Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Kinesiology, Ph.D.


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Return to: 4150 Department of Kinesiology and Health  

The Ph.D. major in Kinesiology is designed to prepare students for research and teaching careers at colleges and universities and for health, physiological performance, rehabilitative science, sport management, and related fields.

Concentration areas that are available within this program: Biomechanics and Physical Rehabilitation, Exercise Physiology, Physical Education Teacher Education, Psychology of Physical Activity, Rehabilitation Science, and Sport Administration.

Degree Requirements


Core Area (14-18 Hours)


The Core Area consists of 15 semester hours of research coursework and 3 semester hours of Social Foundation of Education and Psychology of Learning coursework.

Research Core (14-15 Hours)


Required for All Concentrations (3 Hours)

Choose one course (3):

Required for All Concentrations Except Rehabilitation Science (12 Hours)

  • A two-course sequence (6 hours) in research methodology (see below for specific tracks/courses)
  • Two courses (6 hours) in advanced research methods as identified by the Doctoral Advisory Committee
Required for the Rehabilitation Science Concentration (11 Hours)

  • A two-course sequence (5 hours) in research methodology

Historical/Philosophical Methodology


Social Foundations of Education and Psychology of Learning Core (3 Hours)


(applies to all concentrations except Rehabilitation Science)

In addition to highly specialized research in specific areas, doctoral students in the College of Education and Human Development must possess a deep understanding of comprehensive, theoretical principles and broad ideological conceptualizations.

Through historical, philosophical, sociological, and anthropological inquiry, knowledge of social foundations fosters the types of speculative investigations essential for thorough understandings of those theoretical principles and ideological conceptualizations necessary to uphold the integrity of the Ph.D. degree.

The psychology of learning component is based on the following guiding principles: (1) Educational leaders make judgments that affect learning. (2) Doctoral students should have a substantial understanding of the psychology of learning.

Select one (3):

Major Area (19-21 Hours)


The students select one of the following six concentration areas:

Biomechanics and Physical Rehabilitation Concentration (19 Hours)


The concentration in Biomechanics and Physical Rehabilitation focuses on the scientific description of human movement using multidisciplinary approaches (e.g., biomechanics, neuroscience, and engineering) and advanced measurement techniques (e.g., motion capture, force and muscle activity measurements, etc.) in order to restore the functional capacity, improve the interaction with the environment, and enhance the quality of life for healthy and pathological individuals. 

Exercise Physiology Concentration (19 Hours)


The concentration in Exercise Physiology prepares students to teach and to conduct research in areas related to cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular physiology with particular emphases on exercise metabolism and performance in healthy populations, and in populations with chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuromuscular diseases).

Physical Education Teacher Education (21 Hours)


The concentration in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) prepares students for careers in higher education as scholars, researchers, and teacher educators. Research expertise will be acquired in the areas of instruction, digital pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, teacher education, teacher development, and adapted physical education. The cognate area will prepare students as members of communities of scholars in higher education.

Psychology of Physical Activity Concentration (21 Hours)


The concentration in Psychology of Physical Activity prepares students to teach and conduct research in areas related to the correlates of physical activity, mental health benefits of physical activity, theory-based behavior change strategies, and the design, implementation, and testing of theory-based physical activity interventions. Completion of this concentration will not lead to students becoming licensed psychologists.

Rehabilitation Science Concentration (20 Hours)


Students earning a concentration in Rehabilitation Science will gain an in-depth understanding of the basic and applied aspects of health science and services, the social sciences, biomechanics, physiology, neuroscience and engineering as they relate to restoring human functional capacity and improving a person’s interaction with the surrounding environment. Students will hone skills of oral and written communication of scientific information, which will help to prepare them for academic and research positions in universities, private research institutions, government agencies, private industries, and the public policy sector.

Required (17 Hours)

Select One Course (3 Hours)

Sport Administration Concentration (19 Hours)


The concentration in Sport Administration prepares students to teach and conduct research in areas related to sport administration, including management, organizational behavior, marketing, communication, sport ecology, and urban planning. The program guides students to think critically about the sport management industry, comprehend sport management theory, develop a line research inquiry, and apply various research designs and advanced statistics to become sport management researchers and professors in higher education.

Cognate Area (9 Hours)


The purpose of the cognate area requirement is to provide opportunities for doctoral students to develop an extended knowledge base associated with the major field of study. Courses fulfilling the cognate requirement will be determined in consultation with the doctoral advisor and approved by the Doctoral Advisory Committee.

Coursework applied to meet the cognate area requirement must be taken outside the major field of study.

Students must complete 9 credit hours toward the cognate. 

The cognate area does not apply to the Rehabilitation Science concentration.

Dissertation (15 Hours)


Required (15):

Total Semester Hours for Degree: Minimum of 49-63


Biomechanics and Physical Rehabilitation Concentration: minimum of 61 semester hours

Exercise Physiology Concentration: minimum of 61 semester hours

Physical Education Teacher Education Concentration: minimum of 63 semester hours

Psychology of Physical Activity Concentration: minimum of 63 semester hours

Rehabilitation Science Concentration: minimum of 49 semester hours

Sport Administration Concentration: minimum of 61 semester hours

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