Kinesiology - Doctor of Philosophy
Coursework
The Ph.D. in Kinesiology requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of formal coursework (beyond a masters degree) and an expected 24 credit hours of research and dissertation work. Thus, the minimum expected credit hour accumulation is 60 credit hours.
At least 12 credit hours must come from graduate courses in the department of Kinesiology. NMSU's department of Kinesiology offers courses across a range of foundational knowledge areas including:
- Relationships among physical activity, health, and quality of life
- Scientific foundations for the study of physical activity and human movement
- The social, cultural, and historical context of the study of physical activity
- The practice of physical activity
A minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken in research methodologies, at least 3 credits of which must be in experimental statistics and at least 3 credits from a qualitative methods course(s). There are many options for these courses on the NMSU campus that will permit the student to meet this requirement.
The remaining 12 credit hours are taken at the direction of the student’s advisor and committee and agreed upon at the time of the student’s qualifying exam (see below).
Examinations
Students seeking the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Kinesiology must pass a (1) Qualifying Examination that must be completed before accumulating more than 24 credit hours towards their degree, a (2) Comprehensive Exam including written and oral elements that must be completed before beginning a final dissertation project, and a (3) Final Exam that includes the defense of their final dissertation study.
Dissertation
The candidate for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Kinesiology must complete a dissertation in a focused area of study. The student and their committee must agree upon the dissertation topic, and approval of the dissertation requires the consent of the plurality of the student’s committee members. The student must complete a minimum of 18 dissertation credit hours.
Graduate courses currently offered in the department of Kinesiology
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology Course Requirements | 12 | |
| Psychology of Coaching in Sport | 3 | |
| Nutrition and Metabolism of Sport | 3 | |
| Principles of Strength and Conditioning | 3 | |
| Biomechanics | 3 | |
| Exercise for Special Populations | 3 | |
| Psychology of Sport | 3 | |
| Skill Acquisition and Performance | 3 | |
| Advanced Motor Development | 3 | |
| The Social Construction of the Body | 3 | |
| Advanced Exercise Physiology | 3 | |
| Cardiovascular Physiology | 3 | |
| Skeletal Muscle: Structure and Function | 3 | |
| Designing Resistance Training Program | 3 | |
| Special Topics | 1-3 | |
| Research Methodologies | 12 | |
| Statistical Inference I | 4 | |
| Statistical Inference II | 0,3 | |
| Advanced Regression | 3 | |
| Applied Multivariate Analysis | 3 | |
| Qualitative Research I | 3 | |
| Methods in Cognitive Psychology | 3 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology I | 3 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology II | 3 | |
| Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods | 3 | |
| Inferential Statistics in Sports and Exercise Science | 3 | |
| Research Methods in Kinesiology | 3 | |
| Research and Dissertation | 24 | |
| Problems (May be repeated up to 9 credits) | 1-3 | |
| Project (May be repeated up to 12 credits) | 1-12 | |
| Kinesiology Research (May be repeated up to 15 credits) | 1-3 | |
| Doctoral Dissertation | 18 | |
| Electives Elective hours are taken at the direction of the student’s advisor and committee | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| SPMD 5450 | Exercise for Special Populations | 3 |
| SPMD 6410 | Cardiovascular Physiology | 3 |
| A ST 505 | Statistical Inference I | 4 |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| SPMD 5410 | Biomechanics | 3 |
| SPMD 5575 | Advanced Motor Development | 3 |
| A ST 506 | Statistical Inference II | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester 3 | ||
| SPMD 6750 | Kinesiology Research | 3 |
| SPMD 6710 | Project | 3 |
| SPMD 6996 | Special Topics (Research Methodology) | 3 |
| SOCI 5157 | Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| SPMD 6310 | The Social Construction of the Body | 3 |
| SPMD 6710 | Project | 8 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Semester 5 | ||
| SPMD 7000 | Doctoral Dissertation | 9 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| SPMD 7000 | Doctoral Dissertation | 9 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |