Before Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson became the biggest movie star in the world, he got his start in professional wrestling.(Photo: WWE)

Pro wrestling fans at SUU can now studywhat The Rock iscookin'.

Southern Utah University will soon be offering a six-credit general education course focused on the philosophy and physiology of professional wrestling, the school recently announced.

"Talkin' 'Bout Hard Times: The Philosophy and Physiology of Sports Entertainment" will be available starting in the spring semester of 2021. The course was developed and will be taught byKris Phillips, associate professor of philosophy, and Lindsey Roper, assistant professor of biology.

Throughout the course, students will examine professional wrestling through a philosophical and biological lens, according to the announcement. Topics will range from class struggle to complicated injuries, and the class will include field experiences, guests lectures and a final project that will involve creating a wrestling avatar.

The course came about due to a grant from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, which picked up Phillips' and Roper's course proposal.

Phillips said in the announcement that there's "surprising opportunity" in professional wrestling to explore social, biological and other topics in-depth.

With careful scrutiny, we can learn from the least likely of sources," he said.

Roper said in the announcement that general education courses aren't something to just get through; rather, they should push students outside of their comfort zones and help them see that all fields are connected.

"On the surface, biology, philosophyand professional wrestling have absolutely nothing in common, but when we take a deeper look there is a massive amount of shared interest and subject matter," she said.

Kaitlyn Bancroft reports on faith, health, education, crime and under-served communities for The Spectrum & Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newsroom in St. George, Utah. You can reach her at KBancroft@thespectrum.com, or follow her on Twitter @katbancroft.

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New SUU course will explore philosophy, physiology of pro wrestling - The Spectrum