Students in the Kinesiology master’s program at Michigan State University develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as professionals in their chosen field. Students are encouraged to develop research skills and complete a thesis in preparation for entry into a doctoral program, or they can also complete an internship or capstone project. A flexible personal program of study is offered within the master’s degree and students are given tremendous opportunities for interdisciplinary study and research with MSU’s numerous degree-granting colleges.
Our Focus
The Kinesiology master’s degree program involves a disciplinary and interdisciplinary research focus on physical activity and sport across the lifespan with special emphasis on youth. Faculty and doctoral students are currently studying varying aspects of pediatric kinesiology. Such topics include motor development in infants and young children, interventions to increase physical activity, cognitive functioning during preadolescence and the development of life skills through youth sport participation.
Big Ten Quality
As part of the Big Ten, Michigan State University offers a quality education. Big Ten institutions are ranked in the top 86 universities in the nation and lead all other conferences with the most Academic All-Americans. As a part of the College of Education, Kinesiology is situated in the same college as several top-10 ranked programs in the nation, including four programs ranked #1.
5 Concentration Areas
Ability to work with doctoral students and faculty
While earning a master’s degree, students are able to work directly with doctoral students and faculty. The kinesiology department has a variety of research labs, such as the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, the Health Behaviors and Cognition Laboratory, the Human Energy Research Lab, and the Center for Physical Activity and Health. Learn more about the kinesiology research labs.
This program by the numbers
3:1
STUDENT : FACULTY RATIO
30
NUMBER OF REQUIRED CREDITS
15
RESEARCH LABS
5
KINESIOLOGY CONCENTRATIONS
Strong ties to athletics
Many KIN master’s students take advantage of opportunities for applied work with MSU athletic teams and Student-Athlete Support Services. As a part of the Big Ten conference, MSU athletics has national titles in several sports over the last 15 years, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, and wrestling. Students are able to work with athletes and teams gaining applied experience and becoming part of the MSU athletic environment.
