What Can I Exercise With a Kinesiology Caste?

past TBS Staff

Students tin can earn associate, bachelor's, master'south, or doctoral degrees in kinesiology to start rewarding careers in the wellness and fitness industry.

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What is Kinesiology

A kinesiology caste can atomic number 82 to a rewarding career spent using practise techniques to improve people'south lives. If you lot're an extrovert with a honey of fitness and a career in the wellness sciences interests yous, consider pursuing a caste in kinesiology. Kinesiology is the study of the body'south movement. Kinesiology specialists employ their knowledge of human physiology and movement to help recover patients' mobility and improve their lives through exercise.

Read on to learn more nigh how earning a kinesiology degree tin launch your career in an expanding and fulfilling field.

What Kinds of Kinesiology Degrees Are There?

Aspiring professionals can pursue kinesiology degrees at every education level. Learners at the bachelor's level tin obtain athletic trainer certification, while others enter doctoral programs to pursue research related to kinesiology and exercise science.

Acquaintance Degree in Kinesiology

An associate in kinesiology is best suited to those pursing entry-level work in the fitness training industry. The degree generally takes 1-two years to complete, depending on whether y'all take courses at a full- or part-time stride. Coursework explores introductory beefcake and physiology, exercise science, and psychology.

Graduates of kinesiology associate programs can transition directly to working every bit fitness consultants, personal trainers, and fitness instructors. With additional grooming, they tin can also piece of work equally massage therapists and concrete therapists.

Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology

A bachelor's in kinesiology, which typically takes four years to complete, goes into further depth on the report of human motion and practice than an associate degree. Students explore how fitness trainers, concrete education educators, and therapists apply practise as a class of medicine.

Coursework covers topics similar principles of motor skills, women's health and exercise beyond the lifespan, and exercise physiology. Concentrations include integrative physiology, physical educational activity, and health and fettle leadership.

A bachelor'southward plan is best suited to students who desire to become certified athletic trainers or piece of work equally physical education teachers. Bachelor's caste-holders tin can work in community recreation and clinical settings, pursuing more specialized, education-related roles than fitness trainers who just concord acquaintance degrees.

Featured Online Kinesiology Programs

Chief's Degree in Kinesiology

Many time to come coaches, sports administrators, and certified trainers have master'south degrees in kinesiology, which usually accept ii-3 years to earn. This degree covers the clinical aspects of exercise science, kinesiology, and physiology, forth with advanced sports medicine topics.

Coursework explores advanced biomechanics of human motion, issues in able-bodied preparation, and the history and philosophy of sports. Concentrations include sports management, practice physiology, and sports medicine.

A master'southward in kinesiology prepares learners for employment every bit strength and training coaches, able-bodied program administrators, and do physiologists. The degree is oft a minimum qualification for working as a coach or athletic administrator. Graduates can too pursue postgraduate report in kinesiology and physical therapy.

Featured Online Principal's Degrees in Sports Medicine

Doctoral Degree in Kinesiology

Students interested in research, education, and other advanced topics in kinesiology tin pursue doctoral degrees in kinesiology. A doctoral kinesiology degree takes four years to consummate and covers avant-garde topics in biomechanics, exercise physiology, and research methods for kinesiology.

Students can pursue specializations similar motor command, rehabilitation science, or sports psychology. The caste also requires a research-based dissertation. Graduates with doctoral degrees in kinesiology are prepared for highly specialized piece of work as sports psychologists, kinesiology research scientists, and university professors.

While many of these positions are in academia, sports psychologists can too piece of work in the professional person sports industry. The caste can also prepare graduates for executive-level sports administration careers.

Featured Online Doctorate Degrees in Sports Medicine

Kinesiology Licensure

At the moment, there is no widely recognized general licensure for kinesiology professionals. Nevertheless, several career areas encompassed by kinesiology exercise have specific licensure requirements.

For instance, athletic trainers demand to obtain licensure to piece of work. In nearly every country, athletic trainers must secure licensure by earning the certified athletic trainer credential from the Board of Certification or completing a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Centrolineal Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Many undergraduate kinesiology majors eventually pursue work as physical therapists, which requires a doctoral degree and licensure. However, students pursuing this route need doctorates in physical therapy. A doctorate in kinesiology does non set up graduates for physical therapy licensure.

What Can Y'all Do With a Kinesiology Degree?

