Kinesiology: Social and Behavioural Sciences

at UBC's

Vancouver Campus

Prepare for leadership and instructional careers in a variety of physical activity and sport settings in both public and private agencies. You'll cover topics such as adapted physical education, research methods in kinesiology, exercise prescription, and more.

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Program information

  • Campus: Vancouver
  • Faculty: School of Kinesiology
  • Degree: Bachelor of Kinesiology
  • Length 4 yrs
  • Co-op No
    You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
  • Honours No
    You can study intense specialization in a single field.

The Social and Behavioural Sciences stream is an accredited program certified by the Canadian Colleges and Universities Physical Education and Kinesiologists Association (CCUPEKA). It also fulfils the UBC Faculty of Education’s admission requirements if you wish to pursue a school-based teaching career in physical education after completing your Bachelor of Kinesiology degree.

Experiential learning and research

UBC’s School of Kinesiology is also home to 13 research laboratories, including the innovative Health and Integrative Physiology Laboratory, the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, and the Human Neurophysiology Laboratory.

 

Life at UBC's Vancouver campus

As a Kinesiology student, you'll study in the Robert F. Osborne Centre, the War Memorial Gym, and the Woodward Library. You'll also have opportunities to learn beyond the classroom through job and volunteer placements, outreach programs, peer academic coaching, mentorship, career fairs, lab crawls, and the Kinesiology Undergraduate Society.

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Your future

A Kinesiology degree opens up career opportunities in a wide range of fields, including education, fitness and recreation, sports management, medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition. As a Kinesiology graduate, you could go on to work in schools, universities, hospitals, military environments, hotels, recreation centres, sports clubs, aquatic facilities, health clinics, wellness centres, and other private and public agencies.

Program graduates

  • Co-Founder and CEO, HeadCheck Health
  • Program Manager, Active Kids
  • Clinical Exercise Psychologist, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority
  • Professor, School of Kinesiology
View larger image Your future in Kinesiology
Your future in Kinesiology
Your future in Kinesiology
kinesiology-future
Raymond Wong

UBC stories

“Working with the Special Olympians was an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Raymond, of his time spent training athletes from across BC for the 2014 Games. “The athletes and coaches considered us as pros and did not hold back on questions. It helped me build my teaching and leadership skills.”

Raymond Wong, Kinesiology Read the full story

Program requirements

English-language requirements

English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.

General admission requirements

IB Diploma Programme

  • Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.

IB Certificate Courses

  • IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
  • IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.

Degree-specific requirements: Kinesiology

One of:

  • IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL or HL, or IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL. (IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, are not acceptable.)
  • IB Biology
  • IB Chemistry
  • IB Physics

Related courses

The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.

  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics and Computation
  • Sciences
  • Social Studies
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