About This Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology prepares students to be scholarly researchers who generate new knowledge in the field of Kinesiology, with the skills to apply existing scholarship to questions concerning the prevention, assessment, and treatment of motor difficulties, chronic diseases, and musculoskeletal injuries.

The program’s interprofessional and multidisciplinary curriculum, as well as research focus, incorporates basic and clinical science approaches to identify disease markers and mechanisms, as well as evidence-based interventions designed to prevent and treat specific health conditions such as chronic illnesses and injuries in vulnerable and at-risk populations comprised of obese, older, and/or minority persons. This program builds and extends the Department of Kinesiology’s existing research, education, and community outreach initiatives in health and the human condition across the lifespan. Students will work with their advisor to design an individualized program of study to meet their research interests and career goals.

The PhD in Kinesiology offers the following area of specialization.

• Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Integrative and Applied Physiology
• Physical Education
• Public Health

Contact a graduate advisor for guidance on applying to and participating in this program.

Competencies
 

1. Graduates will be able to conduct teaching and advanced original research in their specialization area and to be able to identify relevant components of research design and methodology associated with original research literature.
2. Graduates will be able to develop and maintain effective collaborations among different health professionals to conduct research associated with improvement of health outcomes.
3. Graduates will be able to advance their area of specialization through regional and national professional scholarship activities (i.e., presentation and publication of research findings).
4. Graduates will be able to develop the basic principles / knowledge related to the ability to critically evaluate topics related to the general field of kinesiology and be prepared to apply, integrate, and synthesize their knowledge.
5. Students will demonstrate proficiency in presenting research related topics via an oral presentation and written communication.

Admissions Criteria

PhD applicants must meet these preconditions to be considered for admission. 

• Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited US or international institution.
• Have an agreement (letter/email correspondence) from a faculty member in the department to serve as their primary supervisor based on the alignment of the applicant's and faculty member's interests.
• All international students must meet the minimum requirements for English Language proficiency as outlined in the UTA University Catalog UTA Catalog - English Proficiency.

The following criteria are evaluated for admission into the Kinesiology BS to PhD program.  The program considers all of the listed criteria in making admission 

• GPA in the last 60 hours of study: Higher GPAs (at least a B or better) benefit applicant evaluations.
• GPA in all Kinesiology-related work: Higher GPAs (at least a B or better) benefit applicant evaluations.
• A resume or CV of the applicant (maximum of 3 pages). This should highlight the educational background of the applicant, work / volunteer history, awards, research experience etc.
• A Statement of Purpose (maximum of 3 pages). This should highlight the previous achievements and experiences of the applicant that have led to the decision to consider a Doctoral graduate degree in Kinesiology as well as the previous achievements that would qualify the applicant for admission into the Kinesiology PhD program. The statement should also include future career goals following obtaining the PhD.

• Three (3) letters of reference. These letters should outline the readiness for academic preparation and the pursuit of doctoral studies of the prospective student.

ADMISSION DECISIONS 

UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSION

PROBATIONARY ADMISSION

NOTE: Admission to the Kinesiology PhD is competitive and there is limited space. Therefore, while meeting standards for unconditional or probationary admission, significantly improves an applicant’s chance for acceptance, they do not guarantee acceptance. 

DEFERRED ADMISSION

A deferred admission decision may be granted when an application file is incomplete.

DENIAL OF ADMISSION

A candidate may be denied admission in the Kinesiology PhD (BS Entry) if he/she does not meet the criteria for unconditional acceptance and/or probationary admission. 

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS 

The Department of Kinesiology offers financial support to qualified Doctoral graduate students in the form of graduate teaching (GTA) and research assistantships (GRA).  

Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) 

Funding: 

• Funding will be in the form of a monthly stipend with consideration made to offset a portion of tuition and associated fees. 
• Renewable the second year based on positive performance evaluation and the maintenance of a minimum GPA of 3.00 
• Out-of-state and international students qualify for in-state tuition 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• 3.0 GPA in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours 
• 3.0 GPA in any graduate level credit hours 
• Admission to the Department of Kinesiology Doctoral Program 
• International students must submit a TSE score of at least 45, or a score on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT of at least 23 or a score of at least 7 on the Speaking section of the IELTS. Alternatively, students who have not taken the TSE or who have failed to attain a score of 23 on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT or a score of 7 on the Speaking section of the IELTS, may achieve a score of at least 45 on the 

Responsibilities: 

• Teach 5 to 6 semester credit hours of kinesiology and/or activity courses each semester 
• Register for and complete no fewer than 9 semester hours per semester in the fall and spring terms 

How to Apply:

• All GTAs must remain in good academic standing. 
• Interested students should reach out to their primary faculty mentor to express interest in a GTA position.  

Selection (Award) Criteria:

• Quality of application package
• Availability of the candidates preferred research mentor to accept the candidate as a graduate research mentor
• Common research interest by the candidate and the candidate’s preferred research mentor
• Candidates academic record and GRE scores
• Candidates career goals and future directions after completing their graduate study at UTA.

