College of Education, DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY & HEALTH PROMOTION Exercise Science (Ph.D.)

1. CV 

2. Personal Statement 

• Submit a statement of your professional aspirations and explain how you believe graduate study at the University of Kentucky will enhance your ability to achieve those professional goals. In your statement, provide information about your background, research skills and experiences, personal and professional achievements, and educational, work or life experiences that influenced you and your life goals. 

3. Writing Sample 

• Students who have not written a master's level thesis will be required to submit an example of their research writing. A literature review or project from a completed class are acceptable examples for submission for application. Special circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the applicant’s designated potential advisor. 

4. A master's degree or graduate level professional (e.g. M.D.) degree from a fully accredited institution of higher learning.  

5. The Graduate School of the University of Kentucky requires an overall grade point of 3.0 on all prior graduate work and a 2.75 from undergraduate work. 

6. For the Graduate School, the minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 550 (paper-based) 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based). The minimum IELTS score is 6.5; Submitted scores must be no more than two years old. 

7. Four letters of recommendation 

• EXCEPTION: For application to the Biomechanics program only: A total of 3 reference letters are required, with a minimum of 2 out of 3 of these letters being submitted by someone with a terminal degree (i.e. Ph.D., M.D., Ed.D., etc.) 

Applicants must meet the Graduate School admission requirements. 

The GRE is not required for admission to this program. 

Information on assistantships is available here. 

Mentor-based admissions 

The Ph.D. program in exercise science uses a mentor-based admission process. This means students are admitted into the program under the direct supervision of a specific faculty member. Other programs may admit students without a faculty mentor, and then allow the students to decide on their primary advisor over a period of time. Our program makes this link between the student and the faculty mentor from the beginning. This link can occur during the application process, or the student could identify the faculty member with whom they wish to work prior to applying to the program. The ultimate decision then lies with each faculty member within a given specialization (i.e., biomechanics or exercise physiology). Therefore, even though a student might qualify for the program based on the admission criteria, they might be denied admission because they do not have a faculty member willing to accept them as a student. We believe this system provides the greatest benefit to the development of the graduate student and faculty advisor. 

With this system, it is advantageous for the student to initiate conversations with a potential faculty advisor well before applying to the program. We encourage you to contact potential advisors and initiate one-on-one conversations to discuss research interests and potential dissertation areas. If you are attending national conferences, you might be able to schedule a meeting with them there. 

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