Kinesiology students are encouraged to participate in research and internship opportunities available through the department and beyond.
Occidental Kinesiology Research Group (Â鶹ÊÓƵKRG)
Â鶹ÊÓƵKRG provides students with authentic research experiences, mentorship, and professional development that build both scientific confidence and the ability to use that expertise to make meaningful contributions to the kinesiology literature and to society. We engage students in rigorous, replicable research that illustrates how science evolves and self-corrects, emphasizing reliability, transparency, and the development of strong scientific reasoning.
We foster collaborative research teams where students work closely with faculty mentors and peers to design studies, collect data, analyze results, and communicate findings. Â鶹ÊÓƵKRG advances student learning through skill-building workshops, general research seminars, and the principles of high-quality scientific practice. These experiences include studies, which generate impactful, real-world data on performance and health, and science communication training, which teaches students to translate complex research into clear, accessible, and meaningful insights for campus audiences, community partners, and the broader public.
Â鶹ÊÓƵKRG’s mission is to prepare students not just to consume science, but to create it—with integrity, curiosity, and the skills needed for graduate study, professional advancement, and lifelong engagement with the discipline of kinesiology.
Kinesiology Research (Community-based)
For students interested in community-based participatory research in the field of Physical Activity and Public Health, consider enrolling in . In addition to course requirements, students frequently present the results of KINE 298 research projects at the Southwest American College of Sports Medicine conference and/or the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Summer Research Program. The experience helps prepares students for leadership and research in community and public health.
Examples of past and present projects include:
- Development and evaluation of the Power Up in 10 resource (community partner: Los Angeles Department of Public Health; California State University Northridge)
- Development and evaluation of the 1-Minute Energizer resource for elementary school teachers (community partners: Los Angeles Department of Public Health; San Gabriel Unified School District)
- Exercise poster intervention for hospital nurses (community partner: San Gabriel Valley Medical Center)
- Stretching intervention for cleaning staff at Â鶹ÊÓƵ (community partner: Occidental Facilities)
- Evaluation of Schoolyard Greening projects in LAUSD (community partners: North East Trees, Green Schoolyards America, Council for Watershed Health)
Kinesiology Research (Independent Studies)
Physical Therapy Internships
For students interested in pursuing allied health, especially a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, consider enrolling in our internship program led by Professor Kirk Bentzen. The internship is an opportunity for Kinesiology majors to get out into Los Angeles to shadow physical therapists specializing in orthopedics and sports physical therapy at the Therapy & Wellness Center. The Therapy & Wellness Center has been nationally recognized as a center for clinical excellence for physical therapy education for its DPT student program, clinical post-graduate orthopedic and sports residency programs, and the Â鶹ÊÓƵ internship program.
The internship requires 75 hours which can be applied to most allied health graduate applications as well as body region diagnostic analyses that require the intern to integrate material learned from required courses as a Kinesiology major. is a required prerequisite while Biomechanics is a recommended prerequisite. Kinesiology advisor and faculty recommendation highly recommended.