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) 

Funding: 

• The payscale will vary depending on the faculty grant and availability of funds. 
• Differ from GTA in that that these funds are paid by a graduate faculty member (most often funds come from research grants). Therefore the duration can differ from a GTA (can be longer or shorter) depending on the availability of funds. 

Responsibilities: 

• Register for and complete no fewer than 9 semester hours per semester in the fall and spring terms 
• Conduct the activities in accordance with agreements made by the funding faculty member. 

Selection Criteria:

• GRAs are awarded by the funding faculty member based upon the following criteria. Interested students should reach out to their primary faculty mentor to express interest in a GTA position. 
• Alignment of research interests with a graduate faculty member who has agreed to serve as your faculty mentor.
• Availability of funds from the graduate faculty member's laboratory. 

Curriculum

The BS to PhD program consists of 20 required course credit hours, 40 credit hours (minimum) of track electives, and a minimum of 9 credit hours of dissertation (69 total credit hours minimum).

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Course can be taken outside of the department

Program Completion

Dissertation Committees and Candidacy

The Dissertation requirement for the PhD in Kinesiology includes two components:

1. A written Dissertation to include at least 2 manuscripts of quality and format that are submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
2. A successful oral defense of the Dissertation.

In addition, students must:

                 1. Pass the comprehensive examination prior to defending his/her                           proposal.

                 2. Successfully present his/her dissertation proposal before he/she                           can enroll in dissertation hours.

The Dissertation Committee is responsible for the evaluation of both the written dissertation and oral defense. The Committee must be comprised of a minimum of four members, including the Committee Chair who will be the student's primary faculty mentor. This Committee Chair must be a member of the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Studies Committee or have status on the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Studies Committee. The remaining Committee members must include at least one additional faculty member from the Department of Kinesiology. If the Committee Chair is not a full time member of the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Studies Committee the remaining Committee members must include at least two members from the Department of Kinesiology. Academic Professional Track faculty members in the Department of Kinesiology are eligible to serve in this role with prior approval from the KINE Graduate Advisory Committee and they must serve as a co-chair with another tenured Kinesiology faculty member. In addition the Committee must include at least one member who is external to the Department of Kinesiology. The external member may include individuals not working within UT Arlington if applicable. All Committee members must hold a terminal degree in their field and/or demonstrate the required expertise and appropriate faculty status for serving on dissertation committees.

Comprehensive Examination

BS to PhD students will become eligible for the comprehensive examination when they have completed 36 hours of their graduate work.

These completed course hours represent the minimum requirement; however, eligibility for the comprehensive examination will be dependent on approval from the Chair of the Dissertation Committee.

Successful completion of the comprehensive examination makes students eligible for PhD candidacy. Students must be enrolled in the semester they take the comprehensive examination.

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to evaluate the extent to which students have acquired the basic principles / knowledge in pertinent coursework. The expectation will be that students will be able to apply, integrate, and synthesize their knowledge.

When students are eligible for the comprehensive examination, the student's graduate mentor/advisor will recommend the student for the examination to the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Studies Committee for approval.

Upon completion, the comprehensive examination committee will meet to discuss the merits of the student's examination. Comprehensive examinations will only be held in regular, long semesters.

The composition of the comprehensive examination committee will be decided by the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Academic Committee. This comprehensive examination committee will be comprised of at least one member of the Graduate Academic Committee and a minimum of 2 additional members with relevant content expertise.

Following completion of the examination the Committee may recommend any of the following outcomes:

1. Unconditional pass. With an unconditional pass, students become eligible for PhD candidacy and prepare for the defense of their dissertation proposal.
2. Pass with conditions. A pass with conditions requires that students perform each of the conditions satisfactorily in order to become eligible for PhD candidacy
3. Unsatisfactory with opportunity to retake the examination. With this recommendation, the committee will specify when the retake will occur
4. Unsatisfactory, do not continue in program.

If the outcome of the comprehensive examination is an unconditional pass, students immediately become eligible for PhD candidacy. If the outcome is a pass with conditions, students may only become eligible for candidacy when the examining committee determines that the student has successfully met the conditions stipulated by the committee.

Dissertation Proposal

Following successful completion of the oral examination the student will be required to draft a grant application to be written in a format that is standard for most external funding agencies. This grant will describe the student’s proposed dissertation projects and will also serve as the written portion of the student’s dissertation proposal. The application should be up to 10 pages in length and should consist of the following sections: 1) Significance, 2) Innovation, and 3) Research Approach (e.g. for each aim - any preliminary data, planned methodological approach, data analysis, statistical approach, expected results, and anticipated limitations). The student will give an oral presentation of the research proposal outlined in the application and must provide a copy of the grant proposal to his/her dissertation committee a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the oral presentation. The presentation will be in a standard power point format and will be an open seminar that will be advertised across the University. Immediately following this presentation, the student will have a separate meeting with his/her dissertation committee. This proposal defense must occur within two long semesters following successful completion of the oral comprehensive examination.

Advising Resources

Graduate students in Kinesiology are advised by program faculty.  They are encouraged to reach out to their faculty for any questions or concerns regarding their academic progression.  

Location:

147 Maverick Activities Center

Email:

kinesiology@uta.edu

Phone:

817-272-3288

Web:

Kinesiology Advising Information