The number of kinesiology majors at the University has been swelling throughout the past several years.
Students declaring a kinesiology major rose from 515 students in 2006 to 1,017 students in fall 2011, according to Melinda Solmon, interim Kinesiology Department chair. The rise has been almost consistent through the years, with only a slight drop in fall 2007.
Solmon attributed the major’s growth to two things — an interest in health and the school’s science-based curriculum, which lets students use the cadaver lab.
“There’s no doubt that the students who take the cadaver lab have an advantage when applying [to professional schools],” said Katherine Hill, associate chair for undergraduate programs in kinesiology.
The appeal for kinesiology comes from studying human movement and the effects of exercise on the body, Hill said. The kinesiology curriculum is more hands-on than biology.
And while the country’s economic downturn has left many jobless, some older students are returning to the undergraduate level to earn professional school requisites, said Wanda Hargroder, assistant professor of professional practice.
“It’s projected that there are going to be jobs in the medical field,” Hargroder said. “It’s such a broad area.”
But some students who major in kinesiology don’t realize how difficult the curriculum can be, Hargroder said. Kinesiology and biology majors both have to take upper-level sciences to be able to pass the MCAT to apply to medical and physical therapy schools, Hargroder said.
Hargroder said kinesiology and biology are two paths that lead to the same goal. Many kinesiology majors choose to minor in biology, Hill added.
Hill said she advises students to earn their prerequisites for medical school through their elective hours because every medical school has different requirements.
“They don’t care what your major is as long as you have the prerequisites and you pass the MCAT,” Hill said.
LSU has two medical schools, one in Shreveport and the other in New Orleans. The school in Shreveport accepts up to 120 students, while New Orleans will begin accepting up to 200 students in fall 2012.
LSUHSC Shreveport accepted 118 students in fall 2011, and LSUHSC New Orleans accepted 192, according to Robby Bowen, LSU’s director of pre-med/pre-dental advising.
“Schools can change their admission requirements at the drop of a hat,” Hill said. “It’s important that [students] come in and see us.”
 
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Contact Shannon Roberts at [email protected]