Under the guidance of a faculty member, accepted students participate in a research project related to the study of physical activity and health. The student and supervising faculty member collaborate on defining the research question, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting the findings. At the end of the course, students submit an extensive research paper and present their research at the annual Bertha Rosenstadt National Undergraduate Research Conference. Students are also required to attend some classes/workshops to assist them with the research projects.

*Notes regarding KPE390Y1, KPE490Y1 and KPE495H1:
1. For permission to enrol a student must: a) Obtain course information and application forms from Registrar’s Office website. Application forms are available in the spring for the following academic year. b) Find a faculty advisor. c) Complete the pre-requisite form (may do so with faculty advisor if desired). d) Complete advisor-student agreement form together with faculty advisor. e) Submit both prerequisite and student-advisor agreement form together to Registrar’s Office for review and approval by course coordinator.

2. Nominal funding may be available to subsidize some costs of KPE390Y1/KPE490Y1/KPE495H1 projects. See the course information package for application guidelines. **Please note that each faculty member can accept only a limited number of students.

This course provides students with a conceptual understanding of the research process, from topic selection and purpose statements, literature reviews, ethical considerations, designs, analysis, and interpretation. As a complement to KPE291H1, the course emphasis is on the theoretical frameworks of qualitative research methodology, research principles across paradigms of inquiry, and qualitative research methods and techniques that apply to the study of exercise science and kinesiology. This course also focuses on mixed methods research, participatory action research, and knowledge translation.

This undergraduate course offers hands-on opportunities for students to develop transferable research skills and competencies related to the field of Kinesiology and Physical Education. As part of our research inquiry series, this course builds on aspects of foundational knowledge pertaining to research inquiry and methodological approaches, incorporating ethical considerations, data management, and both professional and collaborative research skills. Students will actively engage in research practices for 50 hours under the supervision of a faculty member, gaining practical experience and insights. Students will meet regularly for lectures/tutorials with assessments including some combination of assignments, presentations and examinations, designed to integrate theoretical with practical research skills development.

Ethics is a contested term with multiple and fragmented meanings. Within this course, ethics refers to the philosophical and empirical study of the moral and existential controversies brought about by advances in late modern biological, technological, and medical intervention on/to human bodies. Within the diverse field of kinesiology, physical education, health, leisure, and exercise sciences we are not immune to ethical issues and controversies; quite to the contrary. The testing of/on bodies and their modification, the promotion of physical cultural practices among varied populations, the use of technology to research/enhance human movement, the impacts of moving bodies on the environment, and the study of health and wellness practices must involve the reflexive questioning of ethics within our discipline. This course enhances our collective understanding of the institutional mechanisms and practices by which meanings are attached to bodies in medical/health fields like kinesiology; including an analysis of moral questions regarding how kinesiologists undertake research which develops, enhances, extends, reworks, or remodels bodies in a variety of physical cultures. Students will engage a range of philosophical concepts and ideas relating to normative ethics, applied ethics, and bioethics and explore them through issues and topics we cover in the course. Specific reference will be made to competing perspectives on what is ethical, moral, or right in a contemporary of kinesiology underpinned by an exercise-as-medicine/public health interventionist mandate. Students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of ethical debates in kinesiology and critically evaluate the relationship between bodies, health, technology, late capitalism, culture and society.

Increasingly, sport and physical activity are recognized and utilized as tools of international development. From refugee assistance and conflict resolution to programs targeting economic growth and HIV/AIDS, a host of development initiatives use sport-based programs to meet their goals. The purpose of this course is to examine—theoretically, empirically, and critically—the development through sport / sport for development and peace (DTS / SDP) movement. It is important to consider these social and political issues in order both to problematize the DTS movement and to assist and challenge future DTS volunteers.

This course will examine historical and contemporary conceptions of gender/s and sexualities in sport and physical culture, paying attention to how gender normativities enable and constrain people’s sense of belonging in sports spaces. Discourses, representations and practices of masculinity, femininity, hetero- and homo- normativity, homophobia and transphobia are interrogated using feminist, post-colonial, anti-oppression and intersectional lenses (e.g., how gender and sexuality intersect with race, colonialism, class, and disability). Drawing from key theories, critical readings, film/documentaries, policy and contemporary political rulings , we consider the ways in which gender/s and sexualities are governed in sports and physical culture, and how differential power relations continue to shape people’s understanding of, and attitudes towards, gender-non-conforming bodies, limiting what is possible, specifically for 2SLGBTQI+ peoples in sport. We will discuss how social justice, caring and ethical relations are required in sports and physical culture to create spaces where a multiplicity of bodies, gender and sexuality identifications are protected, allowed to feel safe, and flourish.

