Whether you are just beginning your career or are a Registered Kinesiologist, an MPK degree will provide you with the advanced knowledge and practice to take your career further.
The MPK program is a course-based graduate program in the professional practice of kinesiology. This full-time, 16-month program offers a mix of classroom, case-based, laboratory and experiential education. Graduates will acquire research-informed and multidisciplinary expertise in:
- Movement assessment and intervention in diverse practice areas
- Knowledge synthesis, translation and application
- Evaluation of clinical and program effectiveness
- Collaboration with interprofessional health-care teams
- Conceptualizing future kinesiology practice
What is Professional Kinesiology?
As of April 1, 2013, Ontario recognizes Kinesiology as a regulated health care profession. The College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (CKO) is the regulatory body that governs the profession of Kinesiology in Ontario and receives its authority from the Kinesiology Act, 2007 and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. In Ontario, any individual using the titles “Kinesiologist”, “Registered Kinesiologist”, or the designation “R.Kin”, must be registered with the College. The regulatory body, the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (CKO), ensures kinesiologists maintain and enhance their skills and knowledge through established standards of practice, as well as their public accountability.
The Master of Professional Kinesiology program at the University of Toronto was developed on the heels of Ontario becoming the first province in Canada to regulate kinesiology as a health profession. The program officially launched in 2016, becoming the first master’s-level program of its kind in Ontario and offering students an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and skills in this evolving professional practice.
Hands-on Practice and Learning
The MPK program provides unparalleled learning environments for hands-on practice, working alongside leading practitioners in downtown Toronto and across the GTA.
The program offers practice opportunities with hospitals, clinics, sport institutes and community organizations. Practice is deliberately structured and grounded in experiential learning theory.
Students engage in 600 hours of professional, structured experience across two placements:
- Spring Placement: Community Partner Placement (April to June)
- Summer Placement: Community Partner Placement (June to August)
Areas of Concentration
The MPK program offers four areas of concentration to help students streamline their research interests and come out of the program with a clearly articulated expertise:
- Exercise as Medicine: Learn to design and implement exercise programs that prevent and manage the treatment of injuries and chronic disease in clinical settings.
- Health and Wellness: Learn to design and implement exercise programs that promote health, wellness and regular physical activity from the population at large.
- High-Performance Strength and Conditioning: Learn to design and implement exercise programs that improve performance and minimize the injury risk of athletes.
- Adapted Physical Activity: Learn to design and implement exercise programs that accommodate the unique needs of children and youth with diverse abilities.
The MPK program can be completed with or without a concentration.
Where Can a MPK Degree Take You?
Our MPK program recognizes the value of physical activity for health and wellness across the lifespan and amplifies it with research-informed practice.
University of Toronto MPK graduates take a multidisciplinary approach to movement and human performance, translating leading-edge research findings into professional practice to meet the unique needs of diverse populations.
Registered kinesiologists practice in a variety of settings including:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Sport institutes
- Community organizations
- Kinesiologists can also work independently and set up their own private practice.
Professional opportunities are diverse and can include:
Health and Wellness Promotion
- Implementing physical activity programming to enhance mental health of young adolescents
- Conducting environmental assessments and reducing barriers to physical activity in a community for people with a disability
- Physical activity advocacy and targeted program implementation to promote bone health in post-menopausal women
Performance Enhancement
- Using sports science testing and tailored training and conditioning to enhance athletic performance (e.g. functional movement screening, physiological tests)
- Enhancing and maintaining the performance capabilities of fire fighters through tactical strength and conditioning
Injury Prevention
- Pre-operative exercise training for people with cancer
- Facilitating exercise programming for elderly to reduce risk of falls
- Enhancing physical activity levels in youth to reduce the risk of obesity
- Developing functional training and physical conditioning programs to enhance the quality of an athlete’s movement and avoid injury in sport
Adapted Physical Activity and Exercise Programming
- Adapting community recreation and sports programs to include children with diverse ability levels
- Adapting sports training and conditioning for an athlete returning to sport from an acute injury (e.g. concussion) or managing a chronic sport injury (e.g. tendonitis)
- Adapting exercise programming for people with cardiovascular disease
State-of-the-art Labs and Facilities
As part of Canada’s pre-eminent research university, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education offers access to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, including the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
Here, cutting-edge research takes place alongside high performance sport training, fitness and recreation services, children and youth programming and clinical practice in the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic – a comprehensive sport medicine care facility.
Located in Canada’s most vibrant and culturally diverse city, the University of Toronto is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. Our location, size and diversity provide unique opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Explore the Master of Professional Kinesiology Viewbook
Application and Admission Requirements
