The Department of Kinesiology, formerly known as Exercise Science, was orginally linked to the Physical Education Department at USC.  Founded just prior to 1919, the Physical Education department was one of the oldest on the West Coast.  Over the years, it produced many scholars and leaders in the field of physical education.
  
With the addition of younger, more science-based faculty, the department changed its direction in 1982 by offering dual degrees in both Physical Education and Exercise Science.  By 1987, the physical education curriculum was dropped and the Department of Exercise Science emerged.  Emphasis shifted to the education and research of the scientific aspects of human performance.

In 2000, it was decided that the department name be changed to Kinesiology in order to reflect the transition from a traditional physical education model to that of a modern science department viable within a Research I university.  The vision was to restructure the entire kinesiology undergraduate curriculum to become a coherent and effective course of study in the biology of human movement.

Today, kinesiology students at USC gain hands-on experience with clinical diagnostic methodologies such as electrocardiography, pulmonary function, manual muscle testing, electromyography, dynamometry, and video-based motion analysis. Through innovative lectures and presentation materials, USC Faculty teach fundamental physiological and biomechanical concepts and integrate the latest research findings from their laboratory and the scientific literature.

As a result, USC students are learning current concepts long before they are printed in textbooks. Using cutting edge technology, students collect their own physiological data and use these data to illustrate cause and effect relationships learned in lecture and to test hypotheses regarding human function under normal, pathological, and stressful conditions.

Topics range from the assessment of forces experienced by the ankle during jumping activities to the control of blood glucose levels during exercise. Through these experiences, students see how fundamental physics, biological, and chemical principles interact and contribute to human body function. Students are then challenged to creatively apply and share their knowledge to improve human body function and solve real world problems.

Whether a student pursues a future in science, health, the arts or business, the kinesiology degree program provides students with the opportunity to assimilate current scientific concepts, develop critical thinking skills, and refine communication and technological skills that are critical for today's job market.