Thriving Through Movement

The department is dedicated to the study and practical application of all things related to human movement and physical activity,” explained Windee Weiss, professor of kinesiology and physical education. “Our majors provide a strong base of knowledge for students interested in health-related fields.

At the undergraduate level, students can major in kinesiology (with or without a pre-athletic training emphasis), physical education teaching, or sports administration. Graduate program offerings include kinesiology and sport performance, physical education pedagogy, and athletic training, which is especially thriving.

“Our Master of Athletic Training program has been flourishing, and we expect it to remain popular in the future,” said Fabio Fontana, head of the new department and professor of kinesiology and physical education.

The department also offers an athletic training 3+2 program, through which students can obtain their degree faster and for less money. The intensive pathway blends three years of undergraduate studies and two years in the master’s program at UNI. So, upon completion, students earn both their bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in athletic training while saving on a year of tuition. This also means that students are engaged in clinically-focused coursework and actual clinical experiences from their very first semester at UNI.

Several students in the Department of Kinesiology and Athletic Training are “pre-health” in the sense that they plan on continuing their education for physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, physician assistant or chiropractic. The department also offers several minors including coaching, sport administration, and strength and conditioning.

Fontana shared bringing all these complementary areas together into one department simply makes sense.

“It also combines our expertise for better learning experiences for the students,” he said.

Faculty within the department bring a wealth of knowledge in areas like coaching, sport psychology, exercise physiology, anatomy, sport performance training and more.

Students will gain exposure to more coursework options of interest, including pre-health, pre-athletic training, coaching, or strength and conditioning.

“Additionally, students will be able to take courses from multiple emphases to gain a broad base of knowledge and exposure to the variety of occupations in the physical domain,” Weiss said. “Many students start at UNI with an idea of what they would like to do as a profession, but along the way, they realize that maybe they want to do something else. With our new department, we will be better able to assist these students to move and transition to other areas of interest within kinesiology.”

Students have ample opportunities for hands-on learning within the department’s suite of lab facilities, including the Exercise Physiology Lab, Biomechanics Lab and Psychomotor Behavior Lab. There’s also a room dedicated solely to strength and conditioning, and students get to spend a considerable amount of time in the nationally award-winning Wellness and Recreation Center and renowned Richard O. Jacobson Human Performance Center, too.

For Weiss and many of her fellow faculty, the opportunity to be part of the new School of Health and Human Sciences and the Department of Kinesiology and Athletic Training is exciting.

“This is a perfect fit for our students and faculty. The new department provides an opportunity for both our undergraduate and graduate programs to grow and provides our students with more integrated coursework, research experiences and community outreach endeavors.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY & ATHLETIC TRAINING