You are interested in fitness and sports.
Kinesiology is all about movement, and it’s a great choice for anyone who wants to maintain an active lifestyle and stay connected to sports and fitness.
Is a Kinesiology Degree Right for You?
Kinesiology is the science of human movement. A kinesiology degree can prepare you for a wide variety of careers that involve exercise, health, and recovery.
A kinesiology degree might be right for you if:
You would like to understand how the human body works.
Beyond staying active, you’ll get to learn what makes our bodies work on a “systems” level and a “molecular” level. How do nutrition, exercise, rest, and recovery work together to create healthy bodies?
You want to help others achieve optimal health and wellness.
Most of the careers you can get with a kinesiology degree are about helping people! Specifically, you’re helping people embrace health and wellness. If you enjoy working with others to motivate and inspire them as they attempt to change or improve their health, this degree might be right for you.
You enjoy reading and learning about nutrition.
As a kinesiology major, there will be times when you get to hit the books! If you enjoy reading about the latest theories in nutrition, exercise, and health, you’ll thrive in this program and in this career.
You want to help athletes improve their performance.
Sport psychology and athletic performance are at the heart of kinesiology – what is possible when a body is asked to perform at the highest possible levels? If you enjoy helping people realize their body’s potential in a sport, kinesiology might be right for you!
What You’ll Learn
Compared to other health and science majors, Kinesiology will provide you with the most well-rounded study of the human body, from anatomy and physiology to nutrition and fitness. Because of this holistic approach, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of careers.
In most kinesiology degrees, you’ll get the opportunity to:
- Create physical conditioning programs for a variety of people and purposes (for example, how would you develop a training program for a 25-year-old baseball athlete, as opposed to a 61-year-old woman recovering from shoulder surgery?).
- Learn how psychology and behavior impacts overall health, and utilize psychological and behavioral techniques to enhance performance and well-being.
- Analyze research and develop research projects, often exploring an area of interest to you.
- Learn how technology interplays with health, wellness, and recovery, and learn to use it effectively.
- Continue pursuing your own fitness, health, and athletic goals, surrounded by mentors with wisdom and expertise.
Careers in Kinesiology
Although you can enter dozens of careers with a kinesiology degree, many people major in kinesiology to prepare for a more specific graduate program in physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic medicine, nutrition, or athletic training. Understanding how the body works and moves is a foundation you can build upon to specialize in almost any career involving the human body and movement.
Careers with a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology
The following is just a small sample of what you can do with a bachelor’s in kinesiology! You might consider taking a few business classes as well if you plan on entering a career in sport management – for example, becoming the manager of a fitness center or owning your own health-related business.
Here are just a few careers you can pursue with a bachelor’s in kinesiology!
- Athletic Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Therapist
- Cardiovascular Fitness Instructor
- Community Center Manager
- Dance choreographer
- Dietician
- Exercise Physiologist
- Field Supervisor for Parks & Recreation
- Health Club Manager
- Health/Fitness Consultant
- Personal Trainer
- Recreational Sport Manager
- Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Athletic trainers earn a median salary of $46,630, and job outlook is projected to grow by 23% from 2016–2026!*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics
Graduate Programs for Kinesiology Majors
While there are plenty of careers that don’t require a master’s degree, more specialized fields such as Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology may require additional graduate coursework. Kinesiology will lay the foundation for these advanced programs, giving you working knowledge of anatomy and physiology, treatment of injuries, nutrition, and more, so that you’ll be prepared to enter your graduate program with confidence.
- Athletic Training
- Chiropractic Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Health and Wellness
- Human Performance
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Public Health
- Respiratory Therapy
- Speech-Language Pathology
Physical therapists earn a median salary of $86,850, and job outlook is projected to grow by 28% between 2016 and 2026!*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics
Movement is a key part of the human experience: our bodies move when we talk, when we walk, when we play, when we dance, when we show affection, and when we create.
Each body moves differently, creating a unique “signature” almost like a fingerprint. You can recognize someone 100 feet away not by their face, but by their walk! A degree in kinesiology allows you to explore human movement in depth, understand why our bodies work the way they do, and what to do when they stop working the way they should.