur in the brain and spinal cord that impact skeletal muscle function throughout the lifespan. In the System Motor Control and Biomechanics Lab, researchers utilize biomechanics equipment and neuro-stimulation techniques to examine how the musculoskeletal and nervous systems produce functional movements, as well as how these systems’ functions change due to aging or diseases. And the Neural Health Research Cardiovascular Lab uses cutting-edge technology to explore how the brain and muscles change with age, training, fatigue, and disease.

The Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education (ACE) Center, and its expanded location ACE Center II, offers a hands-on learning laboratory to prepare students with traditional and emerging professional competencies critical to nutrition practice. The Healthy Communities Research Lab partners with local communities to improve childhood nutrition, particularly in underserved populations. The Nutrigenomics Lab explores how nutrition - especially in healthy fats such as omega 3s - can help prevent obesity from the very start of life. And the Social-Emotional Learning and Functioning (SELF) Lab examines how children and teens learn to manage their emotions, behavior and attention - skills that are vital to success in school and life. Falk College also houses modern food laboratories in the Susan R. Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens, which includes an experimental food lab kitchen, commercial kitchen, baking nook and café. A video camera system allows faculty and chef instructors to broadcast classes, food demonstrations, and seminars from Falk College to anywhere on campus and across the country. 

The future academic and competitive home for esports is in the Marley Building. The finalized 20,000 square foot space will include a stage for esports competition and will be equipped with broadcast and production spaces, exclusive team rooms, classrooms, and viewing areas that can host up to 250 spectators. The esports program features growing spaces that foster virtual and in-person experiences for both seasoned competitors and first-time gamers. With 38 state-of-the-art PCs, the Barnes Center at the Arch offers gaming amenities available to all students. In Schine Student Center, the 5,800 square foot state-of-the-art Gaming and Esports Center is the home for Varsity Esports matches and includes 34 PCs, console and tabletop gaming, VR booths, sim-racing stations, and a full suite of broadcast and event production elements.