Kinesiology is the study of human movement and physical activity, and their impact on health, society and quality of life.
The study of kinesiology provides background for many positions related to human health and wellness. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, grads with experience in kinesiology could fill jobs in five of the 20 fastest-growing occupations.
Augustana offers a 36-credit major in kinesiology and a 24-credit minor in kinesiology. For both, coursework and lab work include an introduction to kinesiology and wellness, and focus on human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and exercise physiology.
The major also includes a course on social issues in human wellness, plus interdisciplinary courses in public health, sociology, psychology and/or physical education. Senior Inquiry for kinesiology is a community-based internship or a research or service-learning project.
Why Augustana?
Kinesiology is a natural addition to Augustana’s excellent programs in the health sciences, which include:
• A 100% acceptance rate for students applying to master’s programs in public health,
• A medical school acceptance rate 50% above the national average, and
• An average of 150 health care-related internships or job shadows for Augustana students each year.
One reason for our students’ success is the level of hands-on, professional preparation through internships, service learning, research and professional conferences. Another reason is background in fields throughout the liberal arts, which deepens empathy and understanding of the diversity of human needs and behavior.
A balance of mental and physical activity is part of the campus culture, and Augustana student-athletes shine: the college is No. 1 in Illinois and in the top 10 in the nation for number of Academic All-Americans.
An innovative new center
To support kinesiology and its connections with other programs on campus, Augustana will build the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Innovation in Health, Wellness and Human Performance in 2020-21. The building will feature classrooms and offices, team spaces, a joint resource area, exercise laboratories, and a new aquatic center with 25-yard and therapeutic pools.
Located near a prominent entry to campus, the building is designed to inspire those it will serve — students during their four years on campus, and the broader community that increasingly needs the the skilled attention of Augustana graduates.