The major in Kinesiology (BS) offers two concentrations of study: Exercise Science and Physical Education. An Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) is offered for highly motivated students concentrating in Exercise Science.
Exercise Science
Kinesiology majors with a concentration in Exercise Science take coursework designed to prepare them for employment in a number of professional settings and for continued graduate work in a variety of health-affiliated fields. These include options related to physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, physician assistant studies, medicine, biomechanics, prosthetics, pharmacy, dentistry, clinical exercise physiology, cardiac rehabilitation, private and corporate wellness, fitness centers/university recreation settings, personal training, group fitness instruction, and strength and conditioning coaching.
Physical Education
Kinesiology majors with a concentration in Physical Education study as a cohort. The core classes account for elementary, secondary, and advanced methods that teach students how to use various teaching styles and curriculum models as they relate to different grade and age levels. Early field experiences are embedded within these methods and content courses and serve as preparation for the culminating student-teaching internship. Students also take courses in the exercise sciences, which are foundational to teaching physical education, as well as general education classes.
Students pursuing the Kinesiology, BS must complete the program core as listed below along with the requirements in their selected concentration.
| Kinesiology Program Core | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ATR 272 | First Aid, Safety & CPR | 1 |
| BSC 215 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| KIN 303 | Physiology of Exercise | 3 |
| KIN 365 | Applied Biomechanics | 3 |
| KIN 366 | Evaluation and Measurement | 3 |
| KIN 468 | Adapted Physical Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 17 | |
Exercise Science
The concentration in Exercise Science includes UA General Education requirements, Kinesiology Major Core Courses, required Exercise Science Concentration Courses, and Exercise Science Electives. Students must complete 120 semester hours as specified below. This program does not lead to professional certification as a teacher.
General Education Requirements
Students must meet General Education requirements. Courses should be selected to meet program or prerequisite requirements. At least 120 hours are required for the degree. If needed, students must take additional courses to reach 120 credit hours.
Students in this program should select the following courses in the Foundational Core:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Compass Courses | ||
| UA 101 | Legends | 1 |
| KIN 201 | Intro to Exercise Science | 3 |
When selecting courses to meet General Education requirements, students should note the following:
- The Natural Science requirement is met with concentration courses.
- Students must meet the World Language Proficiency requirement.
- Students must complete a course approved for the U.S. and Global Citizenship designation (3 credit hours).
- In this program, the Writing requirement for the Upper-Division Core is met with KIN 468.
Professional Studies: 31-32 hours
| Exercise Science Concentration Courses | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Students select ONE of the following: BSC 108, BSC 109, or BSC 114 (with BSC 115) | 4 | |
| Intro Biology Non Maj I | ||
| Intro Biology Non Maj II | ||
| Principles Of Biology I and Laboratory Biology I | ||
| BSC 216 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| CH 100, CH 101, or CH 104 | 4-5 | |
| KIN 367 | Exercise is Medicine | 3 |
| KIN 392 | Clinical Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| KIN 492 | Advanced Ex Phys | 4 |
| KIN 493 | Fit Apprsl Exer Prescrip | 3 |
| KIN 494 | Strength and Conditioning | 3 |
| KIN 488 | Internship in Kinesiology | 3 |
Approved Exercise Science Electives: 41 hours
Students completing the concentration in Exercise Science must complete a minimum of 41 hours of electives from the following list. A maximum of 6 credit hours is permitted for 100-level Kinesiology activity courses (KIN 100-170). Classes not on the list may be approved at the discretion of Exercise Science faculty. Selections should be discussed with an advisor in the Department of Kinesiology before registering each term.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ATR 257 | Intro to Athletic Training | 3 |
| BSC 116 & BSC 117 | Principles Biology II and Laboratory Biology II | 4 |
| BSC 242 | Microbiology And Man | 4 |
| BSC 300 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BSC 315 | Genetics | 3 |
