The doctoral degree in kinesiology is an individualized, interdisciplinary program that integrates graduate courses from a variety of academic units to provide a sound foundation for research leading to a dissertation. The purpose of the program is to prepare scholars for careers in kinesiology research. The doctoral program enables select students of demonstrated intelligence, diligence and motivation to serve as apprentices to mentors who are established scholars. A period of extensive study and research under the supervision of the mentor culminates with the demonstration of creativity and originality provided by independent research. The department’s graduate program is highly regarded nationally and internationally and has a strong interdisciplinary emphasis. A national assessment of faculty scholarly productivity ranks Arizona State University’s doctoral program in kinesiology in the top 10 U.S. research universities. ASU’s kinesiology was ranked ninth in the new Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, produced by Academic Analytics. This ranking is based on the high research productivity of the faculty and is a testament to their hard work. This follows on the heels of a national standing of third last year for doctoral programs that were ranked by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. This ranking is an important validation of the transition of kinesiology to a discipline within biomedical sciences.