Kinesiology is a versatile area of report that prepares professionals for many different career options. For some, the degree provides a credential to pursue work in physical education, while others find employment every bit able-bodied directors. Some undergraduates treat kinesiology as a pre-med major.

The following section details the virtually mutual career paths chosen by kinesiology degree-holders, many of which relate direct to wellness services.

Kinesiology Specializations and Career Paths

Kinesiology careers are usually related to fitness, sports, or health and wellness. Here are some common career paths for kinesiology graduates.

Practice and Fitness

About kinesiology graduates use their degrees to build careers in practice and fitness, helping people meet fettle goals. Many graduates go personal trainers, working one-on-one with clients. Graduates with more experience might want to pursue careers as exercise physiologists, helping people recover from injuries or illnesses.

  • Personal Trainer: Personal trainers help clients meet fitness goals through exercise and lifestyle changes.
  • Fettle Instructor: These professionals teach practise routines to big groups of clients at health clubs, gyms, and similar settings.
  • Fitness Manager: These managers straight the activities of employees at health clubs, gyms, and similar settings.
  • Exercise Physiologist: Exercise physiologists develop fitness and exercise regimens for people recovering from injuries and illnesses.
  • Guild Manager: Club managers own or operate health clubs and gyms, often designing the services offered and directing employee activities.

Sports and Coaching

A kinesiology degree is likewise relevant to the field of sports and coaching. Many kinesiology majors work for professional sports teams as coaches, where their knowledge of human bodily capability comes in handy. They may also work every bit athletic directors, overseeing budget and management concerns for schools' athletic departments.

  • Assistant Motorbus: These coaches fulfill administrative and supervisory duties, working underneath a head coach. They may specialized in a detail skill related to their sport.
  • Strength and Workout Jitney: A strength and conditioning autobus designs and supervises forcefulness and conditioning programs for athletes, either every bit individuals or as a group.
  • Caput Autobus: These professionals are the main strategists for their teams, providing support to their players, building preparation and recruiting programs, and designing effective plays for game twenty-four hour period.
  • Certified Athletic Trainer: A certified able-bodied trainer collaborates with sports physicians to help athletes recover from injuries and improve their fitness.
  • Athletic Director: These professionals coordinate and oversee all athletic activities of an organization, such as a postsecondary schoolhouse, public nonprofit, or gild.

Health and Health

Kinesiology degrees can also translate to employment in the health and wellness field. Many corporate and public companies employ wellness consultants to assist ensure workers' happiness. A kinesiology major's foundational noesis of anatomy, physiology, and diet allows them to brainwash and direct help people by fostering good for you daily practices.

  • Corporate Health Coordinator: Wellness coordinators and consultants coordinate physical activities for the benefit of a company's employees. This can include organizing wellness retreats or implementing employee exercise programs.
  • Community Health Worker: These workers usually notice employment in nonprofits and health services organizations, conducting outreach for underserved populations.
  • Wellness Coach: A health coach advises clients on how to foster healthy habits in their everyday lives.
  • Public Wellness Educator: These professionals brainwash communities on good for you life habits and practices, often working in schools, nonprofits, and health service centers.
  • Health Services Manager: A health services manager performs administrative duties for wellness services centers, departments, or clinics.

What Kind of Salary Tin can I Earn With a Kinesiology Degree?

Kinesiology jobs offer modest earnings at the entry level, with the potential for greater earnings upon moving into administrative positions. The Agency of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that fitness instructors earned a median salary of $40,390 in 2019, while sports managers made almost twice that at $73,740.

Entry-level kinesiology jobs remain in high need. For instance, BLS data projects that employment for able-bodied trainers will abound by 16% from 2019-2029.

Career Median Annual Salary Job Growth
(2019-2029)
Typical Degree Needed
Fitness Instructors $40,390 15% Loftier Schoolhouse Diploma or Equivalent
Coaches and Scouts $34,840 12% Bachelor'south
Athletic Trainers $48,440 16% Bachelor's
Exercise Physiologists and Kinesiotherapists $49,170 11% Bachelor's
Sports Managers $73,740 four% Bachelor's
Source: BLS

Advanced Degree Career Paths

Your options for what to exercise with your kinesiology degree will aggrandize if yous are open to pursuing instruction outside of kinesiology. The following career paths require boosted education beyond a kinesiology degree, though they use the same building blocks.

