Careers in Kinesiology
Potential Employers
- city parks & recreation departments
- colleges and universities
- community organizations
- corporate health centers
- country clubs
- health clubs and fitness centers
- high schools and middle schools
- hospitals
- Olympic training centers
- professional fitness centers
- professional sport teams
- public and private schools
- sport medicine centers
- sports injury clinics
- recreational organizations or leagues
- rehabilitation clinics
Career Opportunities
Sport Science
- actor/actress
- athletic apparel design
- business operations process improvement specialist
- coach
- club sport coordinator
- community and exercise health activist
- event planner
- group fitness instructor
- fitness equipment sales
- health promotion
- marketing
- mental skills coach
- performance enhancement
- recreation or club sport director
- sports medicine clinician
- sports equipment manager
- sport and fitness educator
- youth program coordinator
- recreation program director
- wellness coach
- youth sport recreation director
Exercise and Health Science
- actor/actress
- adaptive movement activity specialist
- athletic apparel design
- cancer exercise trainer
- cardiac rehab specialist
- chiropractic assistant
- corporate fitness
- corporate wellness manager
- dance medicine specialist
- employee fitness director
- ergonomics
- exercise technicians/specialists
- fitness and wellness trainer
- fitness center director
- fitness consultant/specialist
- group fitness instructor
- health coach
- health educator
- health promotions
- inclusive fitness trainer
- instructor/coordinator
- laboratory technician
- life style coach
- marketing
- orthotics/prosthetics
- pharmaceutical sales
- personal trainer*
- physical therapy assistant
- spa manager
- sports medicine clinician
- wellness coach
- wellness coordinator/director
Commonly used as a preparation for admission to professional programs including nursing, physician assistant, certified athletic trainer, medical degree and chiropractic programs.
*certification recommended
Clinical Movement Science
- actor/actress
- adaptive movement activity specialist
- cancer exercise trainer
- cardiac rehabilitation specialist
- consultation
- chiropractic assistant
- corporate fitness
- dance medicine specialist
- ergonomists
- fitness specialist
- group fitness instructor
- health promotions
- human factors
- laboratory technician
- marketing
- personal trainer*
- physical therapy assistant
- wellness coach
Commonly used as a preparation for admission to professional programs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, physician assistant, and rehabilitation and preventive medicine.
Pre-physical Education
- actor/actress
- adaptive movement activity specialist
- high school coach
- intramural sports director
- marketing
- private coach
- sales
- youth program director
- recreational sports
- youth sports
Used as preparation for admission to the M.Ed. in Teaching/Initial Teacher Licensure Program in K-12 Physical Education at the University of Minnesota. Learn more about teacher preparation »
*certification recommended
A kinesiology degree provides excellent preparation for both graduate school and professional programs.
Career Opportunities with an Advanced or Graduate Degree
Clinical Movement Science
- alternative medicine
- applied physiology
- athletic trainer
- biomechanics
- chiropractor dance/movement therapist
- dentist
- clinical exercise physiologist
- exercise physiologist
- forensic medicine
- insurance company research and development
- medical device industry
- military exercise physiology
- neuroscience
- nurse
- nutrition/dietician
- occupational therapist
- optometrist
- pharmaceutical industry
- physician assistant
- physician
- physical therapist
- podiatric medicine
- public health
- rehabilitation and preventative medicine
- researcher
- sports medicine
- sport performance testing
- university professor
Exercise and Health Science
- applied physiology
- athletic trainer
- biomechanics
- chiropractor
- dentist
- dietician
- clinical exercise physiologist
- exercise physiologist
- forensic medicine
- insurance company research and development
- medical device industry
- military exercise physiology
- neuroscience
- nurse
- nutrition/dietician
- optometrist
- pharmacist
- pharmaceutical industry
- physician
- physician assistant
- public health
- rehabilitation and preventive medicine
- sports medicine
- sport performance testing
- researcher
- university professor
Sport Science
- lawyer
- athletic administrator
- architect for sports facility
- athletic director
- college coach
- designer of sports/fitness equipment
- forensic medicine
- insurance company research and development
- nutrition researcher
- sport performance coach
- strength and conditioning coach
- sport consultant
- sports psychologist
- university professor
Pre-physical Education
- community college instructor
- physical education teacher K-12
- college coach
- professional coach
- researcher
- university professor
Job Titles and Employers of Alumni
- Business Manager, YMCA
- Director of Membership and Marketing, Golf Club of St. Paul
- Account Manager (health promotion), Advantage Health Corporation
- Marketing Communications Manager, InTouch Health
- Assistant Women’s Gymnastics Coach, University of Minnesota
- Club Manager, 24 hour Fitness
- Director of Recreational Sports, Viterbo University
- Sales Rep/Territory Manager (orthopedic sales), R+M Rehabilitation
- Health Coach, United HealthCare
- Service Manager, Wells Fargo Bank
- Health Fitness Professional, Health Fitness
