The Department was officially opened in 1988 in the Faculty of Education with the late Prof. Marius Coetsee acting as the first Head of Department. The initial focus was on teacher education. In the early 90’s, an honours degree in Human Movement Science was introduced. The honours degree in Human Movement Science offered by the department is among the best in the country and has attracted a number of students from all over South Africa. In 1999, the department moved to the Faculty of Science and Agriculture. The change to the Faculty of Science and Agriculture enabled the department to offer career focused qualifications establishing strong links with other health sciences fields in the faculty. In 2009, the department introduced a new qualification, a diploma in exercise and technology to help fulfil the mandate given to the university by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) to become a comprehensive institution offering 70% degrees and 30% technikon type qualifications.