Course Outlines

KIN 110: Human Anatomy: Structure of the neural, muscular, and skeletal systems of the human body. Special emphasis on movement analysis and the physiological effects of exercise.

KIN 120: Health and Exercise Management: Role of physical activity in the maintenance of a healthy life. Application of basic physical fitness and exercise methods, exercise techniques and fitness appraisal.

KIN 131: Systems Physiology I: Structure and function of the skeletal system, muscular system, integumentary system, neuro-hormonal control, and endocrinology. Emphasis will be to develop an understanding of the integrative nature of the systems discussed.

KIN 132: Systems Physiology II: Structure and function of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, urinary system, digestive system, and immune system. Emphasis will be to develop an understanding of the integrative nature of the systems discussed. 

KIN 140: Lifespan Motor Development: A lifespan approach to motor development that examines underlying factors affecting physical growth, physical activity behaviour, and human motor performance, while highlighting contemporary issues and trends in society.

KIN 150: Sport and Exercise Psychology : Psychological theories and research related to sport and exercise behaviour.

KIN 160: Leisure and Sport in Society: Introduction to the political, economic and social basis of leisure and sport; concepts, theories and problems.

KIN 205: Research Methods in Kinesiology: Critical evaluation of research studies and methods with emphasis on the physical activity context.

KIN 206: Introduction to Statistics in Kinesiology: Basic concepts and principles of descriptive and inferential statistics, and distribution-free statistical techniques.

KIN 211: Human Motor Behaviour I: Processes underlying human movement and learning motor skills and factors influencing acquisition, performance, and movement control.

KIN 216: Biomechanics I: Application of elementary principles of physics and math to a quantitative analysis of movement. Analysis will also focus on the development of forces within muscles and their effect on initiating and controlling human movement.

KIN 232: Nutrition, Physical Activity and Health: Study of nutrition and its application to physical activity and health. Macro- and micronutrient classification and recommended daily intakes, their digestion, functions in the body and their role in supporting physical activity and health will be discussed.

KIN 235: Exercise Physiology I: Acute and chronic effects of exercise on body systems; basic concepts of cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular responses to physical activity.

KIN 262: Health Policy and Society: Health policy and the social context in relation to active health.

KIN 300: Human Athletic Performance: An exploration of human movement and related issues pertaining to sports and athletic performance for non-Kinesiology students. Not for credit in the B.Kin. Program.

KIN 311: Human Motor Behaviour II: Acquisition, performance, and control of skilled movements. Processes and underlying mechanisms involved in learning and performing motor skills.

KIN 313: Neuromuscular Integration of Human Movement: The neurophysiological and functional neuroanatomical processes involved in the sensory and motor control of movement, posture and balance in the human. Peripheral and central sensorimotor structures, and neurological diseases that effect human movement and balance control will be discussed.

KIN 316: Biomechanical Properties of Tissues: Mechanics of muscular contraction and how the mechanical properties of the muscle, ligaments, tendons, and bone work synergistically.

KIN 411: Neuroanatomy of Human Movement: Neuroanatomy of human motion in healthy and clinical populations.

KIN 413: Sensori-motor Control of Human Balance: Examining the sensory, motor, and biomechanical factors that contribute to human balance control during quiet standing and postural reactions to internal and external perturbations. Emphasis on understanding the characteristics of healthy balance control and changes associated with age and disease

KIN 415: Sensori-motor Neuroplasticity in Movement and Exercise: Concepts in neuroplasticity related to sensori-motor control of movement and exercise. The focus will be on plasticity (both adaptive and maladaptive) that arises because of either training or injury/non-use as it relates to movement control and exercise.

KIN 419: Laboratory Investigations in Neuromechanical Kinesiology: Integration and application of laboratory principles and techniques for experimental investigations of topics in neuromechanical kinesiology, including biomechanics, motor behaviour, and neurophysiology.

KIN 320: Exercise Testing and Prescription: Exercise prescription, techniques, and appraisal methods for promoting health-enhancing levels of fitness for people with chronic disease and disability.

KIN 335: Advanced Applications of Exercise Physiology: Transport of oxygen during exercise in humans. Regulation and integration of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems during exercise.

KIN 420: Prevention of Sports Injuries: Training and safety strategies for the prevention of injuries to the musculoskeletal system and sense organs.

