Kinesiology | Graduate Degrees | Ph.D. in Kinesiology | Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education, Ph.D.

The Curriculum and Pedagogical concentration focuses on training future scholars who are competent in conducting quality research on curriculum and instruction in various physical activity settings, developing innovative physical education and physical activity programs for K-12 schools and communities, and providing evaluation service to improve the quality of physical activity programs for children, adolescents, youths, and adults.

These “real world” experiences have provided valuable learning opportunities for dozens of Ph.D. students who are now working as university professors, researchers, and post-doctoral fellows across the U.S. and around the world.

The Student Experience

  • The Ph.D. degree requires a total of 60 credit hours’ work in which a minimum of 48 is devoted to coursework and independent studies and the other 12 to dissertation. It normally takes about 4 years to complete the degree program. A student’s progression toward the degree is marked using four major milestones:
    • Approval of the Plan of Study (at the completion of 18 credit hours)
    • Comprehensive Examinations (at the completion of 48 credit hours)
    • Approval of the Dissertation Research Proposal
    • Defense of the Dissertation.
  • Ph.D. students can expect to be involved in the advisor’s research projects that are all conducted in K-12 schools and communities, and participate in professional development events such as the signature Graduate Colloquium of the department.
  • Assistantship opportunities are available for full-time Ph.D. students in the Department of Kinesiology on a competitive basis. If a student is awarded a graduate assistantship, the student will work with a faculty supervisor who will mentor the student with high quality experiences in these areas. Assistantships include:
    • Teaching assistantships
    • Research assistantships
    • Clinical assistantships
  • 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.
    • Graduate assistants have opportunities to:
      • Teach KIN physical activity courses
      • Assist in relevant Physical Education Teacher Education courses
      • Teach the Healthful Living course at the UNCG Middle College (a Guilford County-UNCG collaboration high school on campus),
      • Assist in funded curriculum intervention research in local K-12 schools.
  • Our faculty also actively help qualified students to apply for competitive fellowships and scholarships UNCG offers. 
  • The goal of the Curriculum and Pedagogical Graduate Studies program is to help graduate students accomplish their professional/career goals with unique experiences in research, teaching, and service with high-quality individualized programming.

AFTER GRADUATION

Alumni are scholars and practitioners. They conduct research on curriculum and instruction in various physical activity settings, develop innovative physical education and physical activity programs for K-12 schools and communities, and provide evaluation services to improve the quality of physical activity programs for children, adolescents, youths, and adults.

Apply to Program

Please follow these steps when submitting an application For more general questions, make sure you check out KIN’s Frequently Asked Questions.  If you cannot find what you are looking for please contact the department directly at [email protected].

Graduate School Requirements

1. Online Application to The Graduate School

Login to The Graduate School’s Online Application.

2. All official transcripts

Send to the Graduate School directly. One official transcript is needed from all colleges and universities previously attended. If credit from one institution has been transferred to another and is listed on the receiving institution’s transcript, a transcript from the original institution is not required.

If an applicant is currently enrolled in a degree program and will not graduate prior to an admission deadline, transcripts should be provided that reflect courses in progress. It will speed up the processing of your application greatly if you also upload an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) issued by your institution(s) registrar’s office that includes the official seal as part of your online application (student advising transcripts are not accepted).

Please remember that you must still have your official transcript(s) sent to The Graduate School even if you supply official copies.

3. English Language Proficiency

The English Language Proficiency requirement must be fulfilled for all non-native English speaking applicants regardless of citizenship. It can be waived if the student has earned a US degree or has an acceptable score on either the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE exam. It can also be fulfilled by completing Level 5 of our Interlink program. Please see more information on requirements for international applicants.

4. Three Recommendations

All applicants must submit a minimum and maximum of three recommendations. In most cases the department would prefer at least two of the recommendations to be from faculty members who can address your academic capability. All recommendations are to be uploaded through The Graduate School’s online application system.

Departmental Notes

5. Graduate Assistantships

All qualifying applicants are considered for assistantships. You do not need to apply for an assistantship.  If you are interested in an assistantship please indicate this on your application by checking the appropriate box.   NOTE: Due to the way certain programs are structured, potential students applying to the Ed.D., M.S.A.T., Fully online M.S. in Sport and Exercise Psychology, or M.S. in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology are typically not considered for assistantships.

6. Application Materials

  • Ed.D. — Complete applications received by January 15 receive priority consideration.  However, applications submitted through April 1 will be considered for Fall admission if program capacity allows.  The Ed.D. program accepts students for Fall admission only.
  • M.S.A.T. — Complete applications must be submitted by January 15.  The M.S.A.T. program accepts students for Summer admission only.
  • M.S., M.S./Ph.D., Ph.D. — Complete applications received by January 15 receive priority consideration for admission and funding. Applications submitted through July 1 will be considered for Fall admission if program capacity allows. Spring admission is possible but unlikely and we have no assistantship funds for spring applicants.
IMPORTANT: For Non-U.S. Academic Transcripts

International applicants are required to have their credentials formally evaluated. More information about this requirement, including recognized services for evaluation, can be found on the Graduate School’s international applicant page.

Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education, Ph.D.
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Plan of Study

  • Each of our graduate students create a custom plan of study best suited to their goals.
  • Plans of study must be approved by their advisor and committee.
  • The plan is followed closely and reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted annually to ensure the study will eventually lead to the goals set by the student and the advisor.
DeAnne Brooks

Dr. DeAnne Brooks
[email protected]

Graduate Program Director