Welcome to the Kinesiology Department, which is home to two distinct and popular degree programs. Completion of our programs results in one of the following degrees:
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Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences
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Bachelor of Arts in Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology
Our flexible curricula permit undergraduate majors to tailor their coursework to their particular postgraduate needs and also permit them to study abroad, pursue internships, and conduct undergraduate research. With a median class size of 19, students find an active, close knit community of scholars, teachers, and mentors who take a personal interest in each and every student major. It is not surprising that our department has one of the largest number of undergraduate academic majors in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and are among the largest choice of student majors across the University.
The goal of the Health Sciences degree is to provide students with a fundamental background in health promotion and disease prevention. Viewing health from the broader community level, students acquire the knowledge and skills for careers in public health related positions. Coursework in epidemiology, health behavior, planning and evaluation and public & community health form the core of the program with a broad choice of interdisciplinary electives.
The Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology curriculum provides a strong basic science foundation and then interfaces this foundation with application to the human body. The Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology degree is the only academic specialization on campus that provides detailed instruction in human anatomy and human physiology in addition to nutrition, biomechanics, motor learning and exercise physiology among other topics.
Each year, our students compete for some of the most prestigious scholarships such as the Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, and Watson among others and several have been awarded Fulbright awards. Our graduates matriculate to prestigious postgraduate programs in public health, exercise science, law, and health policy and administration. Many enter clinical fields in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy and other allied health programs.
The Department of Kinesiology is an active member of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA). The department joins in the efforts of the AKA to promote the discipline of Kinesiology as a field of study and to highlight its applications that affect all through research to enhance people's health.
Sincerely,
Heidi Y. Perkins, Ph.D.
Department Chair