Students who began the Kinesiology and Health Science degree in Fall 2023 or earlier are required to complete the PKIN practicum program. Students who began their studies after Fall 2024 will complete IPAL courses.
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Practicum Maximum
PKIN requirements include eight PKINs with three courses from mandatory areas and five electives. Due to student safety concerns, Kinesiology and Health Science students may only enroll in a maximum number of PKIN courses per term as outlined below.
Fall Term
3 PKIN courses maximum
Winter Term
3 PKIN courses maximum
S1 Term
2 PKIN courses maximum
S2 Term
2 PKIN courses maximum
Participation Requirement
To receive credit for a practicum course a student must attend and actively participate in a minimum of 80 percent of classes for the course. When full participation is not possible, accommodation agreements may be reached with the practicum instructor (complete classes missed on a different date, individual testing etc., dependent on the practicum instructor).
Please note that any practicum that certification is part of the course, 100% attendance is mandatory. Without 100% attendance then you will not come away with certification.
Allowed absences by course format
The table below serves as a general reference. Please refer to your course outline for specific details.
| Course format | Maximum absences allowed |
|---|---|
| 24-hour course (two hours per week for 12 weeks) | Students may miss up to four classes (four hours). |
| 24-hour course (4 hours per week for 6 weeks) | Students may miss up to two classes (S1 and S2 term PKINs). |
| 16-hour course (3 hours per week for 8 weeks) | Students may miss up to three classes. |
| 12-hour course (2 hours once per week for 12 weeks) | Students may miss up to two classes. |
| P Terms – 80% of hours must be completed | Students may miss up to 20% of classes. |
Academic credit and grading policies
Cumulative Grade Point Average and Credit Weights
Practicum courses do not carry academic credit and are not included in the 120 academic credits required for the Honours degree. There is no tuition fee for practicum courses; however, some courses may include additional charges for consumables, such as printed materials and supplies.
Prerequisites
For consecutive courses in the same area (e.g., Volleyball I and Volleyball II), students must achieve at least a grade of B in the preceding course to enrol in the next course, unless otherwise stated. Qualified students may enrol directly in an advanced-level course with the instructor’s permission but will not receive credit for the lower-level course.
Practicum Enrolment
Priority enrolment is given to students in the Kinesiology and Health Science Honours program. Students are responsible for enrolling in, adding and dropping courses. The add/drop dates for practicum courses are the same as those for academic courses. Students who request to remove a practicum course from their transcript after the drop deadline must email ugkhs@yorku.ca.
Evaluation – Grades and Pass/Fail Option
Evaluation of students’ competence in a practicum is based on skill execution and theory (oral and/or written). The practicum grading scale includes A, B, C and F, or a pass/fail option.
Students may take practicum (PKIN) courses on a pass/fail basis, provided they apply to the practicum instructor within the first two weeks of classes.
Note: PKIN courses and grades are listed on the official transcript but are not included in the cumulative grade point average.
Varsity Sport Practicum Credits
Students who complete a season as a member of a York University varsity team are eligible to receive one PKIN course credit per year, up to a maximum of three practicum course credits. After three years of varsity sport participation, elective PKINs are waived first, followed by the PKIN course in the same activity. The waiver applies only to the PKIN area completed as part of a varsity team and cannot be applied to other PKIN areas.
Students and the head coach must complete the PKIN equivalency request form for varsity sport participation. Students requesting PKIN equivalency must email ugkhs@yorku.ca.
Accommodation Circumstances
Students may be accommodated under the following circumstances. All cases are considered individually.