This senior course in physical cultural studies attends to and examines the existential and cultural dimensions of illness, disease and suffering in society. Taking both the personal (i.e., embodied, emplaced and performative) experience and institutional organization of illness as its broad focus, the course theoretically and empirically interrogates how socially problematic forms of embodiment, self-constructions through disease processes, illness and individual affect, strained interpersonal relations through illness, bodies in physical and social recovery, and cultural representations of ‘bad bodies’ are poorly understood within kinesiology proper. Particular attention in this course is given to how bodies and associated selves at the fringe of medically defined ‘health’/kinesiological parameters are positioned as pathological, contra-normative, at risk or in need of repair and restitution. Central theoretical and conceptual questions regarding what constitutes health and wellbeing are addressed against the lived cultural realities of people with movement and physical activity challenges and limitations. Topics in the course may include, but are not limited to, doing physical activity as a diseased person, the social organization of rehabilitative medicine in sport and physical cultures, athletes living with/recovering from physical trauma and mental illnesses, patient-centered movement cultures, and phenomenological accounts of the illness, disease and dying processes.

NOT OFFERED in 2026-27

In this course we will refer to race as a remnant of colonialism, an effect of social practices, and a shifting, performed identity. We explore the ways that fantasies of the history of Canada as a tolerant and multicultural nation hide truths about racism in this country and construct race and indigeneity in everyday life. This course examines how and why ’race’ matters so intensely and the ways ‘race’ is produced and policed, ultimately enabling and empowering some bodies and movements, while oppressing others within physical cultures. Myths of race as a biological category will be debunked. We will explore a wide range of topics including Black masculinities and Black diasporas, access to sport for Asians and anti-Asian racism, the (in)visibility of Indigenous peoples in Canadian sport; religious (in)tolerance, and White privilege. We will read theoretical and empirical chapters and articles and discuss how socio-economic, ableist, and gendered practices of differentiation produce race categories. Last, we will elaborate our roles in creating more equitable and democratic spaces for all athletes and people. KPE405H1 will not only improve engagement with social justice issues, but also ameliorate communication skills and intercultural competencies particularly related to indigeneity, diaspora, equity, and anti-racism in sport.

The place of sport within popular culture has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary society, effected by the rise of the celebrity athlete, the political positioning of sporting organizations and the persistent nature of sport media and news. Popular culture maintains incredible influence in contemporary
society, impacting what we wear, watch, consume and participate in. It is intimately and personally connected to people’s opinions and understandings, working to influence stereotypes, attitudes, practices and beliefs. Fundamentally, popular culture has mass accessibility and appeal. This course is designed to critically examine the contemporary interrelationship between sport, popular culture and politics, paying close attention to the role of the media and structures of power, in creating these conversations. Although this course will draw on your familiarity with sport and popular culture, we will approach these subjects from a scholarly perspective. Drawing on theoretical positions in critical cultural studies and political studies, we will examine the role of sport in shaping and reinforcing cultural norms, values and stories. With the rise of various contemporary social and political issues playing out through sports in the sphere of popular culture, we will discuss and engage with a number of different subjects, so we can better understand how sport, and popular culture, have shaped our social and political lives.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

Participation in sport for youth has been associated with physical, social, emotional, and cognitive benefits. The attainment of positive developmental outcomes through sport participation is influenced by factors including the manner in which sport organizations design and deliver programs and the type of relationships youth experience. Although sport participation for youth has the potential to foster developmental benefits, not all youth have positive sport experiences. In fact, as issues of athlete maltreatment in youth sport, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect continue to emerge throughout research and media outlets, it may be argued that sport is not designed and delivered in ways that meet the psychosocial needs of young people. In order to optimize the sport experiences of youth athletes, it is important that stakeholders are aware of the potential for these negative experiences and are educated about ways in which to foster more developmentally appropriate sport. In this course students will be introduced to concepts, theories and ideologies regarding psychosocial development as well as youth maltreatment and protection as they apply to sport. Students will have the opportunity to critically discuss issues of maltreatment within youth sport and will be challenged to critique present research in addition to educational/policy initiatives intended to safeguard youth and foster positive development. Moreover, students will learn about organizational philosophies, coach and parent education, and relationships in sport with the intention of understanding how such factors may stimulate a youth sport environment conducive to maltreatment, thus hindering athletes’ psychosocial needs.

