Study Kinesiology at Pacific University
Start your path to a career in physical therapy, athletic training, coaching or fitness with a degree in kinesiology at Pacific University.
Previously known as exercise science, the kinesiology program focuses on the science of human movement. Undergraduate students gain high-level science skills with access to graduate level labs in our College of Health Professions. And students can choose to jump start their advanced degrees with a direct pathway to a master’s degree in athletic training.
Kinesiology students choose from a concentration in integrative physiology or motor behavior, and they go on to become athletic trainers, coaches, physical therapists, and fitness experts.
No. 1 Private Research University in Northwest
National Science Foundation data ranks Pacific as the No. 1 private research university in the Northwest — and No. 9 in the Far West, just behind institutions like Stanford and the California Institute of Technology.
What sets Pacific apart is the opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in that research alongside their faculty members.
Pacific kinesiology students have access to an array of instrumentation and a cadaver-dissection laboratory, providing graduate-level experience in physiology and mechanics.
“The science department, both undergrad and graduate, are highly prestigious and as a student I knew healthcare and sports science was a passion of mine,” said recent alumnus Dustin Meyer ’19.
Meyer used his senior capstone opportunity to develop a year-long exercise physiology class at a local high school. Today, he is working full time at a physical therapy clinic and serves as an assistant coach for Boxer Baseball.
Pathway to Grad School
Kinesiology students may opt to participate in a 3:2 pathway to a master’s degree in athletic training in Pacific’s College of Health Professions. Qualifying students spend three years studying in the College of Arts & Sciences, completing prerequisite courses. Their undergraduate fourth year also serves as their first of two years in the clinical master’s degree program.
Top-Ranked University in the Pacific Northwest
U.S. News & World Report calls Pacific one of the best colleges in the country, as well as a Best Value School.
Students enjoy living and learning in the Pacific Northwest, just a quick trip away from downtown Portland, the Cascade Mountains, or the Oregon Coast.
They build close relationships with faculty members, who put teaching first and serve as mentors. Students also benefit from the well-rounded liberal arts curriculum, gaining hands-on experience, engaging in volunteerism and activism, and becoming critical thinkers and community leaders.
Merit & Need Scholarships
About 99 percent of all Pacific undergraduates receive financial aid to attend college. We offer need- and merit-based scholarships. Get started just by showing up: High school seniors who attend a virtual Senior Preview Scholarship Day this fall and complete an online activity can earn up to $4,000 ($1,000 per year for four years) in scholarships!