The Master of Kinesiology (MKin) program is centred around an advanced kinesiology curriculum and numerous graduate work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Our MKin program includes course-level WIL, 150+ hours of hands-on experience embedded directly into the required courses, and program-level WIL, a 420-hour experiential internship during the last term.
The purpose of WIL in the MKin program is to provide opportunities for students to develop entry-to-practice competencies expected of Qualified Exercise Professionals, such as the ability to,
- Assess movement behaviour, goal-directed tasks, and musculoskeletal fitness;
- Assess risk, readiness, body composition, and cardiorespiratory fitness;
- Design, coach, monitor, and adapt exercise programs;
- Integrate prior learning through extended professional practice and career exploration.
Our partner organizations offer high-quality opportunities aligned with the curriculum and student goals. Students will learn alongside Registered Kinesiologists, Clinical Exercise Physiologists, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coaches as they build practical skills in movement and fitness assessment, advanced exercise programming, and interpersonal communication while expanding their professional network.
Students may be eligible to apply for and receive funding for their work-integrated learning hours.
Course-level WIL: Practicum opportunities
Directly embedded in the required courses of the MKin program (KIN 655, KIN 691, KIN 693, KIN 694) are opportunities for students to receive 150+ hours of practical learning. Through these practicum placements, students have the opportunity to work with various populations and apply their knowledge to different settings, including:
- Workplace health and well-being
- Clinical settings focused on secondary and tertiary prevention
- Athletic development
- High-performance sport
Program-level WIL: Experiential internship
Following the first two terms of coursework, the MKin students complete a 420-hour internship during their final term. All students are guaranteed an internship placement with one of our on-campus partners. Currently, our on-campus partners include the Centre for Community, Clinical, and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE) and Warriors Athletics. Students can submit a request to pursue their internship at a different site, such as university research labs, hospitals, clinical settings, fitness centres, and sports associations/teams. Objectives of the internship include but are not limited to:
- Developing and strengthening professional written, oral and interpersonal communication skills with various populations
- Collaborating within the workplace to meet individual, team and organizational goals
- Applying best practices within that respective field
Graduate Certificate in Work-Integrated Learning
We are the first program at the University of Waterloo to offer a Graduate Certificate in Work-Integrated Learning. Through WIL, students are provided the opportunity to connect their academic coursework with meaningful professional experiences. By completing 150+ hours of experiential learning with external partners, students develop career-ready skills, expand their professional networks, and earn a credential that demonstrates their ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Certificates are presented at the end of the year at the Master of Kinesiology Colloquium.
Student experiences
Helping people regain the strength and confidence to return to the activities they love inspired Jasmine Nitsotolis throughout her internship at CCCARE. Working directly with individuals living with a range of health conditions, she applied classroom learning in a real-world setting and experienced firsthand the impact of exercise on health, recovery, and quality of life. This placement shaped her career goals and reinforced her passion for exercise as medicine.
At the beginning of his practicum, Keith Rajkumar (MSc Kinesiology - coursework) had mapped out a plan to complete his project during his four-month work-integrated experience. The outcome wasn't what he thought it would be, but it turned out to be so much more.
Angela Gnjatic started the MSc Kinesiology - coursework program in the fall of 2020. During Covid, the program was adjusted to online delivery but as the four-month, in-person practicum placement started getting near, Angela wondered how she would manage it after an extended period of social isolation. What she discovered is that the practicum experience helped turn around her anxiety and created a positive impact on the people she interacted with on her practicum.
Curious about becoming a WIL partner?
WIL experiences involve a symbiotic student-supervisor relationship. Supervisors will be working with a well-educated graduate student who will bring a fresh perspective and eagerness to the workplace. In return, the student will receive hands-on workplace experience to prepare them for their future career in kinesiology. Practicum opportunities occur throughout the fall (September to December) and winter (January to April) terms. The experiential internship consists of 420 hours that take place during the spring term (May to August).
Experiential placement sites will facilitate an opportunity that allows students to:
- Explore a career in kinesiology by applying their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting
- Learn and apply current practices used within that respective field
- Gain independence over the duration of the placement and have a subset of unique roles and responsibilities
- Evaluate both their skills and knowledge base relative to others within that field
For more information, please contact Michael Barnett-Cowan, Associate Chair Graduate Studies.
Students bring a fresh set of eyes from interdisciplinary backgrounds as well as being close in age to those they serve at our organization. The value of their contribution to Bootcamps for Change is indescribable, they’re amazing.
What does WIL look like?
Check out the stories below to see what our MKin students have been up to!