About Us
Recognizing that physical activity is vital for all people, the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University seeks to:
- Discover new knowledge and advance the understanding of the role of physical activity in attaining optimal health and well-being
- Educate members of society and prepare future professionals
- Promote healthy lifestyles through life-long activity and learning
The department serves over 1000 graduate and undergraduate students annually and has a reputation for excellent teaching with a diverse student body. The department supports state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories in applied physiology, muscle biology, musculoskeletal injury, biomechanics and ergonomics, sport business and physical education pedagogy. In addition, many faculty are influential members of their respective national and international organizations.
Students interested in careers in public school teaching should refer to the programs in health and physical education. If you are interested in a career in fitness, wellness or cardiac rehabilitation refer to the programs in exercise science. Students interested in a career in the sports industry, should refer to the sports administration program.
Doctoral programs are available for future students who already hold a master’s degree or equivalent and are interested in advanced training for teaching and research in sport science, Physical Education Teacher Education, or Sport Administration.
Explore Our Department
Welcome from the Chair
As department chair, I am responsible for the quality of instruction in the Department of Kinesiology and Health. To know firsthand what is going on in KH classes, I do a series of faculty member observations throughout the year. I enjoy learning about topics that are out of my research area. Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned about anxiety and stress, leadership styles, international (but little-known) sports and how the body generates ATP for exercise. KH faculty members typically impress me with their approaches to teaching and their content knowledge. For example, one of the professors used a picture of ballroom dancers to illustrate how energy systems work. I have also observed
TED talks used to enhance student learning and other clever and innovative practices. Creativity, depth of knowledge, compassion and support were evident in every class that I visited. During an exercise to teach networking skills, a student revealed his struggles with cancer and how it had delayed his education. Students in the class showed their appreciation for his efforts by clapping and welcoming him back to classes.
Students in our department are fortunate to have excellent instructors who value good teaching. In turn, KH faculty members appreciate their students and the struggles many of them endure while pursuing their educations. Great faculty members, great students – those are the key ingredients for a winning team!
Dr. Jacalyn Lund
Department Chair