r/Kinesiology

This question has probably already been answered, but as in the big 2026 and going into 2027, is PTA still a good profession to get into? I can’t afford PT school, and I am considering PTA. But after going through the sub Reddit for PT… yikes. Or if there are other professions to consider in the healthcare field that are more affordable, job growth, etc?

I do have a Kinesiology degree. I am currently a PT aide and it has reignited my love for this profession and degree and I’m pretty much open to whatever path or job.

I'm considering studying kinesiology and I've been reading a lot of negative career experiences, but also some people who absolutely love what they do.

For those who are genuinely happy with the degree/career: what do you do now, and what made it work out for you?

I’m wondering if it would be beneficial to get my personal training certification first in order to gain some experience in the field before then taking my CSCS Exam.

I am currently a bartender full-time and I am ready to get out of the service industry. I have my degree in exercise sports science but I’m having a hard time studying for the CSCS Exam because of my schedule and lack of time. Would it be smart if I get my personal training certification, which I would assume would be a less difficult process than the CSCS and require less of a time commitment. That way I could begin training and gaining experience along with making some money to hopefully transition out of bartending full time and allow myself more time to dedicate to studying for the CSCS.

Or is it short of a waste of time and money getting one certification just to get another?

Has anyone taken this path before? Or can anyone with a CSCS offer any advice for my situation?

Hello! I currently work as an exercise physiologist right now graduated with my bachelors and have my acsm certification it’s been about a year and started out I make about 50k a year. This is with internship in cardiac rehab as my prior experience. I want to pursue my masters but a lot of clinical EPs say there’s not much of a pay difference and I don’t want to be in debt from a grad program and not make enough if that makes sense? Anybody with their masters with any input? I’m genuinely thinking of switching career paths at this point.

I’m currently looking to finish my bachelors degree, I found that American Military university (AMU) (A for profit school) has health and sports science which I what I want my degree in. My plan is to then apply to grad schools for occupational therapy. I’m just worried about all the hate AMU receives. I contacted a few grad schools abt AMU only one school responded saying they accept it. (It is fully funded)

Functional training gets pitched heavily as more transferable to real-life movement than traditional isolated exercises (leg extensions, bicep curls, etc.), but looking into the actual research base, the evidence for meaningfully better real-world carryover seems thinner than the marketing around it suggests. A lot of the "functional" framing feels more like a branding shift than something backed by strong comparative studies

Interested in what people with more research background actually think here. Is there solid evidence for functional training producing better outcomes for general population goals (injury prevention, daily movement quality), or is the isolated-vs-functional distinction mostly overstated compared to just doing progressive resistance training in general, regardless of how "functional" the specific movement pattern looks?

Hey everybody

I wanted some career ideas and I’m planning to go for a kinesiology degree! If you guys could tell me what jobs you have, the salary if you’re comfortable, and overall how much you like it. I really just want to hear from other people instead of reading from websites. I’d really appreciate it. I was thinking about going through the OT route, but after looking at that sub reddit I’m not so sure anymore 🫠

So, I just recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and I’m trying to look for a job within that field; however, most of these entry level jobs require to have a certificate or license to start anywhere. Currently I’m in school for finish off my nursing degree, but I just want to get a head start in a clinical setting. What should I do?

• Associate degree in Kinesiology (2 years)
• 3.73 GPA
• 1 letter of rec
• NO EXPERIENCE IN HOSPITAL or PT CLINIC
• Pre-Reqs :

anatomy - A

Physiology - A

ENGL - A

Calc- B

General Chem - A

Intro. to Kin - A

Sports Psych. - A

i’ve been reading through posts lately and one thing i’m finding in majority of posts is that Kinesiology is a dying degree.
my goal is to work with a sports team as a PT/AT/S&C coach, but i know those jobs are once in a lifetime to find, so is it worth it to chase that dream or should i look at doing something in college i can get a diploma for and work right away?

I’m curious how other practicing kinesiologists in BC would view this situation.

Suppose a physiotherapist wanted an independent-contractor kinesiologist to schedule their clients only during the hours the physiotherapist chose to be in the clinic, so that the physio could be present to oversee the kinesiologist’s work and make sure things were being done appropriately.

What gives me pause is both the professional implication and the contractor arrangement. On one hand, it seems to imply that a qualified kinesiologist needs a physiotherapist physically present to make sure they know how to perform their role. On the other hand, the kinesiologist is supposedly an independent contractor, yet is expected to adapt their schedule around the physiotherapist’s preferred working hours rather than having meaningful control over their own availability.

I completely understand collaboration, communication between providers, and having systems in place for clinical concerns. I also recognize that there are excellent and less-experienced practitioners in every profession. If I were bringing another healthcare professional into a practice, I would want to assess their competence carefully—but once I chose to work with them, I would also expect there to be professional trust and respect for their scope and expertise.

For those of you working in BC, would this arrangement bother you? Would you see it as reasonable clinic oversight, or as a sign that the working relationship may not really treat the kinesiologist as an independent professional?

I’m especially interested in hearing from kinesiologists who have worked as independent contractors in physiotherapy clinics.

Not sure if this is the correct sub to be asking this, but wanted to give it a shot!

I’m hoping to get some advice from people who may have been in a similar situation.

I have both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Management. After graduating, I spent several years working in healthcare, but the pay wasn’t enough to make ends meet. I eventually made a career change and now work in project management for a construction company.

The job has given me valuable experience in project coordination, client management, problem-solving, budgeting, scheduling, and working with multiple stakeholders. While I’m grateful for the experience, it’s never been where my passion is and I’m feeling stuck with no room to grow.

I’d really like to get back into the sports or health industry, but I’m having a difficult time even getting interviews. I’m located in the North Dallas, Texas area, which I assumed would have plenty of opportunities between professional sports organizations, sports medicine clinics, hospitals, universities, and corporate wellness programs.

At this point I’m wondering:
Am I looking in the wrong places?
Are there certifications or skills I should be adding?
Should I be trying to leverage my project management experience into sports organizations instead of looking for traditional kinesiology-related roles?

Has anyone successfully transitioned back into the sports or healthcare world after working in a different industry?

I’m open to hearing about careers I may not have considered. I don’t necessarily need to be on the coaching or athletic training side—I just want to find a role where I can combine my education with the professional experience I’ve gained over the past several years.

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone working in sports, healthcare administration, sports medicine, collegiate athletics, or professional sports organizations. Thanks in advance!