General Kinesiology
Bachelor of Kinesiology (also available as a Bachelor of Science)
(Faculty of Kinesiology)
The General Program provides students with maximum flexibility to customize a professional and/or an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in a variety of areas including human health, wellness, sport performance and physical activity. Students with a keen interest in the study of human movement who aren’t served by other majors in the Faculty of Kinesiology are well suited for the General Program. General Program students learn key concepts in the kinesiology core curriculum, developing a solid kinesiology foundation from which to build a specialized degree that will enable them to adapt to the needs of a rapidly changing society.
The General Program consists of three major components: the kinesiology core curriculum, the versatility options cluster, and the senior options cluster. In the kinesiology core component, students acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge in required courses covering physical activity, sociology, psychology, biology, physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, physical growth and development, and research in Kinesiology. The versatility options and senior options allow students to construct their program according to personal or career interests, and access learning opportunities for advanced study in kinesiology or other fields. Students are encouraged to seek advice from faculty members and student advisors regarding their program to ensure that their academic choices are aligned with their professional aspirations.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the Faculty of Kinesiology, applicants are required to present the appropriate high school subjects and a competitive average.
Application/Document DeadlinesWhy Study the General Program in Kinesiology?
The choice is yours
Are you interested in human movement? Students who don’t want to specialize in just one of the five programs offered by the Faculty of Kinesiology (Pedagogy, Athletic Therapy, Exercise and Health Physiology, Biomechanics, and Mind Sciences) may pursue their own interests in kinesiology though the General Program. This degree offers students a great deal of flexibility in constructing a program that reflects their interests and career goals. The General Program is an excellent vehicle for interdisciplinary study within the kinesiology field.
Major goals and minor interests
Students may use the variety of options within the General Program to tailor an undergraduate degree that meets the pre-requisites for a specific graduate program, or for an allied health advanced degree such as physiotherapy, medicine or psychology. The General Program also offers several opportunities to pursue a minor, double minor, or combined degrees to suit individual interests or career paths.
Credit where it’s due
Are you planning to transfer to the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology from another institution? You might want to consider the General Program because the large number of electives built into it maximizes the number of credits that may be transferred towards a degree in Kinesiology. That way, you can still finish your degree without having extra credits that might otherwise go unused when entering a more specific program.
What Can I Do with My Degree?
General Program graduates have a fundamental understanding of key concepts pertaining to health, movement, exercise and sport. They have strong research and critical-thinking skills and are able to communicate effectively. The General Program degree can lead to a variety of careers such as teaching, coaching at the junior and national sports levels, health and fitness promotion or training, rehabilitation, sports medicine and research, or leisure and recreation services with agencies like Calgary Parks and Recreation or the YMCA. Other examples of career opportunities available to General Program graduates are:
Government
Rehabilitation and therapy, Health Canada
Education/communication
Fitness media/journalist, physical education teacher
Business
Health and fitness entrepreneur, sports manager
U of C Curriculum Features
The curriculum fosters opportunities to develop a coherent range of knowledge and abilities in inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving and effective communication – the essential competencies and lifelong learning skills associated with graduates of a quality research university.
Interdisciplinary component
Kinesiology involves the study of human movement and function from many different theoretical and applied perspectives, including the natural and medical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. These fields are incorporated into the curriculum through course offerings in biomechanics, psychology, socio-cultural studies and anatomy, as well as through core requirements in biology and zoology. General Program students must also complete several electives outside the Faculty of Kinesiology, which expands the interdisciplinary scope of their degree. In addition, the faculty has deliberately left open the selection of courses in the versatility and senior options requirements to allow students the flexibility of designing a kinesiology-based degree that meets individual needs and aspirations.
International component
The General Program contains two required courses within the kinesiology core curriculum, KNES 243 and 245, which focus on international perspectives. These courses explore physical education and sport in Ancient Greece and Rome, the various effects of nationalism on physical education in Europe and North America, and the impact of sport on culture, politics and social organizations. The program’s inherent flexibility offers students a number of opportunities to encounter international studies. Students may pursue a foreign language or build a minor through other faculties.
Experiential learning
The university houses world-class athletic facilities used by students in activity courses (e.g. basketball and volleyball) to develop skill levels and build strengths in the evaluation and development of exercise programs. Some courses within the kinesiology core program contain a laboratory, activity, or research component so students can develop first-hand knowledge of kinesiology fundamentals. Students also develop and practise oral and written communication skills through essays, presentations and group projects.
Faculty-student interaction
Students interact with instructors on a regular basis in the KNES 201 and 203 core courses featuring multiple athletic activity and health and performance modules. In addition, the Kinesiology Faculty organizes informal gatherings between faculty members and students to build a sense of community within the faculty. For instance, the Career Night program allows recent graduates to share their work experiences with students and instructors over pizza.
Integration of research
Instructors regularly incorporate their own and others’ research into course lectures and presentations to provide students with current and relevant information. The faculty also hosts a weekly seminar series on current research in the kinesiology field with presentations by visiting professors. Many courses require students to participate, conduct and report on research in the kinesiology field and Kinesiology 213 (Introduction to Research in Kinesiology) is a required course in all Kinesiology programs.
Students in KNES 203 conduct a 10-week training study on themselves, perform pre- and post-training physiological tests, analyze and interpret their data, and submit a report on the efficacy of the training plan. Students seeking a more intensive research experience should consider an Honours program where students are required to complete a research project in addition to advanced courses in applied research.
Additional Information
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