Kinesiological Sciences

What Graduates Do
Degree Requirements : Major Core Courses | Option Courses | Other Requirements
Honors Program
Declaring or Changing Majors
Transfer to UMD

The Undergraduate Program in Kinesiological Sciences

The Kinesiological Sciences program is one of two undergraduate majors offered by the Department of Kinesiology. The program is designed to provide a well-rounded, scholarly understanding of the body of knowledge that is centered on human movement and physical activity. Instruction within the Department of Kinesiology addresses the historical, cultural, developmental and biophysical bases for quality participation in movement activities, with application to sport, physical activities, and wellness for people of all ages. Students are expected to develop an understanding of how human movement occurs, the factors that directly or indirectly influence movement, and the benefits of a movement-oriented lifestyle.

What Graduates Do

The Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology prepares graduates for a variety of professional opportunities. The majority of our majors are interested in careers related to fitness, medical fields, motor development and biomedical specializations. In addition, many students are interested in sports related careers such as sport management, sport history, sport psychology, public relations, sport journalism and sport sociology. Some students come into the program unsure of career goals, but the flexibility of the major permits development of many different and divergent career tracks. Some of the possible career tracks that can be pursued through this major include:

Degree Requirements

A total of 120 credits are needed to meet graduation requirements. These credits include 27 credits that comprise the University's CORE requirements (general education components), 15 credits that support the Kinesiological Science Program, 33 elective credits, and 45 credits within the major.

Course Sequence

The program provides a hierarchical approach to the study of human movement. First, a “Major Core” of knowledge is recognized as being necessary for all students in the curriculum, regardless of career objectives. These seven courses (22 credits) form the essential sub-disciplines of human movement and are considered foundational to advanced and more specific coursework. For some of these courses students must take human anatomy and physiology courses as prerequisites. The Major Core and their prerequisites are as follows:

* Students who enter the Kinesiology major through change of major (internal transfer) will not have to meet the MATH 112 requirement that became effective Srping 2008 provided they have completed a fundamental math course with a C or better prior to Spring 2009 or have a MATH 140 placement.

The program’s “Option” courses build on one or more of the KNES Major Core classes and give students an opportunity to customize their program. Students are encouraged to specifically choose courses germane to a particular career goal. Students must complete 12 credits or four courses from an expanding listing of courses.

Currently students can choose four courses from the following classes:

KNES 355 Sport Management
KNES 371 Elementary School Physical Education
KNES 451 Children and Sport
KNES 455 Scientific Bases of Athletic Conditioning
KNES 461 Exercise and Body Composition
KNES 462 Neural Bases of Movement
KNES 466 Graded Exercise Testing
KNES 483 Sport Marketing and Media
KNES 484 Sporting Hollywood
KNES 485 Sport and Globalization
KNES 491 The Curriculum in Physical Education
KNES 498* Exercise and Disease Prevention
KNES 498* Kinesiology in the Workplace
KNES 498* Basketball and Black Masculinity
KNES 498* Gender and Sport
KNES 498* Exercise and Aging
KNES 498* Exercise and Metabolism
KNES 498* Psychology of Exercise and Health
KNES 498* Movement Disorders: Theory and Practice
KNES 498* Genetics in Exercise
KNES 498* Psychology of Athletic Performance
KNES 498* Applied Assessment for Kinesiology
KNES 498* Managing Youth Programs
KNES 498* Principles & Methods of Physical Activity Interventions
KNES 498* Neural Control of Visual Motor Learning & Control
KNES 498* Advanced Motor Development
KNES 498* Sport and the Civil Rights Movement

* Temporary letters are assigned for these courses until they become approved with a permanent course number. Please check Schedule of Classes on Testudo as the letter after 'KNES 498' may change for different semesters.

To provide both breath and depth of activities that allows students to experience and apply what they learned in their content classes, the Kinesiological Sciences program requires a student to take 8 credits of movement activity courses. Within those 8 credits, a student is required to take a minimum of 6 different skill activities, with at least three of those activities being intermediate or advanced in level. A wide variety of activity courses are offered at both the beginning and more advanced levels every semester (see the University of Maryland | Testudo | Schedule of Classes).

An unusually large number of electives are available for students to take to complete degree requirements. Electives can vary between 33 credits, or more, depending on the number of courses that double count for CORE, and courses that are exempted because of SAT scores. These classes are typically used to meet admission requirements to professional degree programs and to supplement a student’s content knowledge in an area related to their career aspirations. The only requirement with respect to these electives is that at least 9 credits must be taken outside of the KNES Department and 6 of these 9 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level. The CORE AS class will count as one upper level class, therefore, students will need to select one more upper level course. Illustrations of how electives could be selected to meet the needs of specific career tracks are outlined in the section on Sample Career Plans.

