University of New Brunswick

What you'll study

The UNB Master of Kinesiology offers both thesis and course‑based routes (check the specific stream offered by your campus). Core study areas include exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor control, exercise and chronic disease, and research methods. Typical modules and topics you will encounter are:

• Exercise Physiology: cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise, exercise testing and prescription, and applications to healthy and clinical populations.
• Biomechanics and Motor Control: movement analysis, musculoskeletal modelling, gait analysis, and neuromuscular control of movement.
• Research Methods and Statistics: experimental design, advanced statistics for human movement research, ethics and scientific communication.
• Clinical and Applied Kinesiology: exercise interventions for rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and ageing; assessment techniques and outcome measurement.
• Professional Practice and Ethics: interprofessional collaboration, exercise prescription frameworks, and issues in public health and community programming.

Students on the thesis route undertake an independent research project supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a thesis and an oral defence. Course‑based students complete advanced coursework and often a practicum or applied project. Research opportunities are available in laboratory‑based investigation (e.g. metabolic studies, biomechanics labs), community and clinical settings, and sport performance environments.

Entry requirements

Admission is competitive and applicants are normally expected to have a four‑year bachelor's degree in kinesiology, exercise science, physiotherapy, nursing, or a closely related discipline with a strong academic record. Typical requirements include:

• A minimum second‑class upper honours (or equivalent) undergraduate GPA from a recognised university.
• Demonstrated background in human physiology, research methods and statistics, or coursework relevant to kinesiology.
• Two academic references and a curriculum vitae outlining research, clinical or practical experience.
• A statement of research interests or personal statement that outlines career goals and potential supervisors or research areas of interest.
• If English is not your first language, proof of English proficiency through an approved test at scores that meet the university’s graduate admission standards.

Applicants with relevant professional experience but without the standard academic background may be considered on a case‑by‑case basis; some applicants may be advised to complete prerequisite undergraduate courses before full admission.

Career prospects

Graduates of the Master of Kinesiology follow diverse career pathways. Common destinations include:

• Clinical and community roles: exercise physiologist, cardiac rehabilitation specialist, clinical exercise therapist, or roles in chronic disease management and healthy‑living programmes.
• Sport and performance: strength and conditioning coach, sport scientist, or performance analyst working with teams, clubs and athletes.
• Research and academia: progressing to doctoral study and academic positions, or research roles in university, government or private research institutes.
• Health policy and programme management: positions in public health agencies, non‑profits or corporate wellness providers developing and evaluating physical activity programmes.
• Rehabilitation and allied health support: working alongside physiotherapists, occupational therapists and medical teams to design and implement movement‑based interventions.

The programme’s emphasis on research, applied placements and interprofessional collaboration helps graduates build the evidence‑based practice and communication skills employers look for in clinical, community and research settings.

Why study at University of New Brunswick

UNB offers a focused, research‑intensive environment with faculty active in exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor control and applied clinical research. Students benefit from access to well‑equipped human performance and biomechanics laboratories, clinical partnerships that support applied placements, and opportunities to work on community health and sport performance projects.

The programme is delivered in small cohorts, allowing for close supervision and mentoring by faculty. Cross‑disciplinary collaboration with departments such as nursing, medicine and rehabilitation sciences, and links with regional health providers, broaden practical training and research impact. Studying at UNB also provides access to provincial and community settings for fieldwork and outreach, supporting applied learning and career networking across healthcare, sport and public health sectors.