KIN 424: Medical Aspects of Sport and Exercise: Training and safety strategies for the prevention of injuries or disorders of internal organs and central nervous system. Environmental and nutritional factors in conditioning and pre-event preparation.

KIN 432: Sport Nutrition: Sport nutrition guidelines, physiological mechanisms of fuel use in the body, nutritional strategies to support weight change, hydration, and ergogenic aids the needs of special athlete populations.

KIN 434: Exercise, Nutrition and Metabolism: Exploring the physiological and biochemical changes that occur in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver following exercise. Interactions between exercise, nutrition, and commonly prescribed medications used for the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease will also be examined.

KIN 435: Pulmonary Physiology of Exercise: Operation of the lungs, chest wall, and ventilatory control mechanisms during dynamic whole-body exercise.

KIN 438: Skeletal Muscle Physiology: From Generation to Regeneration: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle adaptability to physical activity: muscle development, signaling cascades of hypertrophy and atrophy, and satellite cell contribution to muscle regeneration/repair; etiology of intramuscular fatigue.

KIN 341: Inclusive Physical Activity for Individuals with Special Needs: For persons with disabilities; a developmental, lifelong approach to programming. Includes fieldwork.

KIN 342: Creating Effective, Developmentally Appropriate Physical Activity Learning Environments: Instructional design and technologies applied to sport and physical activity programs.

KIN 344: Leisure Services for Persons with a Disability: Policy issues relating to leisure opportunities for persons with disabilities.

KIN 345: Foundations of Coaching: Methods of athletic conditioning, planning the program, psychology of training and coaching, athletic evaluation.

KIN 442: Planning Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Programs: Processes, techniques and considerations in the planning, implementation and evaluation of physical education, sport and exercise programs in both public and private agencies.

KIN 444: Conceptual Approaches to Games Education: Examination of developmentally appropriate conceptual and tactical approaches to team game instruction.

KIN 351: Physical Activity and Disability: Physical activity counselling, education programming principles, exercise considerations, and strategies for promoting inclusive physical activity for people with disabilities.

KIN 353A: Current Topics in Exercise and Health Psychology: Exploring concepts, principles, and theories as they relate to the practice of promoting and supporting recommended physical activity for individuals and population groups. Particular attention will be directed at contemporary issues, controversies, evidence informed initiatives, and innovative new approaches.

KIN 355: Movement Experiences for Young Children: The design and implementation of movement experiences for children in early childhood years.

KIN 450: Inclusive Approaches to Sport Psychology: Examination of the psychological and behavioural processes of athletes from a social justice perspective. The focus will be on the role of social structures, sociocultural norms, power relations, and social identities in shaping athletes’ perceptions and lived experiences in sport.

KIN 453: Understanding and Changing Physical Activity Behaviour: Examining the influence of psychological factors across different settings and populations, with a particular focus on interventions aimed at enhancing mental health. Understanding psychology can be used to design effective interventions at the individual and community level.

KIN 459: Psychobiology of Physical Activity: Exploration of the role that physical activity and exercise play in modifying the neurobiological, autonomic, endocrine, and inflammatory responses to stress.

KIN 360: Sport, Peace, and Conflict: Relationships that sport and leisure have with peace, conflict, and social inequality in Canada and internationally.

KIN 363: Leisure, Sport, and Popular Culture: Selected aspects of leisure and sport examined in relation to modern social structures and cultures.

KIN 368: Indigenous Sport and Physical Culture in Settler Canada: Historical and contemporary issues in Canada that shape Indigenous sport and physical activity, health programs, and policies.

KIN 464: Health Promotion and Physical Activity: Current perspectives on health promotion and health education; design and implementation of health promotion strategies in a variety of arenas, particularly health promotion/education strategies aimed at encouraging physical activity.

KIN 465: Interculturalism, Health and Physical Activity: Examination of multiculturalism and interculturalism in the delivery of community-based physical activities for diverse populations; connections between physical activity and health in different cultural contexts. Community service learning and participation in culturally unfamiliar physical activities are core elements.

KIN 468: Indigenous Health and Wellness: The complex social, cultural, historical, and economic factors that shape health and wellness within Indigenous communities will be explored through extensive blended learning and experiential learning opportunities.

Seminars are specialized and smaller-sized classes, which provide an in-depth exploration of emerging topics in Kinesiology, ranging from cutting-edge research to contemporary issues. In this setting, active engagement, discussions, and collaborative projects are encouraged, fostering critical thinking and research skills.

