U-M School of Kinesiology

• The School of Kinesiology was ranked third in NIH funding among kinesiology programs in the U.S. for 2007.
• Kinesiology faculty have funded research projects in collaboration with the University of Michigan Medical School, College of Engineering, School of Public Health, Ross School of Business, School of Education, College of Pharmacy, and Department of Psychology. All of these programs are ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.
• In Fall 2008, 32 full-time enrolled Doctoral students were funded at 100 percent.
• Doctoral students can take advantage of opportunities for dual majors.
• Research and endowed fellowships, teaching assistantships, health care benefits, Federal Work Study, and Federal Stafford Loans are a few of the ways that Master’s and Doctoral students are funded.
• Travel funds are available to Kinesiology PhD students to participate in professional meetings and conferences.

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Why Live in Ann Arbor?

As a U-M student, you will be able to enjoy the lively city of Ann Arbor, which is consistently named one of the best places to live in national rankings. In your spare time, you can experience world-class culture and entertainment, including exhibits, plays, concerts, lectures, workshops, and sporting events. Recreational opportunities also abound, with the city’s vast system of parks, bike paths, and walking trails and close proximity to the beautiful Huron River.

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Areas of Research

Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: The study of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury mechanism; ACL injury prevention; biomechanical and neuromuscular consequences of knee, ankle, and shoulder joint injury; and the mechanisms leading to post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Biomechanics: The study of neuromechanical control of human locomotion and posture, dynamics of expressive movement, functional ability during aging, computer simulation and modeling of muscle mechanics, and robotic exoskeletons for human locomotion.

Exercise Physiology: The study of hormonal responses to exercise, effects of exercise on energy metabolism and the role of obesity, diet, and exercise; the role of adipose tissue and exercise on cardiovascular disease; and lifestyle behaviors.

Motor Control and Development: The study of motor skill development in healthy infants and infants and children with Down syndrome; limb-posture and bi-manual coordination in the elderly, and in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida; functional brain imaging the neural substrates for motor learning; the application of dynamic systems theory to motor skill acquisition; and adapted physical activity.

Sport Management: The study of stakeholder group priorities, sport consumer emotions and attitudes, inter-organizational relationships among sport organizations, media myths and stereotypes about athletes, sport programming and mass media policy, sport marketing, sport-influenced organizational identity, and sport economics.

Pedagogy: The study of learning theories applied in physical education settings, innovative curriculum development and implementation, developmentally appropriate and constructivist-oriented teaching practices, performance-based assessment, and students’ use of self-regulation and critical thinking in learning physical education.

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