The well-respected faculty members in Ohio State’s Kinesiology program offer a diversity of study options to doctoral students.
“The program's strength attracts quality doctoral students who collaborate closely with the faculty on research,” said Carl Maresh, a member of the kinesiology faculty and chair of the Department of Human Sciences, the program’s home. “With those doctoral students also teaching undergraduate courses, they spark excitement across all educational levels.
“In the last year alone, I’ve seen a large increase in the number of undergraduate students interested in the research conducted in our kinesiology laboratories,” he said. “Inspired by their doctoral student instructors and our faculty, the undergrads sign up to be project assistants and to take independent studies.
“Universities with the highest-ranked graduate programs also have high-quality undergraduate programs, and that’s exactly what you should expect to find in a top research institution like Ohio State.”
Ohio State's Kinesiology program leaps to No. 6 in nation
The Kinesiology doctoral program in the college recently advanced to sixth best among 52 similar programs in the U.S., according to the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Kinesiology doctoral students at Ohio State can specialize in three areas.
In Health and Exercise Science, PhD graduates are prepared to educate the public about how to enhance physical activity and health behaviors to prevent and treat chronic disease. Graduates learn to influence people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles and improve their physical performance.
Many doctoral students in this area specialize in either exercise physiology or health and physical activity behavior as they train to become expert researchers.
Ohio State’s nationally acclaimed Doctor of Education in Physical Education exemplifies learning through real-world experience and reflection. This lead-by-example approach gives graduates the capacity to motivate students to make physical activity a part of their daily lifestyle.
Graduates know how to tackle research projects that make a difference in the lives of students and teachers. The program offers opportunities to collaborate with school districts, professionals and researchers.
During the past 40 years, the Sport Management specialization in kinesiology has been recognized among the most respected and prestigious in the nation. It has a reputation of developing students for successful careers in academia and the professional world.
In addition to the mentoring doctoral students receive from the college’s internationally renowned faculty members, they can also immerse themselves in a network of interdisciplinary experts inside the university and around Columbus. That is one of the advantages of learning in a program located in what is known as a sports city. Not only do students master research skills, but they can customize their studies to follow their passions.
EHE’s Kinesiology program emphasizes the following:
- Healthy aging
- Personalized nutrition
- Injury and disease prevention
- Healing and repair
- Exercise and cognitive function
- Environmental and exercise performance
- Health and wellness across the lifespan
- Physical education in schools
- The business of athletics
- Educational programs for lifelong health
With the Kinesiology program now ranked No. 6 in the nation, it is experiencing even greater enthusiasm. “Our faculty members are like Pied Pipers in attracting students,” Maresh said. “It’s exciting to see.”
