Biomechanics and Motor Behavior

MS or PhD in Kinesiology

In this program, you will study and apply your education to areas such as human mobility biomechanics, fall prevention in the elderly, injury mechanism and prevention, training biomechanics, enhancement of sport performance and biomechanics of special populations.

Program courses are offered on the Denton campus.

Careers & Salaries

Biomechanical engineers typically work for in these areas:

  • Biomechanics/movement science laboratories in hospitals and universities
  • Physical therapy clinics
  • Sport equipment companies
  • Sport teams
  • Private practice

They frequently are sought after by college and professional athletes to measure their movement and provide recommendations to improve their play.

Salaries in this profession vary widely. Payscale.com currently lists a median annual income of $75,296 for biomechanical engineers.

Those earning their PhDs most frequently enter the higher education field as assistant professors (average base annual salary of $66,570) or serve as a research scientist or specialized professional within the field of biomechanics.

Why Biomechanics at TWU?

TWU provides hands-on learning to our students. We combine lectures with applied exercises in the lab. You will get experience reading and analyzing data output from state-of-the-art equipment.

As a doctoral student, you perform research of interest to you, with opportunities to collaborate with other TWU departments.

Master’s Program Requirements

This program takes 30-36 credit semester hours to complete, depending on whether you choose to do the professional paper or thesis option. See full program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.

Undergraduate prerequisites for this program include:

  • Kinesiology: Kinesiology/Biomechanics (3+ hours), Exercise Physiology (3+ hours)
  • Mathematics: Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry and Calculus (must understand the differentiation and integration, multivariable calculus, and basic ventro and matrix algebra)
  • Physics (3+ hours), with a basic understanding of classical (Newtonian) mechanics

As a full-time student, you can complete your master’s coursework in as little as four semesters.

Doctoral Program Requirements

This program requires 96 credit hours, including credit hours from graduate-level work and six semester credit hours for dissertation. (See full doctoral program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.)

These prerequisite courses must be completed before you can start this doctoral program:

  • Kinesiology: Functional Anatomy (3+ hours), Kinesiology/Biomechanics (3+ hours), Exercise Physiology (3+ hours)
  • Mathematics: Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry and Calculus (must understand the differentiation and integration, multivariable calculus, and basic ventro and matrix algebra)
  • Physics (3+ hours), with a basic understanding of classical (Newtonian) mechanics
  • Programming Language: Visual Basic, C, C++, Visual C++, Java or MATLAB (you must be fluent in at least one programming language)

Additional mathematics and mechanics courses are also required:

  • Linear Algebra
  • Matrix Computation
  • Differential Equations
  • Numerical Analysis
  • Classical Mechanics (Statics/Dynamics)

Admission Requirements

For More Information

Jason Torres
Graduate Academic Advisor
Pioneer Hall 213
jtorres9@twu.edu 

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Page last updated 9:17 AM, March 10, 2025