The pre-physical therapy/occupational therapy emphasis contains basic pre-professional preparation for graduate work at other institutions with physical therapy or occupational therapy programs. Completion of work at these graduate programs will ultimately lead to licensure in physical therapy or occupational therapy. Each graduate program has special requirements that may vary slightly. Students should contact the school(s) of their choice during their junior year at FPU and work closely with their program advisor in selecting the appropriate courses within this emphasis. In some instances, it may be necessary to take a specific course at another institution to meet a certain requirement of a given graduate program. Also, some students may need to take more than the minimum number of emphasis units in order to meet the entry requirements of the selected graduate program.

An important feature of this kinesiology emphasis is that students will learn about humans from several unique perspectives (e.g., physiological, biomechanical, motor behavioral) that all have an underlying theme of fitness and its benefits. This provides an ideal foundation for students pursuing professional careers in physical or occupational therapy.