About our Department and Programs
UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology has one of the most comprehensive programs in the country, including faculty with expertise in nine sub-disciplines:
- Athletic Training
- Community Youth Sports Development
- Exercise Physiology
- Motor Behavior
- Applied Neuromechanics
- Pedagogy in Physical Education
- Sport and Exercise Psychology
- Sport History and Philosophy
- Sports Medicine
Kinesiology is one of the most popular majors at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Students and faculty enjoy longstanding partnerships with UNCG Athletics, the Middle College at UNCG, local schools, various community organizations, and sports teams and clubs across the state.
Faculty bring in over $1 million dollars in research funding annually, providing students the opportunity to gain research experience and mentoring from internationally and nationally recognized experts in the field.
Undergraduate students are prepared to focus on human movement, aiming to increase physical activity, improve performance, and enhance health across the lifespan. They explore various career paths and gain experience through community service, research, and internships.
The department offers both applied and research-based graduate programs. We offer one of only two online Ed.D. programs in the country, and the National Academy of Kinesiology ranks our Ph.D. program in the top 15 (2020). Strong clinical programs in sport psychology and athletic training provide hands-on opportunities with high school, collegiate, and professional sports teams across North Carolina, along with certification opportunities.
Our work is conducted in state-of-the-art facilities, including a new sleep lab, environmental chamber, fitness testing systems, EEG, MRI, cognitive assessment, sport psychology consulting, and athletic training labs. Graduate students receive mentorship and preparation to become independent scholars, clinicians, and teachers, well-prepared for advanced study or academic careers.
Degrees offered
Department Highlights
- Fourth largest undergraduate program and 3rd largest graduate program at UNCG with over 600 undergraduate and 180 graduate students.
- One of 12 departments at UNCG with over $1 million in external funding to support scholarship.
- Moss Street Elementary and Middle College at UNCG relationships allow for teaching, training, and scholarship opportunities with school-aged children.
- As undergraduates, students have opportunities to apply the skills they are learning through community programs:
- HOPE (Helping Others Participate in Exercise)
- BELT (Bariatric Exercise and Lifestyle Training), an exercise program for individuals relative to bariatric surgery
- Project Effort, an after-school physical activity program focused on developing leadership skills through sport
- The Restorative Justice Program at Dudley High School
- Additional internship opportunities
- Ethnically diverse student population – over 40% of undergraduates and approximately 50% of the 2023 incoming class of graduate students identify as people of color or international students
- Universities.com ranks UNCG as the top undergraduate Kinesiology program in North Carolina (2025).
- #8 ranked applied sport and exercise psychology master’s program in the United States (2022)
- M.S.A.T. program with exceptionally high pass-rate of board tests.