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About

Despite a future that is becoming increasingly automated, we know that it’s people who still make a difference. That’s why the College of Applied Human Sciences provides a holistic education that is designed to enrich the whole person – physically, emotionally and intellectually. Our graduates lead the way in impacting the quality of life in the communities in which they live and serve.

The College of Applied Human Sciences is comprised of two schools: the School of Education and Counseling and the School of Sport Sciences. Both schools are committed to academic excellence, a supportive environment focused on student success and pioneering research. The schools combine to create academic programs that are highly relevant in today’s environment which emphasizes personal quality of life.

Applied Means Action

A complete student experience means learning outside of the classroom.

100% of sport management students are placed in professional internships

1000+ hours of experience is what elementary education students gain in real classrooms

600 All School of Counseling students complete a 600-hour internship

In the News

Dominic Viani referees a basketball game, wearing a striped official’s shirt and holding a whistle while watching the court.

Viani returns home to teach but calls his own game

Monday, March 09, 2026

Growing up 20 minutes from Morgantown, Dominic Viani always imagined himself as a Mountaineer. Now a senior in the Physical Education and Kinesiology program, he's preparing for a career in education inspired by a former coach and his grandfather, a longtime physical education teacher. At the same time, Viani is building his own reputation by logging up to seven nights a week as a basketball official while completing his student teaching residency at the very elementary school he once attended as a kid.

Hannah Decanio smiles while holding a West Virginia School Counselor Association Graduate Student of the Year award plaque.

Decanio named WVSCA Graduate Student of the Year

Monday, March 02, 2026

Hannah Decanio, a master’s student in the school counseling program at West Virginia University, was named the 2026 Graduate Student of the Year by the West Virginia School Counselor Association and received the award at the organization’s annual conference Feb. 26–27 at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown.

Shauna Riggs smiles while seated inside a car.

Riggs finds balance at WVU in more ways than one

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Shauna Riggs came to WVU seeking independence without losing the sense of community she values as a West Virginian. As an elementary education major, she has found both, building her confidence in the classroom while also performing as a member of the "Pride of West Virginia" marching band. Between full days at school and evenings on the practice field, Riggs has learned to manage the demands of teaching and music while becoming the educator she set out to be.

Gary Lhotsky smiles while wearing a navy WVU Mountaineers shirt in an indoor setting.

Faculty Feature: Gary Lhotsky

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Gary Lhotsky, a Bridgeport native who serves as a teaching associate professor for the School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, has been selected for the February Faculty Feature.

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