Kinesiology
Study every dimension of human movement to improve health and well-being.
Kinesiology is the study of every dimension of human movement — mechanical, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral.
At UMass Amherst, we take an interdisciplinary approach to kinesiology and consider the health and well-being outcomes of exercise and physical activity for a variety of populations. Given the unequivocal evidence supporting the crucial role of physical activity and movement in chronic disease prevention and treatment, as well as in healthy aging, our department stands at the forefront of a discipline of growing social and cultural importance. We accomplish this by integrating research and teaching in physical activity and health, the neuroscience of movement, biomechanics, and the physiology of exercise.
Our students go on to become leaders in the allied health professions, the health and fitness industry, research, and biotechnology, particularly in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic, and movement behavioral health. Kinesiology majors use tools from the fields of behavioral medicine, molecular biology, neuroscience, engineering, and computer science to develop career-ready skills.
Explore our programs
Undergraduate
Increase in faculty research funding for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences from 2017 to 2022
Our campus hosts over a dozen kinesiology labs where groundbreaking research work happens every day
Students from across all SPHHS departments tell us why they love UMass, why they chose to attend, and what their education has given them.
Benefits list
Cutting-Edge Research
The Kinesiology Department offers regular opportunities for students to participate in research labs. Our faculty want to share our passion for research with our students and contribute to our local communities. Consider getting involved in research and learning firsthand about a variety of areas, from movement in children and adolescents to healthy aging and muscle performance.
Body Shop Fitness Center
The Kinesiology Department operates the Body Shop Fitness Center, which serves as a teaching lab and gym. The facility gives students hands-on experience and the chance to share their knowledge with the Body Shop community. It also hosts a variety of research projects and kinesiology courses.
Community in Learning, Teaching, and Research
The Kinesiology Department is committed to creating community for all of our students, staff, and faculty. We work together to allow all of our students to thrive by provide diverse teaching methods, exciting content, and high impact learning opportunities.
Featured faculty
Richard Van Emmerik
Chair, Department of Kinesiology
Focus on motor control; movement disorders; perception-action; posture; locomotion
John Sirard
Graduate Program Director, Kinesiology
Focus on physical activity measurement; social & environmental influences on youth physical activity; school- & community-based physical activity interventions
Eliza Frechette
Focus on health and wellness
Jane Kent
Focus on human skeletal muscle function and fatigue, examining age, gender, chronic health status, and habitual physical activity level.
Douglas Martini
Focus on balance disorders, concussion, gait, motor control, cognition, inertial measurement units, functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
In the news
In the Media: News Roundup (April 26, 2024)
SPHHS researchers comment in multiple media outlets on health-related topics.
Alhassan Receives Zenobia L. Hikes Distinguished Career Award from the Faculty Women of Color in the Academy
Sofiya Alhassan recently received the 2024 Zenobia L. Hikes Distinguished Career Award from the Faculty Women of Color in the Academy (FWCA).
Graduate Students and Faculty Members Awarded Funds to Attend National Faculty Women of Color Conference
Four SPHHS graduate students and faculty members received funding to attend the 2024 Faculty Women of Color in the Academy (FWCA) national conference.
Kinesiology
Investigating the mechanical, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral components of human movement.