International Students

With a robust program and a host of applied learning opportunities, Human Kinetics at UBC is a premier choice to start your professional life in the field of kinesiology, active health, education, recreation or sport, or to pursue a second degree. Whatever your goals, your education will be involved, supported and valued.

DR. ROBERT SPARKS Director

Welcome to the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia (UBC), a top global choice for study in human movement. Here, you’ll obtain more than your Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree. You’ll be educated in a friendly, professional, and stimulating environment that provides you with the knowledge and experience you need to succeed. All this in the beautiful city of Vancouver, Canada, host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The School of Human Kinetics is committed to diversity and to building international understanding through its instructional programs, research and community service. We operate in an environment that is increasingly multicultural, transnational and interdisciplinary, and we welcome new ways of thinking brought forward by our diverse and highly accomplished faculty, staff and students. We hope you will join our community of discovery.

Healthy body. Expanding mind.

At the School of Human Kinetics, we offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in the cross-disciplinary study of human movement, exercise, sport and play. In the undergraduate Bachelor of Human Kinetics (BHK) degree program, you will study a core curriculum consisting of courses in general health, biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, motor learning, psychology and sociology. In the last two years of your degree, you will specialize in one of three streams: Human Kinetics Interdisciplinary Studies, Kinesiology and Health Science, or Physical and Health Education.

You can find our graduates working in health promotion organizations, in community recreation centres, in rehabilitation centres, and in professional sport and sport marketing organizations around the world. An increasing number of our students use their degree in Human Kinetics as a stepping-stone towards a second degree in medicine, rehabilitation sciences or education.

Focused learning in action

The School’s teaching aspires to excellence, and is dedicated to providing you with a personalized and student-centered education. Human Kinetics courses offer many opportunities to work in small groups and present your work to your peers. We support many of our courses with website (WebCT) technology, so you have easy access to course notes and peer discussion groups outside of the classroom. You’ll also have the opportunity to experience hands-on work in our student laboratories and complete a directed study course in any of our 11 Human Kinetics research laboratories.

A faculty of leading researchers

Our faculty members are more than great teachers; they are top scholars in their fields conducting leading research in a broad range of areas relating to human movement, the body, sport, physical activity, exercise and health. For example, Human Kinetics faculty members are known internationally for their work on neuromuscular function, cardio-pulmonary adaptation and fitness, motor skill acquisition and expert performance, coaching effectiveness, exercise interventions for clinical populations, community program development, and socio-cultural analysis of sport, the body and aging.

Gain practical experience with our work-study program

In the third or fourth year of your BHK program, you have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge with work-study credits: you intern with an organization related to your field of expertise, and receive course credits in return. The range of organizations offering work experience is diverse, including hospitals, physical rehabilitation centres, professional sports teams, sport and health promotion organizations, and schools.

UBC – A strong tradition of athletics and academics

In addition to being a world-class academic and research university, UBC enjoys a strong athletic tradition. UBC Athletics offers 28 teams in 16 different sports. No university in Canada has won more national championships in the past decade. If you are a top competitive athlete, UBC Athletics may provide you with the opportunity to compete at the national and/or international level. Some scholarships are available.

UBC is also home to the largest intramurals and recreational programs in Canada. Whether participating in a sports event such as “Storm the Wall” or becoming a sport league representative, being involved with UBC Recreation is the best way to complement your degree and meet other sports-minded people.

The perfect location for a life in sport

If you want to study and experience the world of active health, recreation and sport, UBC’s Vancouver campus provides an ideal setting. Consistently rated as one of the most desirable cities in which to live, Vancouver has a diverse international population, several professional sports teams and virtually unlimited recreational opportunities. A single day’s activities could include golf, sailing, mountain biking, ocean kayaking and snowboarding. Vancouver has a mild climate year-round with warm, breezy summers and mild winters—the perfect environment to be fit and active.

Olympic-sized opportunities

In 2010, Vancouver will host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which means a world of unique opportunities for you to learn and be involved. UBC will be hosting the Ice Hockey competitions in its new Winter Sports Centre. In your classes, you’ll have the chance to listen to guest speakers representing Vancouver 2010. You might choose to use the Olympics as a case study for a class project, or even complete your internship in one of the many participating organizations.

“I've learned so much [in the work-study program] that could never be taught in a classroom. The HKIN internship gives a glimpse of the ‘real’ world and a taste for what’s to come. It’s a great stepping-stone from being a student to becoming a health professional.”

Faye Lee

Fit City, City of Vancouver, Graduate 2004

Admissions Information

The School of Human Kinetics welcomes applications from well-qualified international students. Admission is competitive and applicants must meet both general admission standards and specific admission requirements of the School. For details see www.welcome.ubc.ca/admission.cfm.

Broader based admissions procedures are under consideration and may be in place by fall 2006.

UBC’s Bachelor of Human Kinetics is an internationally-recognized degree. However, applicants are encouraged to determine whether the program satisfies certification requirements in their home country.

Put your education in motion

The theoretical and practical knowledge obtained in your Human Kinetics degree at UBC will empower you to pursue a second degree, or begin an exciting professional career in the field of kinesiology, active health, education, recreation or sport. For more information on the Human Kinetics program for international students, contact: international.reception@ubc.ca or call 604.822.8999 (toll free 1.877.272.1422 US/Canada) and tell the admissions officer you are an international applicant.