TBD

This course builds upon students’ existing knowledge and understanding of coaching that were gained in KPE342H1, and will complete the foundational knowledge and skills expected from those who are actively, or planning to be involved in coaching, teaching or instruction. The NCCP Introduction to Competition Part B is embedded into the course and students will be able to gain this nationally recognized coaching award by meeting the certification requirements. Specific areas of coaching that will be studied and discussed in this course are: Coach communication, intervention and feedback; the power differential between athlete and coach which can lead to negative behaviour; how to create a Seasonal Training Plan; Coach self-reflection; Mental practices to aid athletes.

This course builds upon KPE350Y1/KPE355Y1 to further students’ theoretical grounding in the broader practice of Kinesiology and Physical Education in society. Topics covered in this course include, but are not limited to, emotional intelligence in the workplace, integrity in community relations, performance adaptability, diversity, creativity, ethics and professionalism, and work-life balance. Adopting a values-based approach to learning and development students will be encouraged to consider strategies for enhancing the practice of Kinesiology and Physical Education within society. As a part of this course, students will spend 100 hours in the field and will work closely with a mentor. Course evaluation activities include weekly class and tutorial sessions, written assignments, presentations, and examinations.

Notes: Classroom/tutorial sessions are two hours per week in addition to field experience. For more information visit the professional placement page on our website.

Please refer to the 'Fees and Financial Requirements' section of the calendar for details on ancillary fees.

Virtually every sport relies on the ability to generate speed and power in order to compete successfully. Understanding the biomechanical, physiological and technical basis of speed and power is vital to be able to design interventions to improve. In this course, the scientific basis of speed in humans will be examined using both a biomechanical and physiological perspective. The primary focus will be on speed and power in running, jumping and throwing and therefore, practical experience will be part of the course. Students will also be exposed to both the theory and practice of training for speed and power.

This course examines physiological responses, adaptations, and maladaptations of sedentary, working, and exercising humans to a variety of environmental stressors, including most or all of the following: cold and hot environments and the associated challenges to regulate body temperature; pressure changes that occur at high terrestrial altitude or underwater; acceleration forces such as the g-forces experienced by high performance aircraft pilots; air pollution; and microgravity effects experienced by those working and travelling in space.

Three lecture hours per week, one laboratory exercise during regularly scheduled lecture time, and the possibility that one field trip visit may be scheduled to a research laboratory in north Toronto.

NOT OFFERED in 2026-27

Issues related to providing kinesiology services will be examined. There will be a focus on understanding professional practice as a registered kinesiologist. Career opportunities and their related pathways will be explored. Diverse issues such as how to integrate theory and science into practice, identification of roles and responsibilities within the health system will be explored.

The role of reflection and continued professional development in professional practice will be examined. Topics to be covered may include: informed consent and screening; liability issues and scope of practice; code of conduct and the evolving role of the College of Kinesiology and professional associations; case- and problem-based learning; standards of practice; practice models; and various professional opportunities of a registered kinesiologist.

The key learning objectives of this course are to develop expertise in the theory and application of exercise testing and the prescription of exercise programming in clinical populations. The American College of Sport Medicine guidelines on risks of exercise, pre-participation screening, and testing procedures are reviewed with additional context and real-world examples provided. The focus will be on cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular risk factors, but other components covered include muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. This course includes opportunities to apply the lecture content and practice communication, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional skills in small group-based discussions of case studies. Another key learning objective is the critique and evaluation of exercise-related research to facilitate the interpretation and application of emerging research findings by exercise professionals. Lecture material will also include the timely topic of remote or home-based exercise prescription. While the focus of this course is on exercise, students will gain knowledge and practical experience that is generalizable to various areas of clinical practice. The primary clinical populations covered in class content are cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, but students will have opportunities to study other clinical populations via assignments.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

Introduces students to topics within exercise biochemistry and cellular physiology. The course examines the factors that influence the cellular responses of skeletal muscle and other tissues to exercise and exercise-related topics. The relevance to various diseased states is often examined. Topics covered may include: atrophy, hypertrophy, genetics, techniques, cell stress, oxidative stress, aging, disease prevention, adipose tissue, muscle fiber types and other relevant topics.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

We are shaped by our experiences, whether it is through our environment, training or an injury. These experiences can be potent enough to change the way our brain is organized and how it functions. This course will examine key topics about the brain’s neuroplasticity in the context of skill performance. We will answer questions such as does it really take 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert?, how does your brain do it (from synapses to behaviour)?, and are there ways that we can push the brain’s neuroplasticity to its limits?, if that exists – can you train to become the next elite athlete or jazz great.