This course explores the evolution of sport and physical culture in the post-9/11 era. Drawing largely from post-colonial, critical race, and feminist theories, we will examine how contemporary renditions of sport have emerged alongside and been shaped by the continuing global war on terrorism. Topics covered in the course include, but are not limited to, the burgeoning area of sport-for-deradicalization; the relationship between sport, the increasingly paranoid security state and the surveillance industrial complex; and the mainstreaming of drone usage in the West. We will interrogate how these issues are buttressed by past and present colonial processes that disproportionately impact populations of colour both domestically and abroad.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

Participants in physical education, physical activity and sport enjoy all the rights of Canadian citizens under Canadian law, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial and territorial human rights legislation. They also enjoy the protections of the international system of human rights established by the United Nations, to which the Canadian government is a signatory. Although many of those documents specifically mention rights related to sports, the promised rights are not always protected in practice as evidenced in, for example, far too many recent cases of athlete abuse. This course examines the concepts, legal protections and failings of human rights in Canadian and international sports. We also explore ways in which recognition of those rights could be strengthened, and remedy may be found when those rights are violated.

This course explores crime, and deviance and harm in sports. We will look at how we define what is and isn’t criminal and deviant in sports and how this differs and also mirrors conceptions of crime and deviance in society more generally. Beyond examining only that which is legally defined as criminal, we will also examine harm and harmful practices in sport that remain common and even pervasive. We will look at how these harmful practices are justified by athletes, coaches, media and fans, how sport cultures and structures produce this harm, and at how discourses on crime and harm in sport work to obfuscate the role of certain actors, institutions, and structures in the perpetration of harm and violence. Given this broad goal, we will examine all sorts of deviance, crime, and harm in sport. This includes physical violence in sport; physical violence outside of the field of play; emotional, psychological and sexual abuse by athletes, coaches, and those involved in sports; labour exploitation and white collar crime; gambling and match fixing, ; fan violence; and the litany of harms produced by sport mega-events, such as displacement and forced migration; hyper securitization and overpolicing; misallocation of funds and corruption; and environmental harm and damage.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

TBC

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

TBC

TBC

This course draws upon previous course work in biophysical, behavioural and socio-cultural aspects of physical activity and links them together within the context of girls’ and women’s health across the lifespan. Particular attention will be given to how physical activity decreases the risk of disease in girls and women and how physical activity assumes a different role in health and well-being during different phases of the lifespan. Students will also be introduced to issues related to the promotion of physical activity for women, the importance of the inclusion of women and girls in research examining the impact of physical activity and the unique aspects of the response of girls and women to activity.

This course explores the complex role of coaches within an evolving competitive sport landscape. By integrating research and practice, students will analyze coaching practices, as well as the organizational and relational spaces in which coaching occurs to examine their impact on athlete and team development. Through this process, students will gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively foster development and performance while navigating the dynamic challenges of coaching.

In this course students will define, research and explore essential elements of dance. These elements include dance technique, musicality, artistry, and choreography. Research and relevant experiences from other KPE courses will be integrated into the lectures and the embodied learning of the lab. Students will research staging, lighting and show production for their major project, which consists of the students choreographing and staging their own work for formal performance. This performance serves to illustrate the theoretical knowledge that the students have gained over the 12-week course.

This course will examine the role of exercise and physical activity in cancer survivorship from a physiological, functional, and psychosocial perspective. The effects of exercise and physical activity on cancer will be studied across the disease continuum, including its role in cancer prevention, disease- and treatment- related symptom management, post-treatment late-effects, and palliative care. Exercise guidelines, required adaptations, appropriate fitness and outcome assessments for cancer survivors will be discussed. This course will explore contemporary approaches, facilitators, and barriers to exercise integration in clinical care within the context of oncology, as well as broader cancer survivorship issues.

