Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD)

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Overview

The PhD degree in Kinesiology is a research oriented thesis-based degree. The areas of research include the broad domain of physiological, biomechanical, behavioural and psychosocial factors influencing human movement and the analysis of social and cultural transformations in the role and functions of physical activity.

Interested applicants are advised to visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The PhD in Kinesiology program affords students an opportunity to learn in a vibrant, supportive, and multidisciplinary research environment. Graduate students are drawn to the School to work with specific research faculty members and benefit from their expertise in specific content areas. 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. Individual faculty members can "top up" a financial package from external grant sources to assist with recruitment of exceptional students. Please see our Awards section for more details.

I appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of UBC Kinesiology and the cooperation of researchers, academics, clinicians, and practicing health care professionals.

Jem Arnold
 

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Program Enquiries

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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

The School of Kinesiology normally requires a thesis-based master's degree in Human Kinetics, Physical Education, Kinesiology, or other related fields of study, for admission.

2) Meet Deadlines

Application open dates and deadlines for an upcoming intake have not yet been configured in the admissions system. Please check back later.

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.

Thesis Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD)
All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.

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

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$112.00$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$1,802.52$3,166.73
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)		$5,407.56$9,500.19
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) $3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)$1,081.64 (approx.)
Costs of living (yearly)starting at $18,517.90 (check cost calculator)
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
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

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program will be provided with a funding package of at least $22,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please see our Awards section for more details.

Average Funding
Based on the criteria outlined below, 17 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research/academic assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $42,491.
  • 16 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 16 students was $11,714.
  • 13 students received Research/Academic Assistantships. Average RA/AA funding based on 13 students was $11,806.
  • 17 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 17 students was $10,399.
  • 8 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 8 students was $25,583.

Study Period: Sep 2020 to Aug 2021 - average funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology
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.

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.

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 direction. The duties usually constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is a form of financial support for a period of graduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate students, the amount of a GRA is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. The stipend amounts vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded. Some research projects also require targeted research assistance and thus hire graduate students on an hourly basis.

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 Calculator

Applicants have access to the cost calculator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

39 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 2 graduates are seeking employment; 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 2 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 34 graduates:


RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (5)
University of Toronto (2)
University of the Fraser Valley (2)
University of Ottawa (2)
Langara College (2)
University of Lethbridge
University of Bath
University of Alberta
Laurentian University
University of Maryland
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Lululemon Athletica Inc.
Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
Giffin Koerth Forensic engineering and science
NASA
Own The Podium
Witten LLP
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute
Fortius Sport and Health
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Learning Consultant
Research Scientist - Sensory Perception
Human Factors Consultant
Sport Science and Medicine Advisor
Junior Scientist
Senior Practitioner
Director
Senior Scientist
Associate Lawyer
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.
Disclaimer
This program underwent a name or structural change in the study time frame, and all alumni from the previous program were included in these summaries. These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.
Career Options

The PhD program prepares graduates for a broad range of careers. Former PhD students have pursued additional training including post-doctoral degrees as well as careers in health promotion, governmental and non-governmental work, research, and teaching. Many former Kinesiology graduates have become successful academics.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

Enrolment Data

 20212020201920182017
Applications1511191314
Offers1261346
New registrations1141044
Total enrolment4138423942

Completion Rates & Times

Based on 21 graduations between 2017 - 2020 the minimum time to completion is 4.00 years and the maximum time is 8.00 years with an average of 5.20 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each year, May to April [data updated: 7 April 2022]. Enrolment data are based on March 1 snapshots. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs [data updated: 19 October 2021].

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Monday, 26 June 2023 - 9:00am - Room 200

Colin Michael Wierts
Exercise Behaviour and Well-Being: Examining a Novel Psychological Needs Framework

Tuesday, 11 July 2023 - 9:00am

Jeffrey Lawrence Sauve
An Examination of Factors that Undermine and Support Olympic-Level Athlete Well-being: A Multi-perspective Approach

Research Supervisors

Thesis Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD)
All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.
 
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.

View More Advice Videos
 

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.