| BSC 450 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CH 231 | Elem Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 232 | Elem Organic Chem II | 3 |
| CH 237 | Elem Organic Chem Lab | 2 |
| HD 203 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| HHE 280 | Understanding Stress Mngt | 3 |
| HHE 350 | Found of Pub Hlth & Hlth Prom | 3 |
| HHE 370 | Prin/Foundatn Health Promotion | 3 |
| KIN 199 | Ecol Appr Hlth & Fitness | 3 |
| KIN 200 | Weight Mgt Principles | 3 |
| KIN 306 | Tchg Inv, Strike/Field, Target | 3 |
| KIN 352 | Psychology of Coaching | 3 |
| KIN 362 | Motor Development | 3 |
| KIN 370 | Coaching Soccer | 3 |
| KIN 380 | Coaching Officials | 3 |
| KIN 381 | Coaching Football | 3 |
| KIN 382 | Coaching Basketball | 3 |
| KIN 383 | Coaching Baseball | 3 |
| KIN 386 | Coaching Volleyball | 3 |
| KIN 387 | Adapted Sports Prof. Dev. | 1 to 3 |
| KIN 388 | Professional Dev. in Fitness | 3 |
| KIN 420 | Issues in Athletics Coaching | 3 |
| KIN 486 | Internship in Adapted Sport | 3 to 6 |
| KIN 488 | Internship in Kinesiology (additional hours) | 1 to 9 |
| KIN 491 | Sport Exercise & Social Scienc | 3 |
| KIN 496 | Independent Study (Instructor permission is required.) | 3 |
| NHM 101 | Intro Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NHM 201 | Nutrition In Life Cycle | 3 |
| NHM 210 | Dynamics Weight Control | 3 |
| NHM 305 | Vegetarian Nutrition | 3 |
| NHM 315 | Nutrition For Performance | 3 |
| NHM 401 | Nutrition Health Profesn | 3 |
| PH 101 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PH 102 | General Physics II | 4 |
| PY 211 | Elem Statistical Methods | 3 |
| PY 352 | Developmental Psych | 3 |
| PY 358 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| SPE 300 | Survey Spe Accomd Stratg | 3 |
| Advisor approved math electives: MATH 113, MATH 125 (Credit will only be granted for one math course.) | ||
Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) for students concentrating in Exercise Science
The Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) allows highly motivated students concentrating in Exercise Science to take courses that dual count toward the BS in Kinesiology degree as well as toward an MA in Kinesiology degree (with coursework focusing on Exercise Science). Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, students take additional coursework during year 5 to complete the 30-hour MA degree. Students are not obligated to complete the master's degree and choosing not to complete it will not adversely affect the ability to earn the BS degree.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for students in the BS in Kinesiology (Exercise Science Concentration) program can be found on the Accelerated Master's Program catalog page. In addition, students must have taken (or be enrolled in) KIN 303 before applying. Students apply through the Graduate School during the final semester of the junior year.
For more information, contact Dr. Jonathan Wingo at (205) 348-4699 or jwingo@ua.edu, or navigate to https://graduate.ua.edu/amp/.
Physical Education
Kinesiology majors pursuing certification in physical education are typically interested in teaching as their main focus. Many of our students are also interested in coaching as well as strength and conditioning and often have volunteer opportunities to gain experience while undergraduates.
This concentration requires the completion of at least 120 credit hours and leads to the Bachelor of Science degree and Alabama Class B Physical Education (P-12) professional educator certification. Students who have completed all 100- and 200-level requirements and have an overall GPA of at least 2.50 may apply to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in the fall semester of the junior year: Requirements for Admission to a Teacher Education Program.
The Class B Physical Education program is a State-approved educator preparation program and is subject to change. Students should obtain the most recent advising sheets available from the faculty advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Woodruff, or from academic advisors in Wade Hall. Students are expected to consult with advisors each term prior to registering for coursework.
NOTE: Programs leading to certification may be altered to meet requirements adopted by the Alabama State Board of Education. At the time of publication of this catalog, proposed changes to this program are pending and are expected to be approved before the next catalog revision. Students must consult with their advisor for current requirements before registering each term.
General Education Requirements
Students must meet General Education requirements.
Courses that are common to the teaching field and the General Education requirements may be applied to both. At least 120 hours are required for the degree. If needed, students must take additional courses to reach 120 credit hours.
