The University of Michigan is one of the highest-ranked public universities in the nation and one of the world's preeminent research institutions. The School of Kinesiology is one of 19 independent academic units and one of seven health science schools and colleges within the university. In fall 2020 and again in fall 2023, the National Academy of Kinesiology ranked the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology doctoral program as the #1 program in the U.S. The school is led by Dean Lori Ploutz-Snyder and has over 40 tenure-line faculty, 16 clinical faculty, 33 lecturers, and over 1,250 undergraduate and 152 graduate students.
In 2021, the school moved into a newly renovated, state-of-the-art academic and research building (School of Kinesiology Building) that is located in the heart of the University of Michigan's main campus. The $120M renovation project expands the School of Kinesiology's research, classroom, and office space to approximately 189,000 gross sq. ft. The new building also includes state-of-the-art facilities to support teaching and research, including dedicated lecture and laboratory classrooms, along with many other research laboratories and centers. The shared exercise and clinical research space includes examination and procedure rooms as well as a full exercise center. New faculty will have access to all spaces and shared equipment, such as DXA, research-grade indirect calorimetry/VO2 assessment systems, wearable accelerometers, and inclinometers. Faculty will have access to the state-of-the-art core computing resources at the University of Michigan.
The University of Michigan is home to approximately 275 degree programs, with Kinesiology housing four of 102 graduate programs rated in the top 10 nationally, providing unparalleled opportunity for collaboration. Collaborative opportunities exist both within the School of Kinesiology and with other units across campus. In addition to the many exciting achievements within the School of Kinesiology, the school has a strong record of partnering with other academic units in the university, consistent with the culture of the University of Michigan that places significant value on innovation across disciplines.
The University of Michigan has made and will continue to make substantial investments in advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, as a part of its Look to Michigan vision. For example, the AI Institutes at Michigan launched in 2025 to integrate and coordinate the strengths of AI-focused centers and institutes across campus and foster collaboration in this space. The University has also been a leader in promoting equitable access and support for faculty, staff, and students to engage with a custom suite of generative AI platforms (with appropriate privacy safeguards) in their work.