Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.
Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
32 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Principles of Exercise Leadership introduces designing individual and group exercise programs for fitness leadership roles, providing supervised practical experience to develop student leadership skills.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Research in Kinesiology covers the research process, including hypothesis development, ethics, study design, measurement, statistical concepts, and presenting results.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Martha McCurdy
Past reviews described exams as hard and the paper as time-consuming. Students felt the workload was excessive for a 2-credit course, resembling a 4-credit load.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Group Development and Behavior Management teaches group development participation and behavior management strategies for maintaining safe, productive teaching environments.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Cindy Kuhrasch
Both reviewers rated the difficulty as low, with one giving a rating of 1 and the other a rating of 2, suggesting the course was not overly demanding.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers foundational concepts for athletic training practice, including evidence-based practice, disablement models, legal/ethical issues, communication, and cultural competence.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to physical activity programming for diverse abilities, focusing on promoting physical activity for individuals with disabling conditions through adapted fitness and community settings.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Workshop exploring topics in kinesiology and/or occupational therapy, with content varying by semester.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Spring 2026Develops knowledge of diverse populations to promote lifelong physical activity and well-being by applying inclusive techniques to address barriers and create meaningful programs.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to Exercise Psychology emphasizing psychological foundations of exercise, including motivational techniques, perception of effort, personality dynamics, and mental health.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Dane Cook
Exams consisted mostly of short-answer questions that were time-consuming and required precise keywords for credit, with no textbook provided.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Living Well: Lifestyle Redesign and Health Promotion for College Students applies biological, cultural, and social theory to lifestyle change through lectures, experiential learning, and class assignments.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Tim Gattenby
Classes were long, and consistent attendance was essential because participating in in-class discussions was required.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to major concepts and terminology in human motor development, focusing on movement changes across the lifespan and influencing factors.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Fitness Testing and Exercise Prescription applies assessment and prescription principles to health-related fitness components through discussion and lab activities.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Examines research evidence linking physical activity and fitness to health and disease, including cardiovascular conditions, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer, with application in practical situations.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Morgan Shields
The course was rated as moderately difficult, with a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to the philosophy, history, and sociology of physical activity and sport, focusing on socio-cultural aspects.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Sports Science & Athlete Monitoring explores technology for assessing physical activity, injury return, and performance enhancement through field-based testing and monitoring.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Advanced Exercise Psychology examines exercise and performance through motivation, personality dynamics, psychophysics, mental health, social psychology, and behavioral medicine.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kelli Koltyn
Students completed readings and wrote papers, which were described as pretty easy if the required work was put in.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers principles of resistance training and physiological effects via lectures and demonstrations for practitioners seeking detailed scientific understanding.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Patrick Hills-Meyer
The exam was tough due to the large volume of information, and it was unclear what specifically to study for preparation.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Promoting Health in the Community introduces health promotion theories, professional foundations, and practical skills in writing materials, public speaking, and group dynamics for community health programs.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines exercise, medicine, and activity considerations for young athletes, focusing on differences from adults, growth, maturation, and treatment of common pediatric orthopedic injuries.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David Bell
Weekly work included a starting point assignment and two discussion posts, which were required to be 3-5 paragraphs long. There were also two big assignments and many required readings.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to kinesiology covering physical activity, health, and career opportunities in the field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Morgan Shields
Morgan Shields taught the class without quizzes or exams, which students noted made the course very low-stress.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026This course teaches how to plan, facilitate, and assess movement and health promotion programs through comprehensive needs assessments and evidence-based, culturally responsive evaluation methods.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Susan Andreae
Attendance was mandatory, and missed classes resulted in grade deductions even if excused. The grading guidelines were also extremely confusing.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines neuronal circuits and neurophysiological mechanisms controlling human motor behavior, covering sensorimotor integration and spinal, brainstem, and cortical control levels.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Overview of social factors affecting US health, covering health education approaches, determinants of disparities, and intervention models.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Allison Hugo
Textbook readings were considered optional for doing well, and lectures were mandatory but flexible for students with valid reasons for absence.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Discusses contemporary issues in Athletic Healthcare, focusing on acute and chronic medical issues affecting athletic performance.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Overview of behavioral, social, and cultural factors in health disparities; covers theory-based health education, promotion strategies, and community influence on risk factors.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kathleen Lively
One student rated the difficulty as moderate, noting the mix of practical content and required participation.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026First Aid and Basic Life Support course covering techniques for airway obstruction, CPR, AED use, injuries, and medical emergencies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Morgan Shields
Homework volume was low, but assigned tasks usually required significant time to complete.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026This course provides scientific knowledge and practical application of nutrition as it relates to exercise, health, and sports performance.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to athletic healthcare covering health care systems, interprofessional teams, and injuries in active populations, emphasizing team-based patient care.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Patrick Hills-Meyer
Assignments were not difficult. The course involved three exams, where the final exam covered the material from the third exam, which was administered on the last day of class.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Clinical Anatomy of Human Movement provides foundational knowledge in musculoskeletal anatomy and anatomical considerations related to human movement and physical activity.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Andrew P. Winterstein
The class met weekly with online modules and required lots of studying, which students found tough for a two-credit course, especially without prior anatomy background.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026KINES 361 provides a basic and up-to-date view of the major processes and mechanisms underlying the performance and learning of motor skills.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Martha McCurdy
The review did not provide specific details about weekly time commitment or exam difficulty, only noting that the instructor was helpful with assignments.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Physiology of Exercise covers fundamental knowledge of how human physiological systems adapt to meet various exercise demands.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Gary Diffee
Exams were difficult, featuring short-answer application questions and strict grading, with limited time provided to complete them.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026