i Please note:
To view the current calendar, go to
Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (Thesis Option)
Program Requirements
This program requires 12 units minimum of graduate courses and a thesis. If a supervisory committee deems that preparation is inadequate, more than this may be required. At least six of these units must be from graduate biomedical physiology and kinesiology (BPK) courses.
Students complete
Required of all graduate students entering the Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology. Students will gain perspective on how their research fits into the overall spectrum of departmental research. Presentations will be given by faculty and students, to be followed by seminar discussions. Students will be exposed to techniques available in the school, their strengths and weaknesses, what data the techniques yield, and how the scientific method is applied in interpreting the data. Students will learn how to give oral, poster, and web-based presentations, and how to facilitate discussions.
- and a graduate course in statistics or research methods, such as HSCI 801
- and three additional graduate BPK courses
- and one additional graduate BPK course or, with prior approval of the graduate program committee, from outside the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
Deviations from the above curriculum must be approved by the graduate program chair. For further information and regulations, see
Thesis Requirements
The school encourages early thesis proposal submission, which is circulated to faculty and resident graduate students, and formally presented for open forum discussion. A formal defence of the completed thesis is made to the examination committee at an open forum. The thesis proposal must precede the defence by at least four months. For regulations, see graduate general regulations.
Time Required for Degree
Requirements are normally completed in six terms.
Application Criteria for Transfer from MSc to PhD Program
Students currently in the biomedical physiology and kinesiology master鈥檚 program may be considered for transfer to the PhD program. Such transfers will be infrequent and very selective. Normally, only students enrolled in their third through sixth terms may apply to transfer to the PhD program. The graduate program committee (GPC) reviews such applications, and the GPC chair forwards a recommendation to the dean of graduate studies. The decision is made by the dean of graduate studies.
In addition to section 1.3.4 of the graduate general regulations, eligibility and the decision regarding transfer to the PhD in biomedical physiology and kinesiology will include the following criteria.
- strong support letters from the senior supervisor and at least one other academic referee
- excellent academic performance (e.g. minimum GPA of 3.67)
- strong background in research design and statistics or modeling as appropriate to the area
- completion of biomedical physiology and kinesiology graduate seminar course BPK (or KIN) 801
- evidence that the student is capable of completing and disseminating research. Such capability will be judged by research to date, publications and letters from referees.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the (residence, course work, academic progress, supervision, research competence requirement, completion time, and degree completion), as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled, as shown above.
For calendar technical problems or errors, contact calendar-sfu@sfu.ca | Calendar Changes and Corrections