Anonymous wrote:Let's play a game guessing who the OP is.

Pissed off lawyer angry that her neighbor with a home ec degree is better paid and happier at work?

An old lady who didn't even go to college but is married to some Ivy educated stodgy guy.

A tightly wound little miss who's twin is majoring in one of these while she's going into a science and her parents treat them equally?

A lawyer could have still majored in Home Ec.

I was shocked at the requirements of my nephew who is majoring in kinesiology--bio, organic bio, chem, physics, stats, anatomy/physiology--the first two years looked pretty close to my undergraduate pre-med curriculum.

Kenesiology is great for PA school. There are lots of prerequisites for PA school that are easily satisfied with the kinesiology major – anatomy, biology, organic chemistry , etc. All this and the student can have room to take other interesting classes, and also not tank their GPA if they’re not particularly interested in a 100% chemistry or biology degree - which is more than norm for prerequisites for med school.

My niece was an exercise science major and is now in PA school. Just from her under graduate education and internship (at orthopedic office) she was able to advise me about my teens minor sports

Not to mention the skills in fitness and health, that she can use for the rest of your life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Kinesiology is not really an easy major at many schools. A&P is intensive, Chem 1&2 and Physics 1&2 and Bio 1&2 are intensive courses.

UMCP requires algebra, freshman biology, and sophomore anatomy - no calculus, chemistry, nor physics. George Mason is similar. Penn State requires one semester of chemistry.

I think you are just imagining a degree with multiple real science courses. The actual curriculum is loaded with fluff courses like "Methods of Exercise Instruction".

It differs by schools. My kid started in an Exercise Physiology program at a school that also has a DPT program. majority of kids in the program wanted to be DPTs, and about half in the EP program were direct admit to the DPT program. Full year of Bio and Chem were required. And if you want to be a DPT, you will need a full year of Physics, so 99% of kids were taking that as well. Statistics were required as well as A&P1&2 (Full year, or a semester of A and semester of P) It was a rigorous major---then again I suspect 95% eventually went onto DPT, OT, medical school, PA or Athletic training MS.

Let's play a game guessing who the OP is.

Pissed off lawyer angry that her neighbor with a home ec degree is better paid and happier at work?

An old lady who didn't even go to college but is married to some Ivy educated stodgy guy.

A tightly wound little miss who's twin is majoring in one of these while she's going into a science and her parents treat them equally?

My neighbor, now retired, got a Home Ec degree from Penn State. She ended her career as the CEO of a major trade association. (or maybe professional association; she was at both but I forget the order).

I don't know where you're getting your information - I know for a fact that the Kinesiology PT Track at Penn State requires 2 semesters each of Bio, Chem, and Physics, as well as Anatomy.

Anonymous wrote:
Kinesiology is not really an easy major at many schools. A&P is intensive, Chem 1&2 and Physics 1&2 and Bio 1&2 are intensive courses.

UMCP requires algebra, freshman biology, and sophomore anatomy - no calculus, chemistry, nor physics. George Mason is similar. Penn State requires one semester of chemistry.

I think you are just imagining a degree with multiple real science courses. The actual curriculum is loaded with fluff courses like "Methods of Exercise Instruction".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fifty years ago, University of Maryland, College Park, had a "College of Human Ecology"? That was a euphemism for "Home Economics". They still have Family Science and Kinesiology majors in the School of Public Health. Other universities have them too.

HYP schools do not offer these majors. IMO, those majors are not appropriate in a publicly subsidized institution of higher learning. You could split hairs about overlap among humanities departments, or criticize vocational aspects of business education. But Home Ec and Kinesiology not fundamental scholarly disciplines. Why the hell do we even have them in universities?

There are many majors that HYP schools don't offer because their undergrad programs are essentially liberal arts and sciences... for example you won't see marketing, business, or accounting majors at HYP, instead you if you want to go into one of those fields would you would probably major in economics (and then get relevant internships over the summers).

HYP/Ivy don’t offer because they never offered them. They were all male, except for Cornell, when those were majors were the options for women.

At VPI, most (not all) Home Econ majors will go into HS teaching of Home Econ. Fine if that is what one wants to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kinesiology leaves you pretty much a gym teacher, personal trainer, or in prep for ... something somewhat related.

That reminds me of an old joke - those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym.

But teachers have educational credentials.

There is a role for home economics and exercise classes in high school, but I would not put them in a Research 1 flagship state university. Nobody forces you to take those classes, but our taxes subsidize it. The winning answer was that C-students need a major where they can get A's and B's.

Kinesiology is not really an easy major at many schools. A&P is intensive, Chem 1&2 and Physics 1&2 and Bio 1&2 are intensive courses.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would you think kinesiology is not an academic pursuit? What?? The human body is very complex.

But what do you do with that degree?

I know someone that majored in kinesiology from UofM. They had a hard time finding a job, any job. Eventually they went back to school and studied something else. Kinesiology leaves you pretty much a gym teacher, personal trainer, or in prep for getting a masters degree in something somewhat related: PA school, OT, PT

Those all seem like pretty worthwhile careers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kinesiology leaves you pretty much a gym teacher, personal trainer, or in prep for ... something somewhat related.

That reminds me of an old joke - those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym.

But teachers have educational credentials.

There is a role for home economics and exercise classes in high school, but I would not put them in a Research 1 flagship state university. Nobody forces you to take those classes, but our taxes subsidize it. The winning answer was that C-students need a major where they can get A's and B's.

Kinesiology is not really an easy major at many schools. A&P is intensive, Chem 1&2 and Physics 1&2 and Bio 1&2 are intensive courses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of kinesiology majors go to Physical therapy school.

Or become personal trainers.

I know one who sent to med school and is now a pediatrician.

Isn’t how the human body works a little bit important?

If you don’t like it, don’t study it.

+1
Kinesiology major is an excellent precursor for PT school. However, if you don't go onto PT/OT/Med school, it is not a very useful major. The jobs you will get will be low paying and often you could have gotten there with "training" not a 4 year degree. But it is an excellent degree for pre-PT/Med

Good strength and conditioning coaches can make big-time money working for college or pro sports teams--or even with individual athletes.

Except those jobs are limited. That's the dream of 90% of kinesiology majors (if they don't go into PT/OT). Not enough of those high profile/high paying jobs for the number of majors.

Anonymous wrote:With the money being poured into the Wellness industry, Kinesiology is nothing to scoff at.

Except trainers make very low pay typically. And you can become a trainer without a 4 year kinesiology degree.

It's a great path if that's what you like, but do NOT spend a fortune getting the degree. Kinesiology is the same everywhere and you wont be making a lot to pay off big loans.