This course will provide students with detailed information on topics, examples and cases that illustrate the important role that science plays in sport and exercise. The course will touch on relevant and important areas of scientific investigation that have contributed to the current state of knowledge in kinesiology. Course content includes topics related to movement, fuels, energy systems, skeletal muscle adaptations, sex differences, exercise principles as well as other relevant issues.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

Students will develop advanced knowledge of the force-motion relationships of tissues and structures of the musculoskeletal system. Various techniques used to investigate the mechanical function of the joints in the human body will also be discussed. Case studies will be used to explore the underlying joint mechanics and mechanisms for injury across body regions.

NOT OFFERED IN 2067-27

Students in this course will explore a popular, although yet to be comprehensively explained, phenomenon in the field of physiology – the presence of responders/non-responders following an intervention. With this perspective, this course is going to explore exercise physiology by having a look at individual responses – individuals just like you and me. In particular, students will explore why some individuals have a large increase in their peak rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) following exercise training while others do not. The constituents of VO2 will be deconstructed, which will allow for detailed exploration into the cardiovascular response to exercise and how unique individual differences may impact the ability to deliver oxygen to active skeletal muscles. This course will begin to explore the application of ‘precision phenotyping’ and ‘personalized training’, as a means to optimize an intervention to the unique attributes of an individual in order to promote a healthy lifestyle, maximize performance, and/or improve quality of life. The application of endurance exercise training in relation to various physiological thresholds will also be explored. This course will allow students to further develop their working knowledge of integrative physiology, while advancing their critical thinking and reasoning skills. As a whole, students will be able to broadly incorporate information from this course into the field of Kinesiology, whether in athletes, healthy individuals, or clinical populations.

NOT OFFERED IN 2026-27

This course will examine theories underpinning the development and delivery of exercise programs in clinical populations. Exposure to a variety of unique clinical populations (through video and case studies) will enable students to explore special considerations (e.g., functional abilities, needs, limitations and social barriers) specific to individuals seeking tailored movement recommendations. Using discovery-based methods (including case studies and group problem solving activities), students will learn how to gather and share relevant information with clients and use this information to inform selection of appropriate assessments and movement strategies as well as to gain an appreciation of the range of expected outcomes in response to exercise programming. Students will also examine the foundational elements of exercise program design and its practical implementation as it relates to professional kinesiology practice. Emphasis will be placed on communication, self-reflection, ethics and the ability to think critically and problem-solve within the learning experiences.

NOT OFFERED in 2026-27

TBD

In this course students will have an opportunity to undertake research on a topic relating to the study of physical activity and health. The faculty supervisor, selected by the student, gives counsel in defining the problem, conducting the study and preparing a research paper (thesis). In addition to submitting the research paper, students are required to attend some classes/workshops, and present their findings at the annual Bertha Rosenstadt National Undergraduate Research Conference. This course provides an opportunity for a student planning graduate study at this Faculty or elsewhere to gain experience in completing a small research study. Students may elect only one KPE490Y1 course or external equivalent.

*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.

The purpose of the independent study is to permit students to extend beyond current course offerings and explore in detail a subject area of their choosing related to the study of physical activity and health. Students work closely with a faculty supervisor with a relevant background. Before pursuing an independent study, students are expected to have taken all the relevant courses offered by the Faculty in that sub-discipline. Students will research their topic of interest primarily through reading and writing a report on their findings. They are also required to attend some classes/workshops throughout the term and to present their reviews and/or findings at the annual Bertha Rosenstadt National Undergraduate Research Conference. Students may elect a total of no more than two half courses under KPE495H1 or external equivalents.

*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.

Students are required to provide proof of certification in at least Standard First Aid and CPR level C during their program of study. Lower level certifications (Heartsaver, Emergency First Aid) will not be accepted. The certification must be presented to the Registrar’s Office, where a copy will be filed and this course then added with credit to a student’s transcripts. Many external agencies provide such training, such as the Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, or the Royal Life Saving Society. Other WSIB certified providers are accepted. This certification is also available through instruction offered by the Faculty’s co-curricular program. The fee for any course taken to achieve First Aid and CPR certification will be at the student’s own expense.