Kinesiology and Dance Degree at the University of Calgary

A long-standing relationship between dance and physical education at the University of Calgary is further evolving: the school is launching a new degree that combines a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Kinesiology.

“The students pointed us in this direction,” explained Anne Flynn, a professor of dance at the university, “when students finished their dance degree… they stayed to finish another degree in kinesiology.”

Although the idea of dancers pursuing science courses at the university isn’t new, juggling time between long hours in the studio as well as in science labs hasn’t been easy: “We’re not adding new courses… right now we’re showing it’s physically possible to get all of these courses and graduate after five years with a double degree,” said Flynn. The combined dance and kinesiology degree is the first of its kind in Canada. Flynn anticipates that the program will be a substantial stepping-stone for students interested in pursuing graduate work as well as careers in physiotherapy, medicine, teaching, and fitness, among others. The program’s first cohort of students will begin classes in September 2014.