The Mississippi State University Department of Kinesiology is housed within the College of Education and features numerous exceptional areas of study for graduate and undergraduate students. An undergraduate program in kinesiology will prepare students to work to curb the national obesity epidemic, improve human movement function, and meet the needs of aging individuals. An undergraduate degree in kinesiology provides students with a fundamental background in health promotion and disease prevention. Health reflects one of the central aims of our department, which is the promotion of human health via education, research and service to the community. Ph.D. students can choose Exercise Science or Sport Studies (physical education, sport philosophy, sport communication, sport administration and marketing). Graduate students at the Master’s level can choose Sport Administration, Sport Pedagogy, or Exercise Physiology (clinical exercise physiology or strength and conditioning). The Department of Kinesiology offers pathways for students interested in careers in personal training, commercial fitness, strength and conditioning, cardiac rehabilitation, or teaching in a public school.
The program offers research and learning opportunities in areas including motor behavior, strength and conditioning, and metabolic and exercise research, with faculty mentors that specialize in each area. All of these initiatives help us to lead our students to become the future leaders in their chosen area of expertise in all facets of Kinesiology & Health. Interesting classes, faculty-led research and incredible internships encourage you to think differently, lead by example and help others achieve wellness. We intend to fulfill this mission by offering opportunities and experiences in classes, seminars, field work experiences, clubs, and organizations involved with the study of human movement and physical activity. Core topics include kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum, gravitation, fluids, and simple harmonic motion. The kinesiology major offers students the opportunity to explore and engage in critical topics within the field and its related sub-disciplines, prepare for varied professional opportunities, and bring a Christ-centered perspective to the fitness, exercise, sports, and health industries. Topics include psychology as a science, biological bases of behavior, lifespan development, perception, conditioning and learning, memory, cognition, motivation and emotion, personality, psychological disorders, methods of therapy, and social and applied psychology.
Our dedicated professors teach a wide array of subjects including human anatomy, nutrition, principles of conditioning, motor learning, and methods in coaching. You’ll graduate with competency in the wellness, physiology, anatomy, motor development, sport psychology, strength and conditioning, sport management and more. You’ll learn all about movements of the human body, wellness, nutrition and so much more. Graduates go on to serve in a variety of capacities in fitness, wellness, sports management and leadership careers. Includes interaction of sport with societal values and ethics and outcomes affecting professional and collegiate sports. Orthopedists are surgeons and thus are qualified to diagnose and surgically treat many sports injuries. You can achieve an abundant life with true satisfaction and happiness if you know that you are living in harmony with other people, with yourself, and with your environment. Yoga exercises linked to movement, mind, and breath to bring about a feeling of balance, relaxation, and harmony. Emphasis is on lifting for strength and power by concentrating on the core power lifts and other multiple joint exercises. YogaFit also has a variety of yoga exercises meetings many times per year led by Bethy Shaw, known around the world as a yoga guru and business mogul.
The program provides educational opportunities and a variety of practical experiences that help prepare students for a professional career and/or advanced study. Designed to help the student develop an awareness of the cultural aspects of health beliefs and the influence of culture on health beliefs and behaviors. Balance, core strengthening and muscle awareness will be emphasized through a series of exercise and routines. Classes in the Department of Kinesiology prepare students for certifications as Strength and Conditioning Specialists, Personal Trainers, Health Fitness Instructors, Exercise Specialists, Clinical Exercise Physiologists, and for graduate programs in Kinesiology, Physical and Occupational Therapy, medical school and many others. This course is designed to prepare prospective coaches, athletic trainers, and physical educators in the recognition, evaluation and care of athletic injuries. It is essentially a descendant of Applied Kinesiology — a method of diagnosis used by alternative health care practitioners like homeopaths, Ankle Stability KT Tape chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncturists, as well as medical doctors. In addition to our highly competitive academic program, the Department of Kinesiology & Health focuses offers a wide array of cross disciplinary research, a Departmental Honor’s Program, lectures, and experiential learning opportunities via internships, fieldwork and a global studies program.