Minors in Health and Kinesiology

Want to make a big impact in public health, health care, or human performance? Learn how to turn ideas into action by stepping into a health-centered mindset.

Expertise in health systems, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration shows future employers that you understand how to solve complex health challenges and improve outcomes for individuals and communities. With a foundation in public health, health administration, kinesiology, health technology, or interdisciplinary health, you’ll be prepared to navigate the future of health and wellness—and stand out in a rapidly evolving job market.

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Eligibility

The Department of Health and Kinesiology offers several minors for students who want to complement their major with classwork and training related to public health, health administration, health and technology, aging, disability, and kinesiology with various areas of specialization. To do so, you must complete a minor declaration form.

Students may not declare a minor in the same program as their major. Additionally, courses used to fulfill major requirements cannot be applied toward a minor.

Minor Declaration Form

The Department of Health and Kinesiology has recently revised the requirements for several minors. The most recent requirements for all minors in the Department of Health and Kinesiology can be found in the Academic Catalog. If you have declared a minor and the minor requirements listed in your degree audit do not match the version of the minor you wish to complete, please contact ahs-acaffrs@illinois.edu with a request to elect the newest version of the minor requirements

Minors

Interdisciplinary Minor in Aging

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Aging provides students with the opportunity to study aging as it relates to health, communication, development and activity. There are no prerequisites for the minor. To officially declare this minor, complete the online form. 

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

View Requirements Officially Declare Your Minor

Please note: The course catalog for Aging courses and requirements is currently being updated. Some information may be outdated, but revised details will be available soon.

Minor in Disability Studies

The Minor in Disability Studies focuses on the physical, behavioral, biological and social aspects of disability and chronic health conditions. The curriculum blends cultural and clinical perspectives of disability in society to allow for multiple approaches to understanding disability and to enable individual tailoring to meet students’ varied career interests (e.g., medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/hearing therapy). To officially declare this minor, complete the online form. 

The minor can include coursework from a broad array of departments, accommodating students from different disciplines across campus. There are no prerequisites for this minor. 

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

View Requirements Officially Declare Your Minor

Please note: The course catalog for Disability Studies courses and requirements is currently being updated. Some information may be outdated, but revised details will be available soon.

Minor in Health Administration

The Health Administration minor is designed for undergraduate students seeking to understand the business side of healthcare, and for those who feel knowledge in health administration will help them succeed in their careers. To officially declare this minor, complete the online form. 

The coursework for the Health Administration minor offers exposure to healthcare systems, hospital and insurance administration and management principles relative to healthcare institutions. Students with this foundational knowledge will be better prepared to deal with the complexities of healthcare and the novel challenges that emerge from unpredictable health situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

View Requirements Officially Declare Your Minor

Interdisciplinary Minor in Health Technology

The Health Technology Interdisciplinary Minor focuses on the intersection of human factors, technology, and health. In this minor, students will be introduced to the breadth of the field of health technology and develop introductory computer programming and human factors skills. Through electives, students will further explore technical and health-specific applications of health technology.

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

See More Information About the Health Technology Minor

Minor in Kinesiology

The Kinesiology minor is suitable for students who are committed to the study and research of human movement in all its dimensions. This unique minor allows students to tailor their courses to explore a specific kinesiology discipline that interests them the most. To officially declare this minor, complete the online form. Undergraduate study of kinesiology focuses on areas such as:

  • Exercise physiology, movement efficiency and biomechanical analysis of movement
  • Social, cultural and psychological aspects of participation in physical activity and sport
  • Physical growth, development and body form throughout the lifespan
  • The instructional process of teaching/coaching physical activity and sport.

Specialization Areas

  • Exercise Psychology & Health Behavior
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Teaching & Coaching Physical Activity
  • Biomechanics
  • Cultural & Interpretive Studies

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

See All Requirements Officially Declare your Minor

Please note: The course catalog for Kinesiology courses and requirements is currently being updated. Some information may be outdated, but revised details will be available soon.

Minor in Public Health

The Public Health minor is designed for undergraduate students seeking an introduction to the field and its disciplines, and for those who feel knowledge in public health will help them succeed in their careers. To officially declare this minor, complete the online form.

 The coursework for the Public Health minor offers exposure to concepts, core functions and applications of public health in a variety of specializations including health promotion and education, epidemiology and environmental health. The COVID-19 pandemic  underscored the importance of public health to the successful functioning of society. Students can complete the program in person, online or using a combination of the two.

All minors require six hours of advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are not used to fulfill requirements for the student’s major or any other minor

See All Requirements Officially Declare Your Minor

Minors in Health and Kinesiology FAQs

How many credit hours are required?

Credit hours vary, between 17 and 21, depending on the minor that you are pursuing. View specific course requirements here.

Are there areas of specialization if I declare a Minor in Kinesiology?

Yes. They are:

  1. Exercise Physiology
  2. Exercise Psychology
  3. Biomechanics
  4. Teaching and Coaching Physical Activity
  5. Cultural and Interpretive Studies

To learn more about specialization requirements, please visit the Kinesiology Minor page.

How do I declare my Minor?

Complete a Minor Declaration form.

Who should I reach out to if I have questions about a Minor in HK?

hk-minors-certs@ahs.illinois.edu

Can I make course substitutions?

No course substitutions will be permitted. If the required course has been discontinued, please reach out to hk-minors-certs@ahs.illinois.edu

The previous KCH course numbers don’t match the HK courses listed. What should I do?

Please view https://publish.illinois.edu/hkcourseinfo to see the updates.

Who will track my progress and award my Minor?

Once you have completed the Minor Declaration form, your progress will be tracked through your academic record. The minor will be officially awarded and appear on your transcript once all requirements are successfully completed.

Learn More About Minors in Health and Kinesiology

For any questions, email the Minors and Certificates team: hk-minors-certs@ahs.illinois.edu

Department of Health and Kinesiology
115 Freer
906 S. Goodwin
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2461