Areas of Study

Exercise Physiology is the study of how exercise affects the functions of the body which can influence health and or performance. Students learn the impact of exercise at the whole body, system, and cellular level. The students can apply this knowledge to work with healthy and clinical populations to impact positive alterations involving various physical activity programs. The knowledge gained in the academic field of exercise physiology may be acquired through the scholarly study of physical activity and through laboratory measurements of various physiological outcomes that can impact health and/or performance. Educating the community, including patients, clients, athletes, children, and older adults on how and why to employ specific types of physical activity to improve performance, health, and well-being relies on application of knowledge gained by professionals in the area of exercise physiology.

The Motor Behavior area focuses on research in the disciplines of motor learning and motor control. This collaborative environment prepares practitioners, researchers, and educators reduce injury risk, return to normal function post-injury, and improve health and performance of physically active individual or all ages.

The Curriculum and Pedagogical Graduate Studies program focuses on the development and evaluation of innovative physical activity curricula and programs for children, adolescents, and young adults in variety of settings including elementary, middle, high schools, colleges and beyond.

There are quite a few specific areas of study that graduate students can specialize in, depending on your own academic interests. An individualized approach is central to the graduate study in that the student will work with a team of very experienced advisors to develop and follow a plan of study most meaningful to the student.

Our Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Lab offers research assistantship to qualified full-time graduate students along with the teaching assistantship offered by the Department of Kinesiology. We also help qualified students to apply for competitive fellowships and scholarships UNCG offers.

Sport and Exercise Psychology (SEP) integrates theory, research, and practice, and includes the study of cognitive, emotional, psychophysiological, and social factors that influence sport and exercise behaviors as well as the effects of physical activity on psychological factors. Graduate students in SEP typically come from Kinesiology or Psychology undergraduate programs and come to UNCG to learn how to enhance human development and functioning by acquiring cutting edge knowledge in the area of SEP. Our graduates pursue careers as teachers, researchers, coaches, exercise leaders and sport and exercise psychology consultants.