PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education Program at UNC Greensboro focuses on training future scholars in conducting quality research on curriculum and instruction in various physical activity settings, developing innovative physical education and physical activity programs for K-12 schools and communities, and providing evaluation service to improve the quality of physical activity programs for children, adolescents, youths, and adults.

The goal of the Curriculum and Pedagogical Graduate Studies Program is to help graduate students accomplish their professional and career goals with unique experiences in research, teaching, and service with high-quality individualized programming.

PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education Program Distinctions

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education Program is one of four Ph.D. concentrations in the Department of Kinesiology. Students in this program will be joining a nationally recognized department:

• The National Academy of Kinesiology ranked UNCG #21 in the nation in 2023 for kinesiology doctoral programs. The program has a reputation for academic rigor, impactful research, and a supportive scholarly community.
• College Factual ranked UNCG’s Kinesiology doctoral program #4 in the country in 2025.

This program enjoys a strong reputation as one of the best for Ph.D. training in the U.S. and around the world. Its Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory conducts high-profile curriculum innovation research with hundreds of research publications, countless scholarly presentations across the world, five innovative K-12 curricula, and curriculum/program evaluation projects for nearly a dozen school districts, and several national youth sport development programs by professional sport organizations.

These “real world” experiences have provided valuable learning opportunities for students who now work as university professors, researchers, and post-doctoral fellows across the U.S. and around the world.

The PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education Program Path

The Ph.D. program usually takes about four years to complete and requires 60 credit hours. Of these, 48 hours are devoted to coursework and independent studies, and 12 hours for dissertation. A student’s progression toward the degree is marked with four major milestones:

• Approval of the Plan of Study (at the completion of 18 credit hours)
• Comprehensive Examinations (at the completion of 48 credit hours)
• Approval of the Dissertation Research Proposal
• Defense of the Dissertation. It normally takes about 4 years to complete the degree program

Our Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Lab offers research assistantship to qualified full-time graduate students, along with the teaching assistantship offered by the Department of Kinesiology. The graduate assistants can have opportunities to teach KIN physical activity courses, assist in relevant Physical Education Teacher Education courses, teaching the Healthful Living course at the UNCG Middle College (a Guilford County-UNCG collaboration high school on campus), and assist in funded curriculum intervention research in local K-12 schools. Faculty also help qualified students apply for competitive fellowships and scholarships.

The PhD Student Experience in Kinesiology

Students work with their chosen advisor on their Plan of Study, which will be relevant to their career goal. Students will be involved in their advisor’s research projects that are conducted in K-12 schools and communities and participate in professional development events. This includes the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Colloquium.

There are assistantship opportunities for full-time Ph.D. students. They include teaching assistantships, research assistantships and clinical assistantships. If a student is awarded a graduate assistantship, the student will work with a faculty mentor.

The Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Lab offers a research assistantship to qualified full-time graduate students, along with the teaching assistantship offered by the Department of Kinesiology. The graduate assistants have opportunities to:

• Teach Kinesiology physical activity courses.
• Assist in relevant Physical Education Teacher Education courses.
• Teach the Healthful Living course at the UNCG Middle College (a Guilford County-UNCG collaboration high school on campus).
• Assist in funded curriculum intervention research in local K-12 schools.

After Graduating with a PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education

Alumni are scholars and practitioners. Graduates get to:

• Conduct research on curriculum and instruction in various physical activity settings.
• Develop innovative physical education and physical activity programs for K-12 schools and communities.
• Provide evaluation services to improve the quality of physical activity programs for children, adolescents, youths, and adults.

Apply to the PhD in Kinesiology Program

To apply to the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies in Physical Education, an application must be submitted to the UNCG Graduate School. For additional application information, see details here: Process and Requirements.