Applied Health Sciences subjects rank among world’s top 100

Thursday, March 9, 2017

WATERLOO, ONT. (Thursday, March 9, 2017) Two areas of study in Applied Health Sciences are among the top 100 in the world, according to new rankings published today.

The rankings, published by the UK firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), evaluate 46 subject areas across 945 universities based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. This year the rankings include four new subject areas, including Hospitality and Leisure Management Studies and Sports-Related Subjects.

The results rank Waterloo 13th in the world — and first in Canada — for Hospitality and Leisure Management Studies. The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Waterloo offers the discipline’s largest co-op program and one of the largest and most diverse cohort of researchers in leisure sciences.

Waterloo also ranked in the top 100 under Sports-Related Subjects, which includes kinesiology, sport management, and exercise science. Applied Health Sciences is home to the world’s first Department of Kinesiology and remains a leader in the field with three Canada Research Chairs and more than $5.3 million in external funding annually.

“As a Faculty with inherently multi-disciplinary departments, the introduction of new subject areas into rankings systems is helpful in recognizing our academic and research strengths,” said James Rush, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “While umbrella subject area categories can’t capture the full strength of specific departments, they are a positive step towards measuring our global impact.”

University of Waterloo is listed amongst the top 200 universities globally for 20 of the 46 specific disciplines measured.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, and the 60th anniversary of the University of Waterloo.