This course provides an overview of pedagogical concepts and learning methodologies specific to elementary-aged children in physical activity and health and physical education settings. It explores in-depth the pedagogy of physical activity for the development of physical literacy through topics such as developmental milestones and needs, movement domains and competencies, Daily Physical Activity (DPA) and assessment and evaluation strategies. The concept of health literacy is also explored and applied to the health education needs of elementary-aged children. Finally, the Ontario Elementary Health and Physical Education curriculum, and controversy surrounding it, is explored through the lens of physical and health literacy development. Understanding of course content will be enhanced through tutorials where students will have an opportunity to apply course concepts in practice. Course content can be directly applied to improve physical activity instruction across a range of settings including camps, recreational physical activity programming, coaching and future health and physical education teaching.

This course investigates the influence of nutritional supplements/aids on exercise performance, recovery, and/or adaptation, with an emphasis on the underlying physiological and/or biochemical mechanisms behind the effectiveness of ergogenic compounds. Students will broaden their content comprehension on topics of interest through self-directed critical analysis of current peer reviewed literature with an emphasis on knowledge dissemination in both written and oral formats. Special topics may also be presented.

This course will introduce students to a variety of management concepts related to managing the business of sport, with a particular focus on Canadian contexts. Topics include an understanding of sport organizations and governing bodies, the economics of sport, financial management of sport organizations, designing and administrating sports competitions. The course uses a practical approach by focusing on local, provincial and national sport organizations as case studies for analysis.

Applicable to coaching across diverse areas of kinesiology practice, including sport, healthcare, and education, finding the best in people and inspiring them to focus on their strengths is one of the fundamental principles behind positive psychology coaching. In this seminar-style course, students will examine and appraise the concepts of happiness, thrive, flourishing, and wellness alongside the theory, research and practice of positivity and strength-based coaching approaches. Through class discussions and practical class assignments, students will develop the knowledge and tools to apply positive psychology practices and a strength-based approach to future career paths and day-to-day life.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

The course examines Canadian law and its application to the fields of sport, recreation and kinesiology. Students will obtain a foundational knowledge of the law and the practical skills to address legal issues as future practitioners in sport, recreation, physical education, and health care. Legal topics include contracts, regulated health professions, liability and risk management, human rights and discrimination, privacy, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. Students will obtain hands-on experience by negotiating and drafting contracts and participating in mock decision-making processes that affect legal rights and interests. Finally, students will learn about contemporary and emerging legal issues relating to safe sport, social media, e-sports, and competition fixing.

Most individuals and organizations who work with occupational athletes such as fire fighters, police officers and soldiers have similar goals – improve worker wellness and fitness and minimize the economic impact of injuries and chronic disease. However, the success of any wellness and fitness initiative designed for this population will depend largely on the extent to which the associated program(s) have influenced workers’ choices, actions and behaviours. This course will explore the 5 critical components of the occupational wellness-fitness framework (define, pursue, support, restore and promote wellness) by discussing various standards, best-practice guidelines and practical strategies being used to improve occupational wellness and fitness.  Case examples will be used throughout to illustrate possible obstacles and facilitators to implementing a wellness and fitness program for occupational athletes.   

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

Most individuals and organizations who work with occupational athletes such as fire fighters, police officers and soldiers have similar goals – improve worker wellness and fitness and minimize the economic impact of injuries and chronic disease. However, the success of any wellness and fitness initiative designed for this population will depend largely on the extent to which the associated program(s) have influenced workers’ choices, actions and behaviours. This course will explore the 5 critical components of the occupational wellness-fitness framework (define, pursue, support, restore and promote wellness) by discussing various standards, best-practice guidelines and practical strategies being used to improve occupational wellness and fitness. Case examples will be used throughout to illustrate possible obstacles and facilitators to implementing a wellness and fitness program for occupational athletes.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

This course builds from the concepts and theories discussed in KPE334H1. Students will be given the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge taught in KPE334H1 to build instructional and leadership skills to facilitate exercise and sport programs and assessments for people with varied abilities across all age groups and environments. Students will be given opportunity for active, hands-on learning through some combination of the following: case studies, assignments, readings, field experience.

TBC

In this course, students examine the central concept of environmental sustainability. A number of local and global dilemmas and issues are explored, with a focus on intersections with the provision of outdoor education and the natural environment. Students will gain a deeper appreciation for the relationship between individuals, society and the global Earth. By the end of the course students will be able to apply considerations of environmental sustainability in the delivery of outdoor education and to outdoor recreational engagement in our day-to-day lives.