A healthy body is important to live a healthy life, and that’s what kinesiology also insists. Kinesiologists study human movement and are involved with physical therapy or sports medicine to a variety of people from athletes to the elderly.
What You’ll Learn in Kinesiology
As a student in kinesiology, your learning is centred around how to make a patient’s lifestyle better. Kinesiology is a type of science in which you will learn about body movement and biophysics. You’ll get to explore human anatomy, biomechanics, and a little bit of psychology as well.
Kinesiology has nine main objectives:
- Relaxation
- Correcting alignment and body posture
- Increasing joint mobility
- Increasing muscle strength
- Improving coordination, control, balance
- Training
- Educating respiration
- Educating sensation
On top of learning about the human body, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn business and English. Some graduates decide to open up their own business with kinesiology so it’s important to have some background knowledge in order to start one.
Where to Study Kinesiology
Many universities have a school of kinesiology. It’s a popular major to take in Canada if you’re interested in helping others get better physically without having to go through years and years of medical training. Some schools that offer kinesiology are:
- Capilano University
- University of British Columbia
- Langara College
- Douglas College
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic
- UVic
Most universities offer the program as kinesiology while colleges will tend to call it sports medicine. You can count on the majority of post-secondary schools to offer it. It’s usually available to international students as well.
Admission Requirements
English language requirements
All applicants are required to demonstrate competence in the English language prior to admission.
If English is not your first language or you’ve received your education in a language other than English, you must meet the English Language Requirements. This is typically equivalent to a 6.5 average on the IELTS.
Basic requirements
- High school graduation
- A minimum grade point average of 2.0 (60%) calculated on English Studies 12 or English 12 or English First Peoples 12 and two academic Grade 12 courses, and
- A minimum C in Math 11 (Principles of Math or Foundations of Math) or pass in Pre-calculus 11, and
- A pass in Biology 12 or Anatomy and Physiology 12
The above requirements are also general and may vary between schools.
Some schools may have program-specific requirements. Capilano University is one of those schools.
- Two reference names
- Letter of interest*
*Applicants should give reasons why the applicant is interested in the study of Kinesiology and a brief description of career goals.
Career Prospects
Some of the things you can do when you graduate from kinesiology are:
- Chiropractor
- Exercise physiologist
- Health promoter
- Leader in health and wellness
- Kinesiologist
- Occupational therapist
- Personal trainer
- Physiotherapist
Benefits of Studying Kinesiology
Kinesiology is a fulfilling program and it’s your opportunity to learn about your body and mind for the sake of your wellbeing. You can even take this passion of yours and make it your career.
When you graduate with kinesiology, you can:
- Take care of your body and mind effectively
- Help others take care of themselves
- Treat injuries knowledgeably
- Get a good job after graduation
- Be a part of a supportive community