BS in Kinesiology
51-68 units
Mission
“Shaping difference makers who care for the whole person.”
Our mission in the kinesiology major is to shape difference makers who care for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. We believe that exercise, movement, and sport help people thrive by improving health, fitness, and quality of life across the lifespan. To achieve our goals, we equip lifelong learners who are academically engaged, relationally focused, vocationally aware, and wellness oriented using approaches that are discipline based and grounded within a Christian worldview.
Concentrations
Health Professions
The health professions concentration is designed for students interested in pursuing physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic, physician’s assistant, and other allied health graduate programs. Students are also prepared to enter academic graduate programs (master’s and doctoral) in exercise physiology, biomechanics, and other subdisciplines of kinesiology. Students gain practical, hands-on training in kinesiology, including 100 hours of supervised internships and a strong theoretical foundation in the sciences, which may fulfill graduate school prerequisites. See concentration requirements in the table below.
Applied Exercise Science
The applied exercise science concentration prepares students to obtain positions as fitness professionals, strength and conditioning specialists, wellness directors, or exercise physiologists, and/or to pursue graduate education in cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, sports psychology, or allied health professions (additional prerequisite courses may be necessary). Through applied and hands-on coursework, students learn to assess, design, and implement evidence-based fitness programs for clients to achieve optimal health and performance. Students also are supervised during 150+ hours of internship experience at the university’s fitness center and in the community at one of our preapproved sites. Many students are successful at finding employment in the industry prior to graduation. See concentration requirements in the table below.
Academic Standards
Students are required to complete 120 units in order to obtain an undergraduate degree at Azusa Pacific. For some students, the combination of units from the concentration and general education courses will not meet the minimum number of units for graduation, so students may need to complete additional coursework. This can be accomplished by completing a minor in a field of interest, or by taking elective courses within, or outside of, the department.
For students to progress through the curriculum, they must earn a grade of C- or higher in each required course in the kinesiology major. Students who do not earn a C- or higher in such a course after three attempts will be removed from the major. Students are also required to follow the proper course sequencing and meet all prerequisites prior to completing the succeeding courses in the curriculum. Visit the kinesiology major website to download an academic plan for your chosen concentration.
Certifications
Students seeking certification in the exercise science profession are subject to each association’s guidelines and standards to be eligible for each certification. Students are encouraged to sit for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) examination after completing KIN 242 in their sophomore year, and the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) and/or NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) examinations after completing the related 300-level coursework. Students are responsible for all the associated fees and costs for the desired certification(s).
Additional Information
CPR and First Aid certifications must be current prior to beginning any department-supervised internships or service-learning experiences. First Aid certification must be completed through the American Red Cross. No completely online courses are permitted for CPR or First Aid. Students are also responsible for the transportation costs associated with required internship experiences in the major.
All students are subject to other policies and procedures related to the major as determined by the program director and the Department of Kinesiology.
Requirements
For students to progress through the curriculum, they must earn a grade of C- or higher in each required course in the major. Students who do not earn a C- or higher in such a course after three attempts will be removed from the major.
