Bachelor of Kinesiology (Major)

The major in Kinesiology includes a broad range of experiences throughout the degree. In the first two years of the program (lower-level core), students gain experience in a variety of physical activities and build knowledge in basic kinesiology sub-disciplines like anatomy, physiology, motor learning, growth and development, nutrition, psychology, exercise prescription and teaching strategies. Students also acquire skills and teaching experience in a minimum of five activity courses. In the final two years of the degree, students will have opportunities to explore, in greater depth, topics like exercise physiology and prescription, wellness, organization and administration, biomechanics, psych-social aspects of physical activity, leadership, nutrition, injury management, coaching, physical activity in special populations, aging and physical activity, women in physical activity and sport, social perspectives of sport and a variety of outdoor pursuits. All students in the Kinesiology major will explore research methods in Kinesiology and participate in a capstone scholarship course where they will have an opportunity to study a topic of their choice in depth and present their research visually, orally and in writing.  

Upon completion of the major, graduates typically follow one of three paths. First, a number or our graduates are applying to graduate schools to further their studies in physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic studies, epidemiology, health & wellness and kinesiology.  Second, graduates are enrolling in post-baccalaureate degree programs in the Faculty of Education to become educators at an elementary or secondary level. Finally, some graduates are pursuing careers in areas related to kinesiology (e.g., coaching, personal training, and sport administration).

Bachelor of Kinesiology (Major) Program Requirements

Lower-Level Core (Years 1 & 2) (60 credits)

Lower-Level Kinesiology Core Courses Requirement (27 credits)

  • KIN 201 - Human Anatomy (3 credits)
  • KIN 202 - Dynamics of Motor Skills Acquisition (3 credits)
  • KIN 203 - Instructional Strategies for Sport and Physical Education (3 credits)
  • KIN 220 - Human Physiology (3 credits)
  • KIN 232 - Exercise Prescription (3 credits)
  • KIN 253 - Introduction to Nutrition (3 credits)
  • KIN 262 - Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology (3 credits)
  • KIN 280 - Physical Growth and Motor Development (3 credits)
  • KIN 291 - Introduction to Kinesiology (3 credits)
     
  • It is recommended that Kinesiology Major students enroll in KIN 201 and KIN 291 in their first year if possible.

Kinesiology Activity Courses Requirement (5 Activity Courses required)

  • All Kinesiology Major students are required to enroll in a minimum of 5 KIN activity courses in addition to the required KIN 203 – Instructional Strategies for Sport and Physical Education course.
  • All Kinesiology activity courses are numbered in the 100 range. Each 100-level activity course is a 2-credit course.
  • In addition to the 100-level activity courses, Kinesiology offers three 200-level courses (KIN 222, KIN 270, KIN 285) that also count towards the 5 activity course requirement.
     
  • It is recommended that Kinesiology Major students enroll in KIN 203 in their first year and enroll in as many activity courses that they can in the first and second year.

English Requirement (6 credits)

  • All students in undergraduate degree programs at VIU are required to complete the Degree English Requirement.
  • ENGL 204 is not accepted for the Degree English Requirement by the Kinesiology department, but could be used as an elective course.

Elective Courses

  • In addition to the requirements listed above, students are required to take elective courses to meet the lower-level requirement of 60 credits. This means that most students will be completing up to 17 elective credits over and above their Kinesiology and English requirements during their first two years. It is important for students to start building a good balance between Kinesiology courses and elective courses early in their degree. Elective courses can include non-required Kinesiology courses but taking a variety of lower-level courses from other programs is encouraged and, in some cases, required if students are interested in taking upper-level courses in another discipline.

Upper-Level Major Core (Years 3 & 4) (60 credits)

Upper-Level Kinesiology Core Courses Requirement (6 credits)

  • KIN 391 - Research Methods in Kinesiology (3 credits)
  • KIN 491 - Scholarship in Kinesiology (3 credits)

Upper-Level Kinesiology Elective Courses Requirement (24 credits)

  • In addition to the 2 upper-level core courses (6 credits) listed above, all Kinesiology Major students are required to take 8 upper-level (300-level or 400-level) KIN elective courses (24 credits).

Upper-Level Graduation Requirement

  • Important: All VIU students must have a minimum of 42 upper-level (300-level or 400-level) credits to graduate from VIU. The 2 upper-level Kinesiology core courses and the 8 upper-level Kinesiology elective courses required for the Bachelor of Kinesiology Major degree adds up to 30 credits, so it is very important that every Kinesiology Major student include an additional 12 upper-level (300-level or 400-level) credits in their degree to meet this institutional requirement. These upper-level credits can be Kinesiology credits or upper-level credits from another program area.

Elective Courses

  • Beyond the graduation requirement of 42 upper-level credits, the remaining 18 credits of the 60 upper-level credits will be elective courses that can be taken in a variety of programs at VIU including Kinesiology. If students wish to include upper-level elective course(s) in Kinesiology or another discipline, they must ensure that they have the correct prerequisite(s). Students may also take lower-level courses as electives provided they have at least 42 upper-level credits.