Through hands-on experience and scientific research, Kinesiology majors discover how anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and psychology shape human movement.

Drake University’s Kinesiology major is a pre-professional bachelor’s degree for students pursuing physical therapy, medical school (general medicine, sports medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation [PM&R], orthopedics), athletic training, graduate school programs in exercise science or kinesiology, and careers in strength and conditioning, wellness/health programming, and product design.

Since movement is a part of everyone’s lives, kinesiologists work with people in a variety of contexts—from athletes and coaches in the context of sports to injured individuals in the context of rehabilitation to members of the general public in the context of improving health or fitness. Many kinesiologists find their work to be rewarding both scientifically and socially, and careers are available in a range of landscapes from business and industry to health care and medicine to academia.

Our Kinesiology curriculum is medically-oriented with a strong emphasis on anatomy and physiology.  Courses aren’t just about learning new facts or memorizing names, but practicing how to apply that knowledge in contexts like nutrition history analysis and plan design, feeling or measuring muscles and joint range-of-motion, and diagnosing movement errors for use in developing strength and conditioning plans to restore or improve function.

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