The Public Face of Kinesiology in the 21st Century

Recent enrollment growth in kinesiology places it second among academic areas of study in higher education. This article addresses issues that have prompted that growth, will allow it to continue, and examines other likely changes in the field. A major factor in growth has been the value of kinesiology as a major for allied health professional programs such as physical therapy and occupational therapy. In general, this growth is good for the field but creates the need for added faculty and facilities, stressing the capacity of current doctoral programs in kinesiology. Questions also arise about the distribution of undergraduate majors with many more seeking allied health options rather than kinesiology’s traditional fields of fitness leadership and physical education teaching. Other topics addressed include the increasing use of lecturers rather than tenure/tenure-line faculty, large public versus smaller private universities, use of the kinesiology core (American Kinesiology Association), direction of kinesiology research (sport or health related), and the role of kinesiology in public health.