Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Kinesiology is the study of physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life. The Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology provides a broad-based curriculum for the study of human movement in a range of sub-disciplines including biomechanics, exercise physiology, exercise psychology, health, motor behavior, and sport sociology. Focused concentration areas provide additional background knowledge and practical skills to address prescription for health-related physical activity, performance related fitness and sport, applied and clinical exercise science, fitness/sport instruction and coaching, health promotion, and issues related to inclusion, equity and social justice in physical activity and sport. Students have opportunities to participate in undergraduate research, community outreach activities, and internships. The program examines the theoretical underpinnings, scientific research and best practices in Kinesiology to prepare students to move into a variety of professional positions in exercise, fitness, health, personal training, coaching or sport settings, or to pursue graduate education in kinesiology and its subdisciplines or allied health professions. For students who intend to pursue careers in medicine or allied health professions (e.g., nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, etc.) additional coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology will be required for application to medical school or allied health professions graduate programs.
Concentrations
Exercise Science
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Exercise Science Concentration focuses on principles of applied and clinical exercise science to work with healthy individuals and those with medically controlled diseases to develop effective exercise programs that optimize exercise performance, health, lifestyle behaviors and quality of life. Students will be prepared for positions in commercial, community, worksite and university fitness facilities, research settings, clinic or hospital-based fitness settings or to pursue graduate degrees in kinesiology and its sub-disciplines, or allied health professions. Students may also be eligible to take the American College of Sports Medicine – Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP®) exam by completing the appropriate advisor approved electives.
Health Promotion
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Health Promotion Concentration focuses on the fundamentals of community and public health to prepare students to develop programs that promote physical activity and other healthy behaviors at the individual, community or population level. Students will be prepared for positions in non-profit, private business and local or state government health agencies or to pursue graduate degrees in public health, health education, or allied health professions. Students may also be eligible for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam by completing the appropriate advisor approved electives.
Sport Science
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Sport Science Concentration focuses on sport and exercise participation across the lifespan, improving mental and physical sport performance, the sociocultural dimensions of sport and physical activity, and leadership and advocacy for sport and physical activity to enhance wellness. Students will be prepared for positions in community sport organizations at the recreational, club or professional levels, sport training camps, fitness facility management, athletic departments, coaching, and outdoor adventure or to pursue graduate degrees in sport psychology, sport management, athletic training, coaching and student athlete development, adapted physical activity, and athletic administration.
Program Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between physical activity participation, quality of life, acute and chronic disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
- Evaluate the underlying scientific foundations of physical activity including human movement, physiology and metabolism.
- Apply principles of quantitative and qualitative research to the study and practice of physical activity.
- Explain the sociocultural dimensions of physical activity including diversity and inclusion in physical activity and health.
- Apply principles of exercise prescription and the national physical activity guidelines to develop effective physical activity programs.
- Demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking through written and oral communication.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: Up to 4 units of credit/no credit grading may be selected for courses in Major, Support, or Concentration. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| KINE 1180 | Introduction to Kinesiology | 1 |
| Select from the following: (4B) 1 | 3 | |
| Multicultural Perspectives and Health | ||
| Women's Health and Society | ||
| KINE 2266 | Sport and Performance Psychology | 3 |
| KINE 3303 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| KINE 3307 | Adapted Physical Activity | 3 |
| KINE 3312 | Motor Learning | 3 |
| KINE 3319 | Introduction to Research Methods in Kinesiology | 4 |
| Select from the following: 2 | 3 | |
| Sport and Gender | ||
| Sports, Media, and United States Popular Culture | ||
| Sport and Physical Activity Throughout Civilizations | ||
| KINE 4403 | Biomechanics | 4 |
| KINE 4412 | Physical Activity and Public Health | 3 |
| KINE 4451 | Nutrition for Fitness and Sport | 4 |
| Select from the following: | 2 | |
| Senior Project - Experiential | ||
| Senior Project - Report | ||
| Senior Project - Research | ||
| Senior Project - Internship | ||
| Concentration | ||
| (See list of Concentrations below) | 17-18 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| BIO 1151 | Life: Molecules and Cells (5B & 5C) 1 | 4 |
| BIO 2231 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 2232 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| CHEM 1120 | Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A) 1 | 4 |
| Select from the following: (2) 1 | 3-4 | |
| Precalculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| PHYS 1121 | College Physics I | 4 |
| STAT 1110 | Applied Statistical Concepts and Methods | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 30 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 3 | 8-10 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
- Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 2
KINE 3325 is required in the Sport Science concentration. A course taken to fulfill a major course requirement cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 3
If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
Concentrations
Exercise Science
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| KINE 3330 | Group Exercise and Personal Training | 2 |
| KINE 3349 | Exercise Testing and Prescription | 3 |
| KINE 4404 | Clinical Exercise Physiology | 4 |
| KINE 4406 | Motor Control | 3 |
| Select from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Athletic Training | ||
| Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Injury in Sport and Physical Activity | ||
| Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| Leadership in Health and Physical Activity Programs | ||
| Physical Activity and Aging | ||
| Interdisciplinary Projects in Biomechanics | ||
| Cardiopulmonary Physiology and Assessment | ||
| Exercise Science Seminar | ||
| Total Units | 18 | |
Health Promotion
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| HLTH 2261 | Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4434 | Health Promotion Program Planning | 4 |
| KINE 4401 | Leadership in Health and Physical Activity Programs | 3 |
| Select from the following: | 8 | |
| Special Problems for Undergraduates | ||
or HLTH 2281 | Health Ambassadors | |
or HLTH 4400 | Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | |
| Drugs in Society | ||
| Injury Prevention | ||
| Applied Epidemiology | ||
| Health Promotion Program Implementation and Evaluation | ||
| Exercise Testing and Prescription | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Injury in Sport and Physical Activity | ||
| Clinical Exercise Physiology | ||
| Physical Activity and Aging | ||
| Application Strategies and Preparation for Health Profession Programs | ||
| Pre-Health Shadowing Fieldwork | ||
| Total Units | 18 | |
Sport Science
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| KINE 3325 | Sport and Physical Activity Throughout Civilizations 1 | 3 |
| KINE 3330 | Group Exercise and Personal Training | 2 |
| KINE 3366 | Applied Sport and Performance Psychology | 3 |
| KINE 4401 | Leadership in Health and Physical Activity Programs | 3 |
| Select from the following: | 6 | |
| Sports Communication | ||
| Community Relations and Sports-Based Youth Development | ||
| Introduction to Athletic Training | ||
| Exercise Testing and Prescription | ||
| Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Injury in Sport and Physical Activity | ||
| Clinical Exercise Physiology | ||
| Physical Activity and Aging | ||
| Exercise Science Seminar | ||
| Total Units | 17 | |
- 1
KINE 3325 is required in the Sport Science concentration. A course taken to fulfill a major course requirement cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 13 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 30 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5B | Life Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) (1 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 30 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.