New Year brings new beginnings for kinesiology department

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Kin-Photo08.jpg” caption=”Neil McCartney, professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology and John Capone, dean of the Faculty of Science. Photo by Wendy Hostein.”]

McMaster’s Department of Kinesiology rang in the New Year with a big move. Effective January 1, the Department now calls the Faculty of Science home – a move that reflects its increasing science-based academic and research focus.

Since its inception some 50 years ago, the Department had its roots in the Faculty of Social Sciences. And over those five decades, it grew from what was primarily a physical education department to a first-class centre of research and academic excellence, attracting stellar international faculty and students alike.

So, why the move? According to John Capone, dean of the Faculty of Science, it’s a reflection of the Department’s science-based focus and a logical step in its transformation.

“The majority of the faculty members within kinesiology are trained in areas of science,” he says, pointing to specialized areas like physiology, neuroscience, medical sciences, biochemistry, nutrition and metabolism, biomechanics, motor control, psychology and health psychology.

And, he adds, the move brings an exciting new dimension to the Faculty of Science – one that is already generating new opportunities for faculty and students. “Blending our existing talent in these areas with this new expertise opens up enormous possibilities for cross-disciplinary research and an academic program that will rival the world’s best.”

For undergraduate kinesiology students, this move is coupled with a new curriculum and degree designation, the Bachelor of Science Kinesiology. This combination attracts a higher caliber and better suited high school applicant, and allows the Department to easily achieve its annual enrolment target of 200 students with a cut-off grade average in the mid to high eighties.

Neil McCartney, professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology, believes the new undergraduate curriculum is better aligned with the current M.Sc. and Ph.D. graduate programs, making the transition easier for those students pursuing post-graduate studies.

“There’s certainly a level of excitement for our current and incoming students,” he says, noting that the B.Sc.Kin. program supports the anticipated requirements for certification through the Ontario College of Kinesiology, which will recognize kinesiology as a regulated health profession with its own certification, licensing and practice.

And while the move represents a new direction with incredible opportunities, McCartney credits the Faculty of Social Sciences for encouraging the Department’s growth and development over the last several decades.

“We are fortunate to have the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences in doing this,” he says, acknowledging the role the Faculty played in nurturing and growing the Department in its research and academic mission.