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Doctoral Visitation Program

The Department of Kinesiology hosts an annual visitation program for promising doctoral applicants. The event is traditionally held in mid-November and specific details are published in early September of each academic year.

Requirements for participating in the Doctoral Visitation Program

  • Interest in pursuing doctoral study in the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University
  • Strong academic qualifications and evidence of research preparation

If so, you may be eligible for our Doctoral Visitation Program. We will be inviting selected prospective doctoral students on an expense-paid trip (though airfare likely will be capped at $1000 US) to visit the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University. During this visit prospective students will meet with faculty, learn more about the KIN doctoral program, and see the MSU community.

How to apply for the 2024 Doctoral Visitation Program

The Doctoral Visitation Program will be held this year on November 13-15, 2024. Applications for the Doctoral Visitation Program will open on August 1st and must be completed by October 11, 2024.

We strongly recommend that you contact your prospective faculty mentor within your intended concentration area prior to applying to the Doctoral Visitation Program. Please see the Kinesiology Faculty biography page for more information.

The Kinesiology PhD Concentration areas with respective faculty include:

  • Athletic Injury and Rehabilitation – Dr. Tracey Covassin, Dr. Matthew Harkey, Dr. Harvi Hart
  • Exercise Physiology – Dr. Katharine Currie, Dr. David Ferguson, Dr. Eric Leszczynski, Dr. Karin Pfeiffer, Dr. Chad Wiggins
  • Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience – Dr. Jackie Goodway, Dr. Janet Hauck, Dr. Florian Kagerer, Dr. Mei-Hua Lee, Dr. Matthew Pontifex, Dr. Rajiv Ranganathan
  • Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity – Dr. Panteleimon Ekkekakis, Dr. Jeemin Kim, Dr. Leapetswe Malete, Dr. Nicholas Myers, Dr. Spyridoula Vazou

To qualify for an invitation for this program, you must submit the following information:

  • Official or student copies of transcripts from all degree programs (e.g., undergraduate, masters)
  • Statement regarding your academic and career goals
  • A current CV

These materials should be uploaded as part of your application for the Doctoral Visitation Program. Materials can also be sent to the Kinesiology Graduate Academic Program Coordinator via email (kingrad@msu.edu).

Candidates will be notified about an invitation in mid-to-late October.

Apply for the Doctoral Visitation Program ›

Applying to the Kinesiology Ph.D. program

In addition to completing the doctoral visitation program application, we strongly encourage you to submit an application to the Ph.D. program prior to December 1. A completed application allows consideration for major multi-year MSU fellowships and scholarships, which typically have application deadlines of December 1.

Visit the application webpage in early Fall for more details on creating your application to the Ph.D. program.