Rehabilitation

Many kinesiology majors pursue piece of work in rehabilitation therapy as concrete therapists, occupational therapists, or chiropractors.

  • Concrete Therapist: These professionals help people manage and overcome injuries and chronic conditions using exercise, special equipment, and massage therapy. Yous need a doctorate in physical therapy to work as a licensed concrete therapist.
  • Occupational Therapist: This type of therapist helps clients manage limited mobility due to chronic conditions and disability. Candidates demand a master's in occupational therapy to work as a licensed occupational therapist.
  • Chiropractor: A chiropractor manipulates the spinal cavalcade and other joints to help restore people to proper skeletal alignment and wellness. A physician of chiropractics degree is required to work as a licensed chiropractor.

Nutrition

Because kinesiology and nutrition both autumn under the wellness sciences classification, many kinesiology graduates transition into condign nutritionists, dietitians, and nutrition therapists.

  • Nutritionists: These professionals advise people on dietary strategies to help build healthy lifestyles. They usually concord bachelor's degrees in nutrition and must complete clinical requirements to obtain licensure.
  • Dietitian: Dietitians aid people who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight. These specialists need available'southward degrees in dietetics and completed clinical hours to obtain licensure.
  • Nutritional Therapist: These therapists help people improve their mental and physical health by assessing their nutritional needs. They usually concur bachelor's degrees in nutrition and must complete clinical hours to obtain licensure.

Medicine

A kinesiology degree can serve equally a pre-med qualification for certain careers in medicine, such as sports medicine, sports psychology, and pharmacology.

  • Sports Physicians: A sports physician treats athletes recovering from serious injuries. They must earn a doctor of medicine degree to practice.
  • Sports Psychologists: Sports psychologists aid athletes cope with stress and the pressures of high-level competition. They need a doctoral degree in psychology to practice.
  • Chemist: Pharmacists suggest patients on the condom use of medical drugs. These wellness providers need doctoral degrees in pharmacology to practice.

Pedagogy

Kinesiology degree graduates can also discover piece of work as educators in a variety of settings, commonly in physical teaching or related subjects.

  • Concrete Education Teacher: A physical instruction teacher teaches Grand-12 students virtually sports, prophylactic exercise, and squad values. Most physical education teachers demand teaching licensure to teach Chiliad-12, especially in public schools.
  • University Professor: Earning a postgraduate kinesiology caste can lead to employment as a academy professor specializing in kinesiology. These professors need pedagogy licenses, and they ordinarily have doctoral degrees in kinesiology.
  • Outdoor Risk Teacher: These teachers help people enjoy recreational outdoor activities while safely staying within their limits. They need extensive outdoor experience and fitness to work in this position.

Accreditation for Kinesiology Programs

All students should ensure the accreditation condition of their prospective programs earlier applying. Currently, CAAHEP handles programmatic accreditation for kinesiology programs. Attention a kinesiology plan with CAAHEP accreditation guarantees that you receive a high-quality, hard-science-based education. Graduation from a CAAHEP-accredited program is a prerequisite for professional person certification as an athletic trainer.

Questions About Kinesiology Degrees

What Does a Kinesiologist Do?

Kinesiologists study the biomechanical processes of the body, exploring how managing those processes can contribute to human health. They then prescribe exercise-related practices as medicine for their clients.

What's the Departure Between Kinesiology and Concrete Therapy?

Physical therapy requires a doctoral degree and applies exercise, apply of special equipment, easily-on therapy, and medical imaging to improve patient mobility and treat specific problems. Kinesiology also uses exercise activities to promote health, but it is more holistic, addressing full general movement problems. Kinesiology does not require a doctoral degree.

Is a Caste in Kinesiology Worth It?

If using exercise and motility education every bit a tool to assist people interests yous, a degree in kinesiology may pb to a fulfilling career.

Is a Degree in Kinesiology Difficult?

Earning a kinesiology degree does non involve equally much of the hard sciences every bit other health science degrees, only it does require an interest in human anatomy and biology. Successful kinesiology majors usually have a skilful grasp on social science and work well with people.

What Kinesiology Jobs Make the Almost Money?

The highest-earning jobs in kinesiology are administrative positions in sports, fettle, and health and health, such equally sports managers, fitness managers, and athletic directors.

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