Students in this program should select the following courses in the Foundational Core:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Compass Courses | ||
| UA 101 | Legends | 1 |
(or UA 201 for transfer students) | ||
| EDU 200 | Orient to Teacher Education (included in Professional Studies) | 1 |
| History and Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
| PY 101 (or PY 105) or HD 101 (or HD 102) | ||
| Natural Science | ||
| BSC 109 or BSC 114 (with BSC 115) | ||
When selecting courses to meet General Education requirements, students should note the following:
- Courses should be selected to meet teaching field or prerequisite requirements.
- Students must meet the World Language Proficiency requirement.
- Students must complete a course approved for the U.S. and Global Citizenship designation (3 credit hours).
- For the Upper-Division Core, in this program, KIN 361 and KIN 468 meet the Writing requirement.
- In addition to courses listed in General Education requirements, the following courses should be selected: BSC 215 Human Anatomy & Physiology I or BSC 216 Human Anatomy & Physiology II and ATR 272 First Aid, Safety & CPR .
Teaching Field: 36 hours
| Physical Education Teaching Field | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| KIN 303 | Physiology of Exercise | 3 |
| KIN 305 | Dance & Gymnastics | 3 |
| KIN 306 | Tchg Inv, Strike/Field, Target | 3 |
| KIN 307 | Teach Trk & Fld/Net Game | 3 |
| KIN 310 | Teaching Swimming | 3 |
| KIN 311 | Tch Hlth Related Fitness | 3 |
| KIN 351 | Secondary Clinical Experience | 3 |
| KIN 360 | Subj Matter Elem Physical Educ | 3 |
| KIN 361 | Elem Phys Ed Curr Phil Theory | 3 |
| KIN 362 | Motor Development | 3 |
| KIN 365 | Applied Biomechanics | 3 |
| KIN 468 | Adapted Physical Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Professional Studies: 32 hours
A minimum grade point average of 2.50 is required in each of the following areas: (1) overall, (2) teaching field, and (3) professional studies. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all professional studies coursework. KIN 350 Secondary Curriculum must be taken concurrently with KIN 351 Secondary Clinical Experience.
| Physical Education Professional Studies | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| EDU 200 | Orient to Teacher Education | 1 |
| SPE 300 | Survey Spe Accomd Stratg | 3 |
| BEF 362 | School, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| BEP 305 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| KIN 350 | Secondary Curriculum | 3 |
| KIN 366 | Evaluation and Measurement | 3 |
| KIN 487 | Physical Educ Teach Pract 1 | 3 |
| Internship: | ||
| KIN 497 | Internship Phys Education 1, 2 | 12 |
| EDU 400 | Internship Seminar 1 | 1 |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
NOTE: KIN 350 must be taken prior to TEP admission.
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | TEP admission is required. |
| 2 | Passing scores on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment for the teaching field are required for internship. |
Admission to the PETE methods cohort is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Rather, students who meet stated criteria are guaranteed consideration for admission to the teacher education program (TEP). All students must begin the PETE methods cohort in the fall semester.
An individual may request from his or her advisor information concerning summative data on the most recent previous admission.
NOTE: Students will apply to TEP while they are enrolled in KIN 350 Secondary Curriculum.
Career opportunities for Kinesiology majors with a concentration in Exercise Science include personal training, exercise physiology, cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning coaching, corporate wellness, and research technician positions. The degree also prepares students for graduate study in many areas, including sport science, exercise physiology, public health, epidemiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, physician assistant studies, medicine, biomechanics, prosthetics, kinesiotherapy, pharmacy, dentistry, clinical exercise physiology, cardiac rehabilitation, wellness, recreation, and strength and conditioning.
Career opportunities for Kinesiology majors with a concentration in Physical Education include physical education teacher (P-12), athletic coach, athletic director, strength and conditioning coach, camp leadership, community recreation, adaptive physical education specialist, health and wellness instructor, fitness instructor, adventure/outdoor educator, and more. Students who go on to graduate school study for advanced practitioner degrees or degrees which enable them to study and teach sport instruction in university settings.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center