What Is Human Kinetics?

Human kinetics, or kinesiology, is the study of human biomechanical movement. It is an academic discipline that focuses on the physics of movement and how it affects people's performance, culture and quality of life.

History

• According to the American Kinesiology Association, the field of kinesiology was formed when college physical education departments were challenged by the government to justify their place in academia.

Sub-Discipline

• Kinesiology came to represent the scholarly sub-discipline of physical education, such as researchers who study the physics of movement, exercise physiology and sports psychology, behavior and sociology.

Doctoral Programs

• Many programs in the U.S. offer doctoral programs in kinesiology, broadly defined as the study of physical activity. The titles of the doctoral programs vary (kinesiology, sport science, exercise science, movement science). According to the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, 61 U.S. institutions offer kinesiology doctoral programs in 35 states.

Undergraduate Programs

• According to the American Kinesiology Association, 874 public and private academic departments in the U.S. offer kinesiology bachelor degrees (as physical therapy, physical education, sports science, exercise science or kinesiology).

Careers

• Careers in the field of kinesiology vary widely. Examples include personal trainer; cardiac rehabilitation specialist, chiropractic physician; physical therapist, professor of kinesiology, or sport science; exercise physiologist; massage therapist; fitness or sports facility director; and occupational therapist.