Kinesiology and Health Science Career Paths | School of Kinesiology and Health Science

Where can I work?

Kinesiology and Health Science graduates have a wide range of career options in the fields of Kinesiology and Health Science, physical education, recreation and leisure, and non-medical health education, including careers in:

Fitness and wellness;
Rehabilitation;
Sport science;
Teaching and research;
Coaching;
Non-profit agencies and government departments.

By using their Kinesiology and Health Science degree as the first step, many of our graduates have entered professional schools to pursue careers in a diverse array of fields, including:

Athletic therapy;
Chiropractic;
Dentistry;
Medicine;
Occupational therapy;
Optometry; physical therapy;
Pharmacy;
Speech language pathology;
Registered Kinesiologist (R. Kin)

Examples of the many careers available to Kinesiology and Health Science graduates are listed below:

Occupations in Kinesiology and Health Science
Occupations in Physical Education
Occupations in Recreation and Leisure
Occupations in Health Education
Some Helpful Resources

Occupations in Kinesiology and Health Science

Fitness and Wellness

Registered Kinesiologist (R. Kin)
Personal trainer
Wellness coordinator
Health club director
Fitness consultant
Strength & conditioning coordinator
Fitness club manager
Worker's compensation rehabilitation
Athletic injury rehabilitation
Cardiac rehabilitation
Work hardening
Vocational rehabilitation
Functional abilities evaluator
Work site analyst
Special population adaptive specialists and designer

Sport Science

University professor
Insurance investigator
Equipment designer
Fitness appraiser
Exercise prescription counselor
Private industry researcher (equipment and footwear)
Ergonomist

Occupations in Physical Education

Teaching

Primary/elementary school teacher
Junior high school teacher
Senior high school teacher
Junior college teacher
University professor
Private school/college teacher
Outdoor education teacher/coordinator
Private school/college teacher
Educational consultant
Educational administrator
Principal/vice principal
Program coordinator

Research

University professor
Sport equipment designer
Consultant to private health clubs and organizations
Research associate, ergonomics
Research associate, adaptive equipment

Coaching

School university coach
Community club coach
National team coach
Professional team coach
Coaching certificate stream instructor

Administration

National sport/active living organization
Provincial sport/active living organization
Marketing agent
Program coordinator
Athletic director
Government sport/active living consultant

Occupations in Recreation and Leisure

Municipal Parks & Recreation

Sport coordinator
Services/programs for individuals with disabilities
Fitness programs
Services/programs for individuals with disabilities
Seniors' program
Children's day camp
Summer camps
Aquatic activities
Swimming pool, rink or other facility manager
Community developer facilitator
Special event coordinator

Provincial/Federal government

Sport consultant
Fitness/wellness consultant
Facility design
Programming consultant
Program evaluation consultant
Consultant for cultural activities
Tourism promotion
National and provincial park employee

Youth Service Agencies (Not-for-Profit)

YMCA/YWCA youth program manager
Recreation manager with youth correction agencies
After school program coordinator
Scouts/guides/ cadets recreation programmer
Church sponsored programs
Education sponsored programs

Institutions (including education)

Senior citizens home recreation coordinator
Hospitals therapeutic recreation
Prisons recreation program coordinator
Universities/ colleges
Rehabilitation centres
Leisure educator universities/ colleges
Recreation leisure researcher

Commercial recreation

Corporate fitness centres
Oil rig recreation
Mining camp recreation
Factory recreation programs
Hotel recreation
Fitness centre management
Racquetball sport club manager
Golf club manager
Cruise ship recreation
Entrepre-neurial recreation

Camping and outdoor

Outward bound schools
Ski instructor
Ecotourism
Adventure tourism
Ski hill manager
Water safety instructor
Camp adminis-trator

Occupations in Health Education

Teaching

Junior High, High School
College, University
Private health wellness club

Volunteer sector

Disease specific agencies
Wellness program special populations
Smoking/AIIDS etc. organizations
Fund raising
Special projects coordinator
Rehabilitation program
YMCA/YWCA

Government

Public health agencies
Hospitals
Rehabilitation units
School boards
Worker's compensation

You can also take a look at the Career Centres list of Career Options in Kinesiology and Health Science or at the Create Your Future - Kinesiology and Health Science presentation slides to find out more information on what you can do with your degree.

Some Helpful Resources

Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Canadian Kinesiology Alliance
Canadian Society for Biomechanics
The College of Kinesiologists of Ontario
The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Canadian Wellness
Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Ontario Kinesiology Association Ontario Fitness Council
Ontario Internship Program The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association Ontario Public Service Careers Physical & Health Education Canada (PHE)

York Student Clubs & Services

Kinesiology and Health Science Student Organization (KAHSSO)

For more help planning your career contact York's Career Centre.