Overview
The Master of Arts in Kinesiology (MA) is a thesis-based degree which provides advanced education and research training in the social, behavioural, and/or managerial sciences. In particular, students pursue studies in areas such as exercise and sport psychology, the sociology of health, physical activity, and/or sport, and sport history.
Interested applicants are advised to visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.
What makes the program unique?
The Master of Arts in Kinesiology program affords students an opportunity to learn in a vibrant, supportive, and multidisciplinary research environment. Students work closely with individual faculty members who provide exceptional training and focused supervision using a mentorship model. The School offers competitive financial packages to highly qualified students in the form of teaching assistantships and entrance scholarships. Please see our Awards section for more details.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
Program Instructions
Confirm the proposed faculty member’s interest and availability before proceeding with the formal application process. If you do not receive a response please contact the graduate programs assistant at kin.gradsec@ubc.ca. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION WITHOUT CONFIRMING A POTENTIAL SUPERVISOR AS YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED WITHOUT THIS CONFIRMATION. APPLICATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 96
Reading
23
Writing
24
Speaking
26
Listening
23
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
6.5
Writing
6.5
Speaking
6.5
Listening
6.5
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
Four (4) Year Bachelor's degree in Human Kinetics, Physical Education, Kinesiology, or other related fields of study.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
01 September 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Arts in Kinesiology (MA)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $114.00 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
There are various awards and funding available to incoming Master's students. For more information, please see our Awards section for more details.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Options
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Arts in Kinesiology (MA). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 13 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 12 |
| Offers | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| New Registrations | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Total Enrolment | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Arts in Kinesiology (MA)
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Beauchamp, Mark (Kinesiology; social determinants of health; Health Promotion; Quality of Life and Aging; Mental Health and Society; Children; Exercise Psychology; Group Processes; Health Psychology; Intervention; Leadership; Older Adults; Physical Activity; Social Cognition; Sport Psychology)
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Bennett, Erica (Sport and exercise psychology; stress, emotion, and coping; Aging; sport; chronic illness; disability; Physical Activity; community and critical perspectives in physical activity psychology)
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Blouin, Jean-Sebastien (Kinesiology; sensorimotor integration; Motor System; robotics and automation; Trauma / Injuries; Physiology; Balance robot; Computational approaches; Head and neck; Sensorimotor physiology; Sensory virtualisation; Standing balance; Whiplash injuries)
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Boushel, Robert (Kinesiology)
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Bredin, Shannon (Education; Psychology and cognitive sciences; Health sciences; Motor Behaviour (Motor Expertise, Learning, and Development); Human Performance; Physical Activity; Knowledge Translation and Mobilization; Indigenous Physical Activity and Health; Long-Term Athlete Development; Childhood Development)
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Bundon, Andrea (Kinesiology; Social Contexts; critical disability studies; disability; Paralympics; social media; sociology; sport)
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Carpenter, Mark (neural control of movement, fear of falling, Neural control of movement, postural control, fears of falling, balance disorders, Parkinson's disease)
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Chua, Romeo (Other natural sciences; Human sensorimotor control; Visual-motor control)
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Faulkner, Guy (Kinesiology; Community Health / Public Health; behavioral medicine; Exercise Psychology; mental health; physical activity and public health; physical activity interventions)
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Fewster, Kayla (Injuries in the spinal tissue; Temporal mechanical changes in the lumbar spine in relation to motor control and joint mechanics)
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Forsyth, Janice (Kinesiology; History of Physical Culture and Sport; Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology; Socio-Cultural Studies)
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Hodges, Nicola (Sport and exercise psychology; Behavioural neuroscience of learning and memory; action anticipation and observation; coaching and motor skill expertise; skill acquisition; Motor learning; observational learning and instruction; sports skill development)
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Hurd, Laura (Sociological methodology and research methods; Sociology and social studies of health, health systems and health care; Aging; Gender; health; ageism or age-based discrimination; sociology of aging; sociology of health; embodiment or embodied experience; body image; chronic conditions or chronic illness; disability; Assistive technology; qualitative methods; media representation; LGBTQ+ aging; intersectionality; information and communication technology)
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Inglis, J Timothy (Exercise science, neurophysiology, biomechanics, stance and balance control, human microneurography, physical therapy and rehabilitation, vestibular system)
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Kim, Hyosub (Sensorimotor control; Motor systems; Sensorimotor neuroscience; Sensory processes, perception and performance; Motor learning; motor control; Computational modeling; Bayesian Methods)
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Koehle, Michael (Systems physiology; Other clinical medicine; Musculoskeletal biology and physiology; Exercise Physiology; air pollution; Sport and Exercise Medicine; Environmental Physiology; Altitude)
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Lam, Tania (Sensorimotor physiology; Kinesiology; Physical therapy; Neurological disorders (except neuromuscular diseases))
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McEwan, Desmond (Sport and exercise psychology; Industrial and organizational psychology; Teamwork; Sport Psychology; Group Dynamics; High-Performance Teams; Human Thriving)
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Miran-Khan, Karim (Exercise is Medicine; Health promotion via Exercise; Type 2 DM prevention)
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Mitchell, Cameron (Kinesiology; Aging; molecular biology; Muscle hypertrophy; Nutrition; Physical performance; Protein metabolism; Resistance training; Sarcopenia)
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Norman, Moss (Kinesiology; Community and public health; Critical weight studies; Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology; Indigenous physical cultures; Masculinities; Socio-Cultural Studies)
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Petrella, Robert (Aging; rehabilitation; Geriatrics; Chronic Disease prevention, management and control; Physical Activity; Lifestyle management)
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Puterman, Eli (Kinesiology; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Acute exercise; cellular aging; chronic stress; Exercise interventions; Health Psychology; Physical Activity; Physical literacy; Stress physiology; telomeres)
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Sheel, William (Animal physiology, exercise; Kinesiology; airways, exercise, hypoxia, pulmonary physiology, respiratory muscle)
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Vertinsky, Patricia (social and cultural history of the body, gender relations, health, sport and exercise, social history of women and health, social/cultural aspects of sport and physical activity, health education, promotion and policy, Social and cultural history of sport and physical activity, gender, race, aging and disability, modern olympics)
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Kinesiology is an academic discipline which involves the study of physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life. It includes exercise science, sports management, athletic training and sports medicine, socio-cultural analyses of sports, sport and exercise psychology, fitness leadership, physical education-teacher education, and pre-professional training for physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine and other health-related fields.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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