  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Boushel, Robert (Kinesiology)
  • Bredin, Shannon (human motor learning, expertise and development, physical education, teacher preparation and effectiveness, Human motor behaviour (motor learning, development, and expertise), life span physical activity and health, physical and health literacy, health knowledge, health-related physical fitness, interactive gaming, telehealth, psychomotor markers of performance)
  • Bundon, Andrea (Kinesiology; Social Contexts; critical disability studies; disability; Paralympics; social media; sociology; sport)
  • Carpenter, Mark (neural control of movement, fear of falling, Neural control of movement, postural control, fears of falling, balance disorders, Parkinson's disease)
  • Chua, Romeo (Human perceptual-motor control, vision and action, perceptual-motor compatibility, coordination)
  • Faulkner, Guy (Kinesiology; Community Health / Public Health; behavioral medicine; Exercise Psychology; mental health; physical activity and public health; physical activity interventions)
  • Fewster, Kayla (Injuries in the spinal tissue; Temporal mechanical changes in the lumbar spine in relation to motor control and joint mechanics)
  • Forsyth, Janice (Kinesiology; History of Physical Culture and Sport; Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology; Socio-Cultural Studies)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Inglis, J Timothy (Exercise science, neurophysiology, biomechanics, stance and balance control, human microneurography, physical therapy and rehabilitation, vestibular system)
  • Koehle, Michael (Systems physiology; Other clinical medicine; Musculoskeletal biology and physiology; Exercise Physiology; air pollution; Sport and Exercise Medicine; Environmental Physiology; Altitude)
  • Lam, Tania (Sensorimotor physiology; Kinesiology; Physical therapy; Neurological disorders (except neuromuscular diseases))
  • McEwan, Desmond (Sport and exercise psychology; Industrial and organizational psychology; Teamwork; Sport Psychology; Group Dynamics; High-Performance Teams; Human Thriving)
  • Miran-Khan, Karim (Exercise is Medicine; Health promotion via Exercise; Type 2 DM prevention)
  • Mitchell, Cameron (Kinesiology; Aging; molecular biology; Muscle hypertrophy; Nutrition; Physical performance; Protein metabolism; Resistance training; Sarcopenia)
  • Norman, Moss (Kinesiology; Community and public health; Critical weight studies; Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology; Indigenous physical cultures; Masculinities; Socio-Cultural Studies)
  • Petrella, Robert (Aging; rehabilitation; Geriatrics; Chronic Disease prevention, management and control; Physical Activity; Lifestyle management)
  • 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)
  • Sheel, William (Animal physiology, exercise; Kinesiology; airways, exercise, hypoxia, pulmonary physiology, respiratory muscle)
  • 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)
  • Warburton, Darren (cardiovascular physiology, clinical exercise rehabilitation, interactive video games, , Sport cardiology and clinical exercise rehabilitation, elite athletic performance, childhood health, treatments for patients with chronic disease, cardiac rehabilitation)

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Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation
2023 Dr. Fagan examined if physical activity prevents substance use among Canadian youth. Overall, there was no evidence that physical activity confers broad, universal benefits in prevention. However, sport participation may provide a contextual experience that enhances school connectedness which in turn is associated with substance use prevention.
2023 Dr. Yogev examined the reliability and validity of wearable near-infrared spectroscopy during exercise, to better inform practitioners about the utility of measuring muscle oxygenation in field conditions. His work provides valuable guidelines for muscle oxygenation monitoring in real-time during exercise.
2023 Dr. Leahy studied the effect of age and sex on the human skeletal muscle metaboreflex. His studies further our understanding on the effects of healthy ageing on reflex cardiovascular function, as well as sex differences in blood flow distribution and ventilatory control during exercise.
2023 Dr. Kipp examined the demands of the respiratory system during exercise in older males and females compared to younger individuals. Collectively she showed that males and females use different strategies to breathe, and this sex difference persists throughout healthy aging, which contributes to the increased caloric cost to breathe during exercise.
2022 Dr. Kanagasingam interviewed social justice-oriented clinicians and their patients to examine how social justice is understood, enacted, and experienced in weight-related clinical care. The study presents an alternative to the dominant approach of treating obesity and offers practice-oriented insights for weight-inclusive and equitable care.
2022 Dr. Rice examined the developmental trajectories of young athletes to understand multi-sport vs. single sport approaches to sport. He found that athletes value and are trying to participate in multiple sports through seasonal specialization, but greater cooperation and harmonizing of messaging is needed between sport bodies.
2022 Dr. Ruissen applied a continuous-time framework to examine how the bidirectional relationship between affect and physical activity unfolds over time. This work introduced an innovative approach to studying dynamic psychological processes in relation to health behaviours.
2022 Dr. Malik developed novel paradigms to study the planning and execution of skilled leg movements. His work provides new opportunities to understand the brain's use of peripheral vision when planning to step over obstacles and the importance of coordinating the joints of the lower limb for the recovery of skilled walking after partial paralysis.
2022 Dr. Couture's work explores some of the ways that individuals seek out and experience community though sporting practices. His findings offer insights into the nature and structure of community in the contemporary moment and extend ways of thinking about the relationships people have with physical activity, with technology, and with one another.
2021 Dr. Wu's research focused on movement behaviours and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals living with type 1 diabetes. Her research contributes to a theoretical understanding of movement behaviours for diabetes management. She also provides valuable information to health professionals regarding creating evidence-based guidelines on optimizing movement behaviours among these individuals.

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Further Information

Specialization

Kinesiology

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.

UBC Calendar

https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/faculties-colleges-and-schools/faculty-graduate-and-postdoctoral-studies/degree-programs/kinesiology

Program Website

https://kin.educ.ubc.ca/graduate-programs/prospective-graduate/

Faculty Overview

Faculty of Education

Academic Unit

School of Kinesiology

Program Identifier

VGDPHD-OI

Classification

Kinesiology
 
 
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