Kinesiology students study how the human body moves. They specialize in
one of four main disciplines: anatomy, biomechanics, physiology or psychomotor
behavior.
People with kinesiology degrees may seek further training in medicine,
physiotherapy or chiropractic, or go on to graduate school and become researchers.
Decide which branch of kinesiology interests you most and make sure
you choose a school that offers it.
Jim Dowling, a professor of biomechanics, says students who take his courses
usually want to go into medically oriented fields -- therapy, chiropractic,
medicine, ergonomics, or prosthetics and orthotics.
In high school, focus on math and science.
"Calculus and physics are very helpful courses for biomechanics.
Many students interested in kinesiology or physical education try to get by
with biology and the easiest mathematics route possible, but this usually
comes back to haunt them if they want a bioscience-related profession," says
Dowling.
Nick Cipriano is the undergraduate coordinator for kinesiology at a university.
He says the minimum admission requirement is a high school average in the
mid-80s and one advanced credit in English and math. But that's just a minimum.
"We have found that a very large percentage of students include biology,
chemistry and calculus as part of their advanced-level credits," he says.
Professors say sports are naturally beneficial activities for people
who want to learn how the body moves.
"Those interested in clinical careers such as therapy should volunteer
to assist with special populations or hospitals and clinics because it
shows a long-term interest in helping others," says Dowling. "Those interested
in prosthetics or orthotics should have a crafts background that shows that
they are handy with building things."
A part-time job with a health club or public recreation program may also
help.
There are generally not a lot of costs above tuition and books. There may
be fees for individual lab courses.
Links
Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field of study, see: Recreational
Therapists
American Kinesiology Association
Thinking about pursuing a career in kinesiology?
Kinesiology Network
Lots of info here