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
Clinical Assistant Professor Zachary Rightmire
Office: 1025 Wade Hall
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, physician's associate, medicine, biomechanics, prosthetics, kinesiotherapy, 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
Professor Oleg Sinelnikov
Office: 1009 Wade Hall
Clinical Associate Professor Elizabeth Woodruff
Office: 2006 Wade Hall
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 general studies requirements, the 17-hour Kinesiology Major Core Courses, required Exercise Science Concentration Courses, and 33 hours of Approved Exercise Science Electives. Students must complete 120 semester hours as specified below. This program does not lead to professional certification as a teacher.
General Studies: 47 hours
See general studies requirements listed earlier in this section. The following exceptions apply:
- Area II: Student may substitute a different Area II course for the public-speaking requirement.
- Area III: BSC 114 Principles Of Biology I/BSC 115 Laboratory Biology I (Majors) and CH 101 General Chemistry must be taken to meet prerequisite requirements.
Professional Studies:
| 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 | Internships-Fitness | 3 |
Approved Exercise Science Electives: 33 hours
Students completing the concentration in Exercise Science must complete a minimum of 33 hours of electives from the following list. 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 & CH 237 | Elem Organic Chem II and Elem Organic Chem Lab | 5 |
| HD 203 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| HHE 280 | Understanding Stress Mngt | 3 |
| HHE 350 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| HHE 370 | Prin/Foundatn Health Promotion | 3 |
| HHE 467 | Design Eval Health Promo | 3 |
| KIN 199 | Ecol Appr Hlth & Fitness | 3 |
| KIN 200 | Weight Mgt Principles | 3 |
| KIN 300 | Intro to Kinesiology | 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 | Internships-Disability Sport | 3 to 6 |
| KIN 488 | Internships-Fitness (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). Students admitted to the program take 12 hours of graduate-level coursework during the senior year. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, students can take an additional 18 hours of 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
Students may begin the AMP after 90 or more hours have been earned, so this means they would normally apply to the Graduate School during the final semester of the junior year.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- have completed 90 hours toward their BS in Kinesiology (Exercise Science Concentration)
- have an overall GPA of at least 3.70
- achieve a composite score of 300 or higher on the GRE
- have taken (or be enrolled in) KIN 303 before applying
For more information, contact Dr. Zachary Rightmire, coordinator for Exercise Science, at 205-348-7671 or zbrightmire@ua.edu, or navigate to https://graduate.ua.edu/amp/.
Physical Education
[NOTE: Students should consult with their advisor before registering each term for current requirements.]
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 hours as specified 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 a UA GPA—and, if transfer work, a cumulative GPA—of at least 2.50 may apply to the physical education teacher education (PETE) cohort in the fall semester of the junior year.
The Class B Physical Education program is a State-approved program and is subject to change. The undergraduate catalog is published annually. DegreeWorks is updated more frequently and is likely to provide the most up-to-date information on degree and other requirements. In addition, students should obtain the most recent advising sheets available from the faculty advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Woodruff, or from academic advisors in 104 Carmichael Hall. Students are expected to consult with advisors each term prior to registering for coursework.
General Studies: 54 hours
Courses that are common to the teaching field and the general studies component may be applied to both. See general studies requirements, listed earlier. The following exceptions apply:
- Area II: Courses should be selected to meet teaching field or prerequisite requirements.
- Area III: BSC 109 Intro Biology Non Maj II or BSC 114 Principles Of Biology I/BSC 115 Laboratory Biology I should be selected to meet prerequisite requirements.
- Area IV: Courses should be selected to meet teaching field or prerequisite requirements.
- Area V: In addition to those courses listed in General Requirements, BSC 215 Human Anatomy & Physiology I or BSC 216 Human Anatomy & Physiology II and ATR 272 First Aid, Safety & CPR should be selected from remaining hours. CAT 200 Comp Ed App and CAT 250 Comp Ed Curr Dev are required. EDU 200 Orient to Teacher Education is also required.
Teaching Field:
| 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:
Students must earn grades of C- or higher in each of the following professional studies courses. No more than five professional studies courses may be taken prior to admission to TEP (see advisor for appropriate course sequence). The University of Alabama GPA—and, if transfer work, the cumulative GPA—must be at least 2.50 in these courses. KIN 350 Secondary Curriculum must be taken concurrently with KIN 351 Secondary Clinical Experience.
| Physical Education Professional Studies | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 * | 3 |
| KIN 497 | Internship Phys Education * | 12 |
| SPE 300 | Survey Spe Accomd Stratg | 3 |
| EDU 400 | Internship Seminar * | 1 |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
NOTE: BEF 362, KIN 366, and SPE 300 may be taken prior to TEP admission. BEP 305 and KIN 350 must be taken prior to TEP admission.
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| * | TEP admission is required. |
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. They must meet TEP admission requirements, have a 2.50 GPA (UA and cumulative) in areas I-V and all coursework, and have completed an application. Applications for TEP are available in 104 Carmichael Hall.
Career opportunities for Kinesiology majors with a concentration in Exercise Science include personal training, exercise physiology, strength and conditioning coaching, corporate wellness, and research technician positions. The degree also prepares students for graduate study in a number of areas, including: sport science, exercise physiology, public health, epidemiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician's associate, 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