When planning ahead for registration in future terms, keep an eye out for Advanced Seminars indicated with a suffix, e.g. KIN 482A. There is no application required to register in an Advanced Seminar course, and upper-year students can simply enrol in these courses during the registration period, just like any other course.

KIN 483 W_002 – Advanced Seminar in Systems Biology, Exercise and Health (Term 2)

Theme: Debunking Myths in Exercise and Physiology
Instructor: Questions about this course section should be directed to Dr. David Wright at: david.wright@ubc.ca
Description: This course will provide students with the necessary background to critically evaluate the scientific validity of claims made on social media, and in the lay press, regarding exercise, nutrition and health. This course will provide an overview of scientific principles, and the physiological basis related to the evaluation of health claims. Exercise, nutrition, and health is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is largely unregulated. With the explosion of social media there is a myriad of claims related to the benefits of exercise and nutrition that have not been properly vetted scientifically. Given this, it is vitally important to provide students with the necessary skills to critically evaluate these claims and be able to explain them in a succinct and easy to understand manner.

Open to all BKIN students with class standing 3 and above (year 3 and up).

KIN 486 Y_002 – Advanced Seminar in Psychology of Movement (Term 2)

Theme: Performance Psychology
Instructor: Questions about this course section should be directed to Dr. Desmond McEwan at: desmond.mcewan@ubc.ca
Description: The ability to perform key skills effectively is an essential characteristic of many domains such as sport, the performing arts, and the workplace. This course focuses on the psychology of performance. Throughout the term, we will cover a range of topics such as what success really means, why we might excel or falter under pressure, and the ability to manage the adversity that we inevitably face in our goal pursuits. Students can apply (and help others apply) the knowledge gained from the course to their experiences in sport and other contexts, such as in their future careers.

Open to all BKIN students with class standing 3 and above (year 3 and up). KIN 205 Research Methods is highly recommended.

KIN 487 D_002 – Advanced Seminar in Sociocultural Studies (Term 2)

Theme: Kinesiology, Health, and Climate Justice
Instructor: Questions about this course section should be directed to Dr. Liv Yoon at: liv.yoon@ubc.ca
Description: This course explores the unique insights and creative approaches that kinesiology can offer around understanding and responding to the climate crisis.  Recognizing that climate change manifests on individual bodies but with social patterns, this course explores 1) how kinesiology broadens understandings of the body and health that is essential to grasp the wide-sweeping yet uneven impacts of climate change; and 2) examples of climate, health and justice connections informed by this understanding.

Open to all BKIN students with class standing 3 and above (year 3 and up).

KIN 487 X_002 – Advanced Seminar in Sociocultural Studies (Term 2)

Theme: Paralympic Paradoxes: The Inclusion and Exclusion of Disabled People in Sport
Instructor: Questions about this course section should be directed to Dr. Andrea Bundon at: andrea.bundon@ubc.ca
Description: In this course, we will explore disability through the lens of the Paralympic Games. This will include thinking about sport as a cultural practice that can — and has been — used to both reproduce and resist dominant notions about what disability is and what disabled people can do/be. Using the Paralympic Games as our starting point, we will: (1) engage in conversations about how disability has been defined (through medical models, social models, human rights models and more) and how sport has reinforced particular ways of understanding disability, (2) debate the possibilities and pitfalls of using sport generally and the Paralympic Games specifically for advancing disability advocacy and disability justice, (3) explore the historic and present day involvement of kinesiologists, medical practitioners, rehabilitation professionals, and sport and exercise scientists in the Paralympic Movement, and (4) consider the intersectionality of disability in sport with other social identities and systems of power related to gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, Indigeneity and age.

Open to all BKIN students with class standing 3 and above (year 3 and up).

KIN 484 B_001 – Advanced Seminar in Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Health (Term 1)

Theme: Indigenous Approaches to Sport and Exercise Medicine
Instructor: Questions about this course section should be directed to Dr. Darren Warburton at: darren.warburton@ubc.ca
Description: This course is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the lived and shared experiences of Indigenous peoples in sports and exercise medicine settings. This course will incorporate Indigenous ways of understanding and doing taking a strengths-based approach to health, wellness, and sport performance. Key topics include elite sport performance, healthy ageing, and chronic disease prevention and treatment.

Open to all BKIN students with class standing 3 and above (year 3 and up).