Exercise Physiology (Ph.D.)
This specialization prepares students for teaching and research
careers in exercise physiology. Graduates are trained for post-doctoral
appointments and positions in universities, industry, the military, and
research institutes. The program prepares students to conduct research
in basic and applied exercise physiology. Emphases in the applied
programs are in neuromuscular efficiency and control, cardiorespiratory
response to exercise, exercise and lipid metabolism, and changes in
bone structure and metabolism in response to exercise as well as
disuse, bed rest, and microgravity. Emphases in basic research include
mechanisms of exercise-induced injury, neuromuscular efficiency, muscle
metabolism and free radical stress, and the molecular biology of bone
adaptation to stress. Specific areas of research correspond to those of
the exercise physiology faculty.
Several exercise physiology
laboratories provide students with state-of-the-art instructional
facilities in which to study and learn.
The Applied Exercise Physiology Laboratory houses equipment to support research in human exercise physiology to enhance human health, sport performance, physical fitness, and quality of life through physical activity.
The laboratories use technologies that allow on-line collection and processing of data, sophisticated control of in vivo and in vitro animal preparations, and the opportunity to analyze a wide range of physiological parameters. In addition to work conducted in the laboratories, supplemental experiences are available in medicine, veterinary medicine, biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, and animal science.
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Kinesiology Core
| Course Title | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| KINE 681 | Seminar | 6* |
| KINE 682 | Doctoral Seminars in Exercise Science | 4* |
| KINE 684 | Teaching Internship | 3* |
| KINE 685 | Directed Studies | 12* |
| KINE 690 | Theory of Kinesiology Research | 3* |
| KINE 691 | Research | 18* |
| 46 minimum |
Statistics Core
| Course Title | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 652 | Statistics in Research II | 3* |
| STAT 653 | Statistics in Research III | 3* |
| 6 minimum |
*Required Courses
Advisor Directed Electives
| Course Title | Course Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 607 | Physiology & Biochemistry of Muscle as a Food | 3 |
| ANSC 677 | Instrumental Methods and Food Analysis | 3 |
| BICH 601 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry I | 3 |
| BICH 602 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry II | 3 |
| BICH 624 | Enzymes, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids | 3 |
| BICH 631 | Biochemical Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 613 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BMEN 601 | Foundations of Bioengineering Analysis | 3 |
| BMEN 602 | Instrumentation & Measurement in Bio Systems | 4 |
| BMEN 614 | Modeling of Biomedical Systems | 3 |
| BMEN 638 | Control Mechanisms in Living Systems | 3 |
| GENE 626 | Analysis of Gene Expression | 2 |
| KINE 627 | Exercise Biomechanics | 3 |
| KINE 639 | Exercise Electrocardiography | 3 |
| KINE 650 | Microcomputer Utilization in Sports Stat | 3 |
| MSCI 689 | Cardiovascular Sciences | 3 |
| NUTR 618 | Lipids and Lipid Metabolism | 3 |
| NUTR 641 | Nutritional Biochemistry I | 3 |
| NUTR 642 | Nutritional Biochemistry II | 3 |
| STAT 636 | Methods in Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
| STAT 659 | Applied Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
| VIBS 602 | Histology | 4 |
| VIBS 603 | Neuroanatomy | 4 |
| VIBS 640 | Neurobiology | 1 to 5 |
| VTPP 653 | Endocrinology | 4 |
| VTPP 655 | Vascular Physiology | 4 |
| VTPP 656 | Physiology of the Heart | 4 |
| VTPP 657 | Cardiovascular Physiology | 4 |
| VTPP 665 | Pharmacology | 4 |
| 12 minimum |
Research Experience Requirement
Prior
to scheduling the dissertation proposal meeting each student will: a)
have presented, as sole or first author, at least one presentation at a
state, regional, or national conference; and b) will be an author on at
least one research paper submitted to a peer-reviewed national or
international journal. In addition, dissertations will not be signed by
the department head until the student has submitted as first author a
manuscript(s) of the study to a national or international refereed
journal(s).
Minimal Hour Requirement
The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 64 hours beyond the Masters or 96 hours beyond the Baccalaureate degree. Depending on preparation and experience, doctoral students may be required to complete undergraduate or graduate leveling work in addition to the minimum Ph.D. requirements (see below).Minimum Prerequisites or Competencies
Please refer to Texas A&M University Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog for course content. Competency in the content of the course is required rather than the specific course. The graduate office in the Department of Health and Kinesiology in consultation with the graduate committee chairs/advisors will review transcripts of potential graduate students.Under Graduate
| BICH 410 | Comp Biochemistry I |
| BICH 411 | Comp Biochemistry II |
| BICH 412 | Biochemistry Lab I |
| BICH 413 | Biochemistry Lab II |
| CHEM 101 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I |
| CHEM 102 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II |
| CHEM 111 | Chemistry Lab I |
| CHEM 112 | Chemistry Lab II |
| KINE 426 | Analysis of Movement |
| KINE 433 | Exercise Physiology |
| PHYS 201& 202 | College Physics |
| ZOOL 319 & 320 | Integrated Human Anatomy and Physiology |
| MATH 122 | Calculus |
Graduate
| KINE 601 | Reading Research Publications in Kinesiology |
| KINE 637 | Exercise Physiology I |
| KINE 638 | Exercise Physiology II |
| KINE 647 | Instrumentation & Techniques in Exercise Physiology I |
| KINE 648 | Instrumentation & Techniques in Exercise Physiology II |
| STAT 651 | Statistics in Research I |
Additional Competencies
Graduate level competencies in human systems physiology to include
physiology of the cell, kidneys and body fluids, excitable membranes,
nervous sysem, muscle and bone, digestin, heart and circulation,
respiration, and the endocrine system.