Doctor of Philosophy

The graduate program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Biokinesiology is designed to prepare candidates for research and teaching at the university level. Actual programs of study will be designed with a degree of flexibility directed toward individual students who seek to become independent scholars.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet all general admission requirements of the university, as well as departmental requirements including satisfactory academic standing and Graduate Record Examinations performance. Students admitted for the Master of Science degree are not automatically admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy program. The Master of Science is not required as a prerequisite to the Ph.D. but may be advised.

Potential candidates must have a personal interview with program faculty. A student can be considered for admission only when a member of the graduate faculty has agreed to serve as major professor. Letters of recommendation and duplicate transcripts must be sent to the department for preliminary evaluation, although final acceptance is based upon the official USC application procedure.

Prerequisites (Ph.D. Program)

The prerequisite for applicants to the Ph.D. program in biokinesiology is either: (a) a bachelor's degree or higher with a science major or equivalent; or (b) a bachelor's or master's degree in physical therapy with appropriate basic science content. Applicants should have a superior undergraduate or graduate record at an accredited college or university. Courses completed at the time of application must include work (with appropriate laboratory study) in chemistry, mathematics, physics and biology. Highly recommended is course work in anatomy, physiology, histology, cell biology, exercise physiology, kinesiology, biochemistry, trigonometry, analytical geometry and calculus.

Candidates should be computer literate, and a notebook computer is recommended but not required. International applicants will be considered on a special evaluation of credentials.

Students deficient in certain prerequisites may be admitted subject to completion of requirements within two years after admission. An additional year may be granted upon review of the student's program by a faculty committee. Work in any prerequisite subjects will not be part of the required 60 units for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biokinesiology is awarded under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Students should also refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degree must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Screening Examination

A screening examination will be offered two times each year for qualified students. It will be taken at the end of the first year of study or after 30 units of graduate credit, including four courses in the major core track and two courses in the minor area. A core course grade point average of 3.5 and an elective average of 3.0 is required for eligibility to take the screening examination. The examination will be written and comprehensive, covering theoretical subject matter in the core areas of the major track. The examination will be prepared, administered and evaluated by the graduate faculty of the department and faculty in related departments of cognate study.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 60 units is required for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Required course work		Units
BKN 656ab	Recent Advances in Pathokinesiology	2-2
BKN 672	Advanced Independent Study in Pathokinesiology	1-4, max 8
BKN 790	Research	1-12
BKN 794abcdz	Doctoral Dissertation	2-2-2-0

Other course requirements (to complete 60 units) will vary according to the specific needs of each student. Course work other than departmental offerings is encouraged and may be required by the student's guidance committee.

Courses available for M.S./Ph.D. students		Units
BKN 553	Gait Analysis, Observational	2
BKN 559	Readings in Pathokinesiology	1-4, max 8
BKN 563	Biomechanics	2
BKN 564	Muscle Physiology	2
BKN 565	Neurophysiology of Motion	4
BKN 567	Seminar on Human Prenatal Development	2
BKN 568ab	Objective Measurement of Physical Performance	3-3
BKN 573ab	Advanced Dissection Anatomy	2-2
BKN 576	Seminar	1, max 2
BKN 580abL	Analytical Kinesiology	3-3
BKN 587ab	Physiological Correlates of Therapeutic Exercise	4-4
BKN 590	Directed Research	1-12
BKN 593	Behavioral Basis of Motor Control and Learning	3
BKN 594abz	Master's Thesis	2-2-0
BKN 599	Special Topics	2-4, max 8
BKN 653	Gait Analysis, Instrumented	4
BKN 656ab	Recent Advances in Pathokinesiology	2-2
BKN 672	Advanced Independent Study in Pathokinesiology	1-4, max 8
BKN 790	Research	1-12
BKN 794abcdz	Doctoral Dissertation	2-2-2-2-0
PT 570	Technology in Teaching and Use of Multimedia	1-5
PT 595abcd	Residency in Advanced Clinical Physical Therapy	3-3-3-3

Foreign Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement; instead, a biometry sequence is required (PM 510L, PM 511abL) plus additional research methods or computer science courses (PM 513 or BME 523 or equivalent).

Guidance Committee

Upon successful completion of the screening examination the student and the major advisor will select a guidance committee for continuing course work and independent study. The guidance committee must have a minimum of five members; three must be from the Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, one of whom will be the committee chair. One may be from the basic science department (anatomy, physiology, etc.) in which the major extradepartmental work is taken, and one may be from biometry or another of the related medical or engineering sciences.

The guidance committee will recommend course work, independent study and readings in the major and cognate areas. The student will present a proposal for the dissertation to this committee which will be reviewed at the time of the qualifying examination.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination must demonstrate qualification in both major and minor fields for doctoral candidates and will be conducted by the guidance committee. The examination will include both written and oral components.

Dissertation Committee

After the qualifying examination has been passed and a dissertation topic approved, the guidance committee shall be known as the dissertation committee and may be reduced to three members upon unanimous recommendation to the dean of graduate studies. One of the three members must be from outside the major department. The dissertation and the defense or final oral must have the unanimous approval of the dissertation committee.

Dissertation and Oral Defense

An acceptable dissertation based on original investigation is required. The dissertation must show technical mastery of a special field, capacity for independent research and scholarly ability.

The chair of the dissertation committee will be the principal research advisor. The dissertation should be completed within two years of the date of approval of the proposal. See the Graduate School section of this catalogue.

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