Andrea Bundon
Job Title
Assistant Professor
Employer
The University of British Columbia - School of Kinesiology
Canadian Immigration Updates
Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more
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.
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.
Quick Facts
School
School of Kinesiology
Program Components
Dissertation
Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
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
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 two references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. Each graduate program determines the type of reference (e.g. academic, professional) and number of references they require which can range from 2 to 4. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your qualifications for the program.
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 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
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,875.34 | $3,294.66 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,626.02 | $9,883.98 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,144.10 (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. | |
* 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.
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 $24,000 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.
Funding Statistics
Based on the criteria outlined below, 28 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 with a mean of $40,864 and a median of $40,748.
This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $33,236 and median of $32,434.
- 23 students received Teaching Assistantships. Median TA funding based on 23 students was $14,410.
- 19 students received Research Assistantships. Median RA funding based on 19 students was $10,000.
- 5 students received Academic Assistantships. Median AA funding based on 5 students was $400.
- 28 students received internal awards. Median internal award funding based on 28 students was $2,550.
- 8 students received external awards. Median external award funding based on 8 students was $32,500.
Study Period: Sep 2023 to Aug 2024 - 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. Mean and median values might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology
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.
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 24 hours a week during academic sessions.
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 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 ConsultantResearch 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.Alumni on Success
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.
This program went through a name change in previous years that may have included curriculum changes. It was previously known as: Doctor of Philosophy in Human Kinetics until 2011. Historical data on this page may include data collected under the previous name(s) of the program.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 15 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 20 |
| Offers | 9 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 14 |
| New Enrolment | 6 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 9 |
| Total Enrolment | 38 | 43 | 40 | 38 | 43 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 89% based on 28 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 23 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 3.75 years and the maximum time is 7.85 years with an average of 5.7 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new enrolment for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. 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.
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 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.
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 (Natural sciences; Exercise, physiology, oxygen transport, cardiovascular regulation, bioenergetics, mitochondria)
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Bredin, Shannon (Medicine, nursing and health curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Psychology, social and behavorial aspects; Indigenous health; Physical education and development curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Psychosocial, sociocultural and behavioral determinants of health; Health promotion and disease prevention; Motor Behaviour (Motor Expertise, Learning, and Development); Human Performance; Physical Activity; Knowledge Translation and Mobilization; Indigenous Health and Physical Activity; Long-Term Athlete Development; Childhood Development; sport)
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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; Sensorimotor adaptation)
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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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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; 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)
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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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Dr. Missen examined how the brain integrates sensory information to control balance. He identified properties of a mechanism that aligns the body with gravity and demonstrated that the brain prioritizes velocity information in the sensory integration process. This research will help improve methods to identify and rehabilitate balance deficits. |
| 2024 | Dr. Waldhauser examined the transition from military to civilian life, and the role of physical activity in supporting veterans' health and well-being after release from service. These studies contribute to a greater understanding of factors related to adjustment after transition and have the potential to inform future programming for veterans. |
| 2024 | Dr. Trainor explored elite athlete well-being. Her research demonstrates the critical role of sport culture and the high-performance environment in comprising athlete well-being. After interviewing Olympic and Paralympic athletes, she identified eight sport-specific components that make up athlete well-being, which can help support elite athletes. |
| 2024 | Dr. Dean illustrated how participation in adaptive skateboarding and wheelchair motocross may offer health benefits and social benefits to physically disabled people and illuminated how larger social, cultural, political, economic, and structural forces may influence disabled riders' participation in different sporting spaces. |
| 2024 | Dr. Ramachandran explored the history of body classification systems in health and sport-focused areas, through the example of the somatotype. She found that the somatotype was used to characterize race, class, athletic ability, and intelligence biologically, demonstrating how measurement methods are value laden and warrant critical exploration. |
| 2023 | Dr. Chen combined experimental and probability-based computational approaches to study how the brain integrates motion sensations into perceived self-motion. His research advanced our knowledge in sensory processing at both the individual neuron and sensory organ levels, offering insights for future works in neuro-prosthetics and rehabilitation. |
| 2023 | Dr. Ahmadian investigated the potential cardiovascular benefits of breathing low oxygen in a rodent model of spinal cord injury. His works lay the foundation for future translational hypoxia therapies to help restore blood pressure control in individuals living with spinal cord injury. |
| 2023 | Dr. Wierts examined factors that contribute to the well-being and exercise behaviour, and demonstrated the importance of identity in predicting exercise behaviour. He further examined key antecedents of exercise identity and the feasibility of a group-based exercise program for promoting exercise identity and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2023 | Dr. Sauvé examined the perspectives of national team coaches, National Sport Federation performance directors, and Olympians regarding factors they felt undermined and supported Olympic-level athlete well-being. The findings and recommendations were discussed with influential leaders within the Canadian elite sport environment, with the intention of optimizing athlete well-being in the future. |
| 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. |
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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
VGDPHD-OI
Classification
Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
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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