Of the 17 goals of sustainable development embraced by the United Nations, ensuring healthy lives and well-being comes in third place. Focused on generating and advancing knowledge about the interactions of physical activity and health, the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) has been making significant contributions to this goal.
Come September 2025, it will add a couple more with the introduction of two new professional graduate programs: the Master of Kinesiology (MKin) and Master of Sport Sciences (MSS), both 12-month programs, which will provide students with a mix of classroom and experiential education, preparing them for professional roles across a wide variety of settings, from healthcare to community recreation and high-performance sport.
“The unified mandate of our Faculty to provide academic programming for our students, as well as opportunities for athletics and recreation for the broader University and community, creates the ideal platform for research-informed and highly experiential, work-integrated learning-based education,” says Associate Professor Ashley Stirling, vice-dean of programs at KPE.
“What’s more, it offers unique possibilities for testing new innovative practices right here within our own Faculty and in partnership with external organizations.”
The MKin program will provide students with an advanced understanding of kinesiology-related aspects of health and wellness, exercise as medicine, and inclusive physical activity, preparing them for work in a variety of careers to improve the health and wellness of the world’s population through movement and exercise.
Graduates of the MSS program, on the other hand, will acquire advanced knowledge and practice to work as members of sport sciences teams in a variety of roles related to sport coaching and performance, sport integrity and sport analytics.
Coursework in either program will be complemented by hands-on practice through structured 300-hour placements in hospitals, clinics, sport institutes or community organizations in downtown Toronto and across the GTA, where students will have the opportunity to work alongside leading practitioners. Alternately, students can work on a capstone project, which lets them apply their knowledge to improve a specific area of practice.
“The new programs will serve everyone from students coming directly from undergraduate studies looking for advanced graduate education and experience to professionals already working in related fields interested in professional development and further advanced education, and those wishing to learn the theory and science to pair with their practice,” says Stirling.
“Importantly, they will equip students to have the greatest impact on health and well-being across the lifespan.”
Professor Katherine Tamminen, associate dean of graduate education at KPE, adds that U of T’s location, size and diversity all contribute to unique opportunities for collaboration and innovation with KPE’s placement partners.
“Our Faculty’s students really get the best of both worlds: a close-knit community embedded within Canada’s top rated university, located in one of the world’s most vibrant and culturally diverse cities,” says Tamminen. “We’re excited to see what these collaborations will lead to over the next few years and expect our graduates will contribute to a better world for those participating in physical activity and sport.”