Studies & Degrees in Kinesiology
Kinesiology Study Programs
Kinesiology is the study of human movement and physical activity. The American Kinesiology Association (AKA) defines it as an academic discipline which involves the study of physical activity and its impact on health, society and quality of life. According to the AKA, it includes areas such as exercise science, sports management, athletic training and sports medicine, sport and exercise psychology, fitness leadership, physical education teacher education, and pre-professional training for physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine and other health fields.
The word means different things in different countries. In the United States and Canada, kinesiology is a science degree about movement, exercise and health. In Chile, Kinesiología is the name of a professional health career that trains the kinesiólogo, a professional who assesses and rehabilitates movement. The AKA also asks readers not to confuse academic kinesiology with "Applied Kinesiology" and other practices that use the same word, some of which, it says, lack grounding in the scientific study of physical activity.
What students learn
The core is human biology applied to movement. The Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida, for example, grounds its coursework in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, motor learning and exercise physiology. Depending on the programme, students add sport psychology, nutrition, coaching, sport management or teacher training, together with laboratory work and placements.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees in the United States and Canada. Universities offer a bachelor's degree in kinesiology or in a closely related field such as exercise science. Many students use it as preparation for a health profession: the University of Florida describes its department as a natural home for students heading for medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, athletic training and other health professions.
- Chile. Kinesiología is a professional career. At the Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins it lasts 10 semesters and leads to the professional title of Kinesiólogo(a) and the academic degree of Licenciado(a) en Kinesiología, with day and evening study. The university describes its graduate as a health professional responsible for maintaining and restoring human movement and functional capacity, able to carry out kinesiological assessment and diagnosis and to work in health promotion, prevention and rehabilitation. Universidad SEK Chile offers the same title and degree, also in 10 semesters and taught in person.
- Postgraduate and professional study. In the United States, clinical work requires further study after the bachelor's degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that physical therapists need a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, that DPT programmes typically last 3 years and that all states require a licence. Athletic trainers typically need a master's degree, and nearly all states require a licence or certification.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 42 active schools for kinesiology. Twenty-nine are in the United States, five in Canada and three in Chile; Ukraine, Argentina, Belgium, Russia and the Philippines have one each. The US list includes The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California, The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Florida, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Maryland, San Diego State University and Temple University, as well as community colleges such as Lansing Community College. Outside the United States it includes the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, the Universidad Autónoma de Chile, the Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins and Universidad SEK Chile in Santiago, and the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Programmes in the United States and Canada are taught in English, and those in Chile in Spanish. Because the right to practise depends on national rules, students who plan to work in another country should ask the school and the professional body there how the qualification is recognised.
Careers
Graduates work in fitness and exercise programming, coaching, sport and recreation management, physical education and health promotion, or continue to clinical training. For the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives these outlooks for 2025 to 2035:
- exercise physiologists, who develop fitness and exercise programmes to help people improve their health, typically need a bachelor's degree in exercise science, exercise physiology or a related field; employment is projected to grow 13 percent
- athletic trainers: employment is projected to grow 13 percent
- physical therapists: employment is projected to grow 12 percent
Frequently asked questions
Is kinesiology the same as physiotherapy?
It depends on the country. In Chile the kinesiólogo is a health professional who assesses and rehabilitates movement. In the United States a kinesiology bachelor's degree does not by itself qualify a graduate as a physical therapist: that requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and a state licence.
How long does a kinesiology degree take?
In Chile the career lasts 10 semesters at the Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins and at Universidad SEK Chile. In the United States, physical therapists add a DPT programme of typically 3 years after the bachelor's degree.
Is academic kinesiology the same as applied kinesiology?
No. The American Kinesiology Association states that the academic discipline taught and researched in universities is to be differentiated from Applied Kinesiology and other fields that use the term.
What jobs can a kinesiology graduate do?
Typical fields are exercise and fitness, coaching, sport management, physical education and health promotion. Clinical professions such as physical therapy and athletic training need additional degrees and a licence in the United States.