The UCF School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy recently earned the No. 1 ranking in Florida and ninth in the nation for its doctoral program in kinesiology by the National Academy of Kinesiology. The ranking includes 43 institutions with similar programs across the country.
The ranking is calculated on data such as faculty productivity, including publications, presentations, funding and visibility, and also student achievements, such as GRE scores, assistantships, employment and doctoral publications.
“This ranking speaks to the impactful research being done by our faculty and doctoral students,” says Jeffrey Stout, founding director of the school. “It shows our commitment to preparing the next generation of educators and researchers in human movement.”
The exercise physiology track in the program provides advanced studies in exercise physiology and wellness, sport and exercise science. The research infrastructure of the school is led through the Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, which includes more than 16,000 square feet of facilities with numerous basic, applied clinical, and community research laboratories.
“We are very proud of the work of our students, faculty and staff that has helped position our program among the top 10 in the nation.” — Christopher Ingersoll, dean of College of Health Professions and Sciences
Nine tenured or tenure-track faculty members are involved in the kinesiology doctoral program. Stout says that when it comes to the productivity of faculty, they are “lean and mean” as exemplified by UCF’s No. 2 ranking on number of faculty peer-reviewed publications within the review.
Results of the national review represent data collected from 2015-19. This is the second time the UCF doctoral program participated in the review since the program was established in 2010. In the previous review for 2010-14, the UCF doctoral program ranked sixth in the country, and second in Florida. While more programs are participating in the review now than before, UCF has made concentrated efforts to improve its metrics and maintain a top 10 national ranking.
“We are very proud of the work of our students, faculty and staff that has helped position our program among the top 10 in the nation,” says Christopher Ingersoll, founding dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences. “Among the various criteria used in the rankings, I’m especially proud of our program being among the top in the country for faculty publications adjusted for faculty size. This leads to transforming healthcare and improving lives of people everywhere.”
