![Measuring a participant's gait in a kinesiology study.](/public-health-sciences/sites/g/files/ijdqth186/files/styles/4_3_l/public/2022-10/IALS_Human_Motion_Lab_featured-image.jpg?h=dec22bcf&itok=7lC0kX6-)
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.