There are other requirements of the program which serve as background (prerequisites) for major core classes. Some of these classes may fulfill a component of the CORE requirement thereby providing more flexibility among elective options. These other requirements total 15 credits andinclude the following courses:

The program requires a cumulating experience or “capstone course” that is taken during the final semester of a student’s matriculation. The senior seminar course KNES 497 (3 credits), Independent Studies Seminar, requires that a student explore and synthesize literature in the field. A senior thesis is produce as a result of this effort and students are expected to give an oral presentation of the findings that are made. Therefore, students are required to complete, as prerequisites, a statistics-related class and an advanced writing class prior to enrollment. This course fulfills one of the two Advanced Studies (AS) courses for University CORE.

Honors Program

The Department of Kinesiology Honors Program provides an opportunity for students to engage in challenging educational experiences related to the study of human movement, sport, and exercise. Students with strong intellectual interests and the ability to pursue those interests at a high level would be eligible for this program. It is the goal of the Honors Program to nurture these students and encourage them to pursue their interests in a range of intellectual topics. The Honors Program in the Department of Kinesiology is primarily designed for junior and senior level students to encourage them to engage in scholarly independent study and discussions. The Honors Program has high, but reasonable, standards for admission and graduation. More specific information on the Department of Kinesiology Honors Program can be obtained at the Honors Program website.

Declaring or Changing Majors

Changing your major to Kinesiological Sciences is a three step process:

1. Using the Kinesiological Science template (explained below and obtained from the forms section) check off the courses you have completed,
2. Complete your Academic Plan through to graduation (explained below and obtained from the forms section) and,
3. Contact the Department of Kinesiology to find out when  a change of major session is scheduled. PH: 301.405.2450

Detailed procedures for each step are as follows:

1. Print a copy of the Kinesiological Science Four Year Template. On the printed copy, for the courses you have completed:
   1. Where there is a choice of areas (FE or FM; CORE HL or HA or HO) circle the area you have completed and write the specific course number in the space provided and record your grade.
   2. If you have completed a course that will fulfill an elective requirement, in the space for electives write the course number and record your grade. An "elective can be any course that is not used to fulfill a CORE, a KNES requirement or one of the other 15 credits of requirements that serve as prerequisites (an upper level elective is considered any 300/400 level course outside the major).
   3. If you have completed any KNES Major Core classes record your grade in the appropriate space.
2. After you have completed the Kinesiological Sciences Four Year Template, print a copy of the Academic Plan. On your “Academic Plan” plan out the remainder of your course work, writing down (use pencil) the courses you plan to take each semester until you graduate (including Winter and Summer sessions). You may want to consult the Sample Career Plans section to see illustrations of how this step can be completed for specific career tracks. Please bring both of these forms to the change of major session that you wish to attend.
   *** In completing your plans be aware of benchmarks that need to be reached at specific points in your matriculation.
   1. Fundamental english and math requirements should be completed within your first 30 credits
   2. University CORE should be completed within your first 60 credits
   3. BSCI 105 and one KNES Major Core class must be completed within your first 30 credits
   4. BSCI 201 and two KNES Major Core classes must be completed within your first 45 credits
   5. BSCI 202, three KNES Major Core classes, and three activity classes must be within your first 60 credits
   6. Advanced Composition and the Advanced Studies requirement for University CORE cannot be attempted until after the completion of 60 credits.
   7. Students will need to successfully complete prerequisite requirement (a grade of "C" or better") before enrolling in those courses that have prerequisites.
3. Please call the Department of Kinesiology at 301-405-2450 to schedule an appointment to participate in a change of major session. Students who have not followed the explicit directions outlined in the change of major process may not be allowed into the major. Also, students on academic probation, or who are seeking reinstatement to the university, may have to complete a separate academic plan with the college’s Student Service Office before they can be admitted into the major.

Transfer to UMD

Students interested in transferring to the University of Maryland College Park need to apply for admission to the University, declaring as their proposed major Kinesiological Sciences. Applications can be requested or submitted on-line at the Undergraduate Admission web site.

After the student has been accepted, he/she must attend the Pre-College Orientation Program, during which time the student will have the opportunity to meet with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. At this meeting, transfer credits will be articulated and the student will be assisted with registering for courses to be taken during the upcoming semester.