We are pleased to announce that as of June 30, the Department of Kinesiology will be known as the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. The name change reflects the department’s emphasis on preparing students for multiple health-related career paths, including the health professions beyond kinesiology.
Waterloo helped pioneer the study of human movement science and was the first university in the world to set up a Kinesiology department. In 2013, the province of Ontario approved the professional designation of kinesiology as a regulated health profession, and since that time, the term has increasingly been associated with this professional designation.
Because our research and education are broader in scope, encompassing areas such as anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience, genetics, biochemistry and nutrition, it makes sense to have that reflected in the department name. The decision was widely supported by the members of the department, and we continue to offer an undergraduate Bachelor of Science Honour’s degree (co-op or regular), as well as master’s and PhD programs.