Quick Program Facts
Degree Programs: PhD
Total graduate student enrollment: ~20 students
Application deadline: December 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. These dates are for those students who wish to be considered for an assistantship.
The Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology (KAAP), housed in the College of Health Sciences, offers a PhD in Applied Physiology. The PhD Program provides advanced training for students in the field of applied physiology with the goal of preparing students for research-based careers. Students apply to work directly with one of the program faculty and will start in the research lab in their first semester. The PhD program has 17 affiliated faculty across several disciplines including Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Physical Therapy. The program is intentionally lower on required course credits to allow for ample immersion in the research lab.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Physiology requires a minimum of 46 credits including 9 credits of dissertation. The program is designed to be completed in 4 years.
Required courses for the doctoral degree include:
- KAAP 630 – Advanced Human Physiology I
- KAAP 631 – Advanced Human Physiology II
- KAAP 868 – Research
- KAAP 801 – Graduate Seminar in Applied Physiology
- Elective Courses
- Statistics
At the end of year 1 in the program, first year students must pass a preliminary oral exam based on the content taught in the two-semester course, Applied Human Physiology I and II.
For more information on our courses, please click on the following link: Applied Physiology PhD program degree requirements.
The Applied Physiology PhD program is housed on the Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) campus at UD that contains well equipped laboratories for research. Areas of study are driven by faculty research and encompass cardiovascular physiology, exercise physiology, musculoskeletal physiology, and neurophysiology. The programmatic emphasis is on the regulation, adaptation, and integration of mechanisms across all levels of biological organization from molecules to organ systems so that new knowledge on health, aging, chronic disease, and injury prevention can be generated and disseminated.
Research Facilities
Our facilities contain wet bench lab space, numerous human clinical testing labs, cell culture space, an exercise testing lab, and an exercise intervention space.
Students are not accepted unless there is support for the student in the form of a teaching assistantship, research assistantship, or a graduate fellowship. These awards provide a stipend as well as cover tuition.
Current stipends levels for PhD students is: $21,000 for 9 months. Students are generally supported by their mentor during the summer months.
Financial aid can be received by applying for Federal Student Aid through FAFSA. This must be completed each academic year. This is available to US citizens or eligible non-citizens who have a social security card.
Program Contact:
Shannon Lennon, PhD
Graduate Director, Applied Physiology Program
Office: 302-831-2798
slennon@udel.edu
Commitment to Diversity
In the Applied Physiology PhD program, we believe that diversity and inclusion are key drivers of academic excellence and impactful research. We are committed to supporting all of our students and in particular, those from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are committed to creating a graduate community that is inclusive and respectful of all.
Professional Development
Each graduate student can access $2,000 from the department over their academic time to use towards travel to a professional meeting(s). Furthermore, graduate students can apply for a KAAP Doctoral Student Grant to use towards their dissertation research in the amount of $2,500. Students may apply for a Summer Doctoral Fellowship funds to support dissertation costs, off-campus dissertation training, and dissertation research travel in the amount of $4,500.