PhD in Kinesiology and Nutrition

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Complete transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field Applicants for graduate study may come from the entire spectrum of undergraduate fields, or from other health professions such as medicine or nursing. Some applicants may not meet all course prerequisites without having to take selected additional undergraduate course work. Minimum prerequisites for full admission to graduate study can be obtained from the department.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study and 3.50/4.00 for all graduate work.
    • TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
    • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required.
  • Personal Statement Required.
  • Other Requirements All applicants for admission for the PhD need to contact members of the KN graduate faculty whose research matches their interests. Such interviews are required before an admission decision is made. Contact the department at (312) 996-4600 for more information.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
  • Course Work At least 24 semester hours of 400- and 500-level courses are required. A minimum of 9 semester hours of 500-level courses must be letter-graded courses (A to F), not project, thesis, or independent study, or seminar courses that are graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U).
  • Examinations
  1. Preliminary exam
  2. Dissertation proposal
  3. Dissertation defense
  • Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 32 hours using a 599 rubric.