• Going for a doctorate in any field is a huge commitment and undertaking. Advanced degrees are often specialized niches, and require an extraordinary amount of research. However, advanced degrees offer unparalleled job security, higher earnings and the ability to focus more on continuing research, as well as other ways to continue to invest in your chosen field.
  
  

Ball State University

• Ball State University's doctorate program in kinesiology and exercise science has a large program in physical education, both at the undergrad and graduate levels, with a doctoral concentration in exercise science. Approximately 150 students are enrolled in the graduate programs at Ball State's School of Physical Education and Exercise Science. Specializations at the graduate level include biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport performance, clinical exercise physiology and human bioenergetics. Each of the specialized exercise science programs offers its own laboratory facility so that students are able to receive hands-on studies and clinical experience. According to graduate-school.phds.org, the median years required to obtain a doctorate are 2.7; the school boasts 94-percent job placement. Full-time graduate student semesters cost $4,828. Ball State does not offer teaching assistantships for graduate students, but does offer about 20 percent of its graduate students research assistantships.
  
  Ball State University
  2000 W. University Ave.
  Muncie, IN 47306
  (765) 289-1241
  cms.bsu.edu
  
  

Columbia University

• Columbia University's Teachers College was recently ranked number one for the 2007-2008 academic year in the U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the nation's best graduate schools. The Teachers College at Columbia University offers one of the premier graduate programs in the nation, which has pioneered a wealth of "research and application related to physical activity," according to Columbia's website. Areas emphasized within the doctorate program include applied exercise physiology, motor learning and control, occupational therapy and physical education. Columbia's kinesiology program has also recently been ranked number one in placement of graduate students in teaching positions in the higher education field. Graduate tuition per semester is $31,448.
  
  Columbia University
  1212 Amsterdam Ave.
  New York, NY 10027
  (212) 854-5494
  tc.columbia.edu/
  
  

Georgia State University

• Georgia State University's program in kinesiology has multiple areas of emphasis, including biomechanics, exercise physiology and physical rehabilitative science. Georgia State's programs equip students for careers in fitness, wellness and cardiac rehabilitation. The department also supports a state-of-the-art research facility and hosts teaching labs with several different emphases. Faculty members are of a high caliber; many of them are highly involved in professional organizations related to their field, both at the national and international levels. According to graduate-school.phds.org, the median number of years to complete the doctorate program at Georgia State is 5.2 years, with 94 percent of graduates receiving job placement in their chosen field. Full-time graduate tuition is set at $17,464 per semester for out-of-state students and $4,368 for in-state students. Seventy-five percent of students receive tuition remission through the university.
  
  Georgia State University‎
  50 Decatur St. SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  (404) 413-8753
  education.gsu.edu/