School of Health Professions


Kinesiology students taking vitals of a student on a stationary bike

Department of Kinesiology

Message From the Chair

Dr. David Criswell
Chair, Department of Kinesiology


David Criswell, Ph.D., FACSMThank you for your interest in UT Tyler and the Department of Kinesiology. The department includes eight full-time faculty members dedicated to study of the movement sciences and committed to preparing students for successful careers related to health, nutrition, movement, and/or sport. We serve approximately 350 undergraduate students (Kinesiology B.S. and Wellness B.A.) and 40 graduate students (Kinesiology M.S.). Graduates of our programs have moved into careers in physical therapy, exercise physiology, dietetics, other areas of health care, teaching, coaching, athletic training, business, and research.

Faculty are active in research and scholarship. Students (both graduate and undergraduate) have opportunities to learn about, and potentially participate, in research projects. Active areas of research include:

  • Use of wearable sensors and AI technology to prevent falls in the elderly.
  • Exercise training to improve functional ability and prevent falls in the elderly.
  • Sport biomechanics and the prevention and rehabilitation of sport injuries.
  • Resistant starches and the treatment of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
  • Exercise training to improve functional capacity and quality of life for individuals with chronic neuromuscular disorders.
  • Evaluating and maximizing aerobic capacity and efficiency in elite aerobic athletes.

The Kinesiology Department is a vibrant community of students and faculty dedicated to Human Wellness… That is, the concept that life should be lived to the fullest! Every class and every research lab in the department explores how to maximize human function and minimize disease so that people can enjoy life, whether that be through sporting activities, recreation or work activities, or activities of daily living. Come and join us and find a career you can be passionate about!


Mission

The mission of the Department of Kinesiology is to prepare students for success in the fields of health and the movement sciences. Further, the department aims to optimize human performance and promote healthy living through excellence in research and community outreach.

The Department of Kinesiology offers undergraduate degrees in Health, Kinesiology and Wellness, and graduate degrees in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Our degree programs offer a solid foundation in all aspects of Health and Kinesiology.

Graduates of our programs have moved directly into careers in various areas of health care, teaching, coaching, athletic training, business and research. Still others have used our programs as preparation for further education in graduate or professional schools.

The Department of Kinesiology has excellent faculty supervising ongoing research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Programs

Undergraduate

Graduate