Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation
Mailing Address:
Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition (MC 517)
1919 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612-7256
Campus Location: 650 AHSB
Program Codes: 20FS0351MS (MS in Kinesiology); 20FS1506MS (MS in Nutrition); 20FS5173PHD (PhD in Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation)
Telephone: (312) 996-4600
E-mail: kndept@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.ahs.uic.edu/kn
Department Head: Charles Walter
Director of Graduate Studies: Ziaul Hasan and Renee Taylor
The Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition offers programs leading to degrees at both the master’s and doctoral levels.
- MS in Kinesiology
- MS in Nutrition
- PhD in Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation (see below)
Kinesiology, nutrition, and rehabilitation are multidisciplinary fields that draw upon and integrate subject matter from a variety of disciplines (e.g., anatomy, biochemistry, biomechanics, motor control, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience and physiology as well as epidemiology, physical and cultural anthropology, sociology, and behavioral psychology). The master’s degree programs in Kinesiology or Nutrition as a terminal degree (i.e., not leading to a PhD) are most appropriate for students who wish to apply their knowledge through practice in healthcare or industry settings and can be combined, for example, with focused course work in other fields such as public health, toxicology, business, or education. Doctoral studies are designed to lead to academic research and teaching careers or to research careers in government or industry. Students are given the opportunity to conduct research that is related to fundamental questions related to kinesiology, nutrition, and rehabilitation. In addition, there is a focus on rehabilitation issues of clinical relevance to the professions of occupational therapy and physical therapy
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Complete transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
Doctor of Philosophy
- Baccalaureate Field Applicants for graduate study may come from the entire spectrum of undergraduate fields, or from other health professions such as medicine or nursing. Some applicants may not meet all course prerequisites without having to take selected additional undergraduate course work. Minimum prerequisites for full admission to graduate study can be obtained from the department.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study (3.25 preferred); and 3.50/4.00 for all graduate work.
- Tests Required GRE General, with minimum verbal score of 152 (480 for tests taken before August 2011) and quantitative score of 151 (640 for tests taken before August 2011).
- TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (new Internet-based TOEFL), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
- Letters of Recommendation Three required.
- Personal Statement Required.
- Other Requirements Candidates for direct admission to PhD study may be asked to submit a sample of their prior published or unpublished written work. Prior work or research experience indicative of the ability for laboratory, clinical, or community-based research will be considered. In addition, exploratory queries and interviews from potential candidates are welcomed at any time. All applicants for admission for PhD study are encouraged to interview with the graduate faculty, and such interviews may be required before an admissions decision is made. Contact the department at (312) 996-4600 for more information.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
Doctor of Philosophy
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
- Course Work At least 24 credit hours of 400- and 500-level courses are required. A minimum of 9 credit hours of 500-level courses must be letter-graded courses (A to F), not project, thesis, or independent study, or seminar courses that are graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U).
- Examinations
- Preliminary exam
- Dissertation proposal
- Dissertation defense
- Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 32 hours using a 599 rubric.
- Other Requirements All PhD students are expected to participate in the teaching programs of the College of Applied Health Sciences.
