PhD in Human Movement Science

About the Program

Mission: To prepare innovative scientists and educators who will contribute to new knowledge related to human movement and its contribution to health and quality of life.

This degree prepares graduates for research and teaching careers in academic, research or clinical settings. Students select an area of focus for their doctoral work that connects their interests to that of a faculty member.  Although faculty research interests are varied, they largely focus on questions related to the human movement system. Research opportunities are varied and designed to meet the needs of a diverse group of students, with faculty expertise in areas such as muscular dystrophy, stroke, shoulder conditions, pediatric sports injuries, running injuries, and hip fracture in older adults. The faculty engage students in mentored research experiences from the very first day on campus, and a mentored classroom teaching practicum is part of the curriculum. Classroom, research and teaching experiences combine to ensure graduates have the requisite skills and knowledge to become accomplished researchers and educators.

Core competencies and expected outcomes

Graduates will be able to

• Undertake the role of an ethical and effective researcher and educator in an academic, research or healthcare setting.

• Design and implement research studies that explore important questions related to the human movement system.

• Contribute to professional knowledge through professional presentations and publication of significant research in the scientific literature

• Select appropriate external funding sources related to a particular area of research and develop viable proposals.

• Apply innovative principles of teaching and learning in the setting of health professions education.

• Display personal and positional leadership qualities in professional settings and interactions, including effective communication skills, self-confidence, self-awareness, and integrity.

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

All students must take a total of 8 required core courses (24 credits), engage in formal mentored research experiences each semester for the first 2 years (8 credits), attend weekly research seminars during the first 2 years  of the program (4 credits), and complete a 1 semester mentored teaching practicum (1 credit).  All students must also complete ethical training in human research (CITI training) prior to the beginning of the first semester of study. 

Within 1 semester of completing the coursework, students must pass a qualifying examination before being considered a candidate for the doctoral degree and being permitted to move on to the dissertation phase of the program. The qualifying exam is required to assure that students have the knowledge and research skills to formulate and carry out a high-quality dissertation project, and represents an outline for the dissertation. The qualifying exam takes the form of a research proposal written in the format for the research plan section in an NIH R03 grant application. The qualifying exam includes submission of the written proposal to a faculty committee as well as an oral presentation and questioning by the faculty committee. The majority of committee members must vote in the affirmative in order for the student to progress to the dissertation phase.

Following satisfactory completion of the qualifying examination, students enter the dissertation phase of the program.  The dissertation must represent novel research designed to advance knowledge in the student’s chosen area of focus. The dissertation typically comprises a minimum of three papers that have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. The papers do not have to be accepted.  Students must orally defend their dissertation before their committee and members of the community.

Students must register for at least 3 credits per semester during the dissertation phase, through year 5.  Should the process continue past year 5, students will register for 1 credit per semester until completion. The dissertation defense must occur no later than 7 years after initial matriculation. 

The following is the suggested curriculum for full time students. Part time options are available.