Health Professions Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| KIN 270 | Human Motor Control, Learning, and Development | 3 |
| KIN 275 | Biomechanics of Human Movement | 3 |
| KIN 306 | Sociological and Psychological Aspects of Physical Activity and Sport | 3 |
| or PSYC 330 | Sports Psychology | |
| or PSYC 360 | Abnormal Psychology | |
| KIN 360 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| KIN 363 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| KIN 364 | Kinesiology | 4 |
| KIN 366 | Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries | 3 |
| or KIN 372 | Corrective Exercise Strategies | |
| or KIN 380 | Concepts of Performance Enhancement | |
| KIN 473 | Fitness and Exercise Prescription | 4 |
| KIN 478 | Senior Preparation in Kinesiology | 2 |
| KIN 490 | Writing 3: Research Methods in Kinesiology 1 | 3 |
| KIN 495 | Internship in Exercise Science 2 | 2 |
| FFL 131 | Fitness for Life: Kinesiology 3 | 1 |
| MATH 130 | Introduction to Statistics 4 | 3 |
| PSYC 110 | General Psychology 5 | 3 |
| or PSYC 290 | Human Growth and Development | |
| WRIT 241 | Writing 2: Physical Activity and Health Promotion 6 | 3 |
| BIOL 101 | Biology and Society 7 | 4 |
| or BIOL 151 | General Biology I | |
| CHEM 101 | Chemistry and Society 7 | 4 |
| or CHEM 151 | General Chemistry I | |
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology II 7,8 | ||
| Human Anatomy and Human Physiology 8 | ||
| Select two of the following: 9 | 6-8 | |
| General Biology I 7 | ||
| General Biology II | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Biology of Microorganisms | ||
| Principles of Biochemistry | ||
| General Chemistry I 7 | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Theory I | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Theory II | ||
| Physics for Life Sciences I 7 | ||
| Physics for Life Sciences II | ||
| General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry for the Health Sciences 7 | ||
| Total Units | 66-68 | |
- 1
Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement.
- 2
Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.
- 3
Meets the General Education Physical Education requirement.
- 4
Meets the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement.
- 5
Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement.
- 6
Meets the General Education Writing 2 requirement.
- 7
Meets the General Education Natural Sciences requirement.
- 8
Either BIOL 230 and BIOL 231 OR BIOL 250 and BIOL 251 must be taken to complete the major’s anatomy and physiology requirement.
- 9
Foundational science courses taken during the first year in our course sequence cannot be used for this category. A student can, however, take a higher-level course in the same area of study. Example #1: BIOL 101 in first year and BIOL 151 as elective. Example #2: BIOL 151 in first year and BIOL 152 as elective.
Applied Exercise Science Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| KIN 242 | Fundamental Principles of Fitness | 3 |
| KIN 270 | Human Motor Control, Learning, and Development | 3 |
| KIN 275 | Biomechanics of Human Movement | 3 |
| KIN 306 | Sociological and Psychological Aspects of Physical Activity and Sport | 3 |
| or PSYC 330 | Sports Psychology | |
| KIN 360 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| KIN 363 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| KIN 364 | Kinesiology | 4 |
| KIN 366 | Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries | 3-4 |
| or KIN 372 | Corrective Exercise Strategies | |
| or KIN 380 | Concepts of Performance Enhancement | |
| or KIN 473 | Fitness and Exercise Prescription | |
| KIN 395 | Fitness Management | 3 |
| KIN 478 | Senior Preparation in Kinesiology | 2 |
| KIN 490 | Writing 3: Research Methods in Kinesiology 1 | 3 |
| KIN 495 | Internship in Exercise Science 2 | 2 |
| PSYC 110 | General Psychology 3 | 3 |
| or PSYC 290 | Human Growth and Development | |
| FFL 131 | Fitness for Life: Kinesiology 4 | 1 |
| WRIT 241 | Writing 2: Physical Activity and Health Promotion 5 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology II 6,7 | ||
| Human Anatomy and Human Physiology 7 | ||
| Total Units | 51-52 | |
- 1
Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement.
- 2
Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.
- 3
Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement.
- 4
Meets the General Education Physical Education requirement.
- 5
Meets the General Education Writing 2 requirement.
- 6
Meets the General Education Natural Sciences requirement.
- 7
Either BIOL 230 and BIOL 231 OR BIOL 250 and BIOL 251 must be taken to complete the major’s anatomy and physiology requirement.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:- Develop an understanding of our Biblical responsibility regarding the care of the human body.
- Demonstrate proficiency in principles of kinesiology.
- Design and implement exercise programs for a variety of populations and settings.
- Evaluate movement patterns and physical fitness using effective assessment techniques.
- Analyze issues in exercise science using an evidence-based approach.
- Explain how psycho-social factors influence personal health, wellness, and performance.
- Interact professionally with a variety of constituents, such as students, clients, patients and colleagues.