Program Description
Kinesiology refers to the study of movement and is a multifaceted field of study in which movement or physical activity is the intellectual focus. Physical activity includes exercising for improvement of health and fitness; learning movement skills; and engaging in activities of daily living, work, sport, dance, and play. It involves the general population as well as special groups such as children and older adults; people with disabilities, injuries, or disease; and athletes. Majoring in Kinesiology opens the door for a career in everything from fitness-related industries, to teaching, coaching, and health-related fields like medicine, public health, and physical or occupational therapy.
Curry is dedicated to providing hands-on experiences for students. That means students not only learn in the classroom, but on the field, in the lab, in the clinic, and with faculty. Faculty prepare students for what comes beyond college—graduate school, medical school or a career in a variety of areas. The blend of experiences students receive as a Kinesiology major, especially the field and clinical practice, prepare them in ways that other majors cannot. Kinesiology students work alongside some of the area’s finest in the wellness field.
The Kinesiology major leads to a B.S.Ed. degree. Students take courses both in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Curry School of Education. Students are expected to meet all general education requirements in their first two years, so they can concentrate on Kinesiology courses in years three and four. In addition to coursework, students in the Kinesiology major have a practicum requirement. Students who enter with dual enrollment, AP and/or IB credits can opt to accelerate their studies, earning a B.S.Ed. and M.Ed in five years. Accelerated study is available in Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology for Individuals with Disabilities and Health and Physical Education Teaching. Interested students need to apply to one of the M.Ed. programs by October 15 of the fourth year. GRE scores are due before the end of fall semester. An admission decision is made before the beginning of spring semester.
Residence Requirement: A recipient of a B.S.Ed. degree from the Curry School must have completed at least four semesters of full-time (12 credits) study at the University of Virginia while enrolled in the Curry School of Education. Exceptions for emergency situations may only be granted with the advisor’s and dean’s permission. In addition, all students must be full-time (12 credits minimum) during all semesters, except the final one (9 credits minimum).
Though there are a number of required courses, students also have opportunities to shape coursework according to career goals, including adding a second major or a minor inside or outside of the Curry School. A faculty member from kinesiology will serve as the academic advisor, assisting students with the selection of classes. The advisor will also help students consider optimal settings for gaining hands-on experiences in clinical, athletic, or school setting.
Core KINE Coursework (15 credits)
Applied Coursework (e.g., Labs and Practicums) (6+ credits)
Supplemental Elective courses (15+ credits)
Proposed KINE Major Course Outline
First Year: Semesters 1 & 2 (30+ credits)
- First Writing Requirement1 Credits: 3
- BIOL 2100 & BIOL 2200 Credits: 8
- MATH XXXX - Calculus Credits: 3
- KINE 2000 - Introduction to Kinesiology Credits: 3
- General education requirements in Humanities2 Credits: 12 credits
- General education requirements in Social science3 Credits: 9 credits
- General education requirements in Natural science and Mathematics4 Credits: 9
Second Year: Semesters 3 & 4 (30+ credits)
- BIOL 3410 & BIOL 3420 Credits: 8
- Second Writing5 Credits: 3
- Cultural literacy6 Credits: 3
- General education requirements (see above)
- Statistics7 Credits: 3
- KINE Focused Courses Credits: 3+
Third Year: Semesters 5 & 6 Core KINE courses (30+ credits)
Fourth Year: Semesters 7 & 8 (30+ credits)
- Finish all requirements
- Practicum or Focused Courses in KINE
- KINE Electives Credits: 15+
- General Electives
Footnotes:
[1] First Writing requirements can be satisfied by: ENWR 1510, 1507/1508, (or equivalent). Exemptions from the requirement include A) Score of 720 or higher on the Writing Portion of the SAT or B) Score of a 5 on the English Advanced Placement Test
[2] Humanities Requirements can be satisfied by: Humanities: 12 Credits. May include Literature, Fine Arts, or Moral Philosophical, Foreign Language and Religious Perspectives.
[3] May include History, Anthropology, Economics, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, African American Studies, Linguistics and Studies in Women and Gender.
[4] Natural Science/Mathematics requirements may be satisfied by completing courses in 2 different departments. Includes Math, Statistics, Physics, Biology, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, and Astronomy.
[5] Second writing requirements may be satisfied by: earning a grade of C- or better in a class that: a) Assigns at least two writing assignments in English totaling 4,000 words (20 pages) or more independent of quizzes and final examinations; b) Is taught by a faculty member who provides extensive feedback on a student’s writing; c) Is taken at the University. Advanced placement credit, advanced standing, dual enrollment credit or credit transferred from another university will not satisfy this requirement. (Courses meeting this requirement can be found using the drop down menu on SIS in the Course Search)
[6] Cultural Literacy requirements may be satisfied by: Courses in diversity in education, global studies or study abroad experiences. Any course that the College of Arts and Sciences has identified as a “Non-Western Perspective” course may satisfy this requirement. Curry has approved EDLF 3500 for this requirement.
[7] Statistics: Any STAT course or any course in a specific department that is designated as “statistics” including EDLF 5330 (Ed Stat 1)
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