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WVU Morgantown

Sport Coaching, M.S.

  • Overview
  • Admissions Requirements
  • Masters
  • Learning Outcomes

Degree Offered

  • Master of Science

Nature of the Program

The Master of Science in Sport Coaching (delivered online) is designed for professional learners interested in further developing their technical skills and enriching their capacity to support athletes in high-performance settings. The program is the ideal fit for those looking to better understand the profession of sport coaching and the factors that influence peak athlete performance in individual and team sports.

The curriculum incorporates a unique balance of theoretical and applied courses that are designed to meet the needs of coaches in today’s dynamic sport industry. Each course builds upon a multi-dimensional framework that outlines the fundamental competencies that sport coaches must master to facilitate the long-term development of their athletes and teams. These competencies address the pedagogy of sport coaching, reflection and critical thinking, professionalism and ethics, and use of technology. 

The primary goals of the Sport Coaching program are for students to graduate with the essential competencies necessary to work with athletes and teams in a variety of contexts and to enhance their professional skills as a sport coach.

Admissions for 2025-2026

Criteria

  • Resume: including coaching background, sport participation, sport-related awards, and employment and/or experience (e.g., athletic administration, officiating, volunteering)
  • Personal statement: 1-2 pages on professional goals and reasons for seeking admission

Note: Students who do not meet the 2.75 grade point average requirement may be admitted as a provisional graduate student only if their GPA is between 2.50 and 2.75. Provisionally admitted students are required to attain a 3.0 GPA in their first 9 hours of adviser approved course work in order to remain in the program and to be reclassified as a regular graduate student. 

No more than twelve graduate hours may be taken toward the master's degree as a non-degree seeking graduate student.

Applications for admission are accepted on a rolling basis until August 1st for a fall term start, December 15th for a spring term start, and May 1st for a summer term start.

Major Code: 5529

Degree Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
Required courses
ACE 508The Sport Coaching Profession (should be first course completed)3
ACE 585Applied Professional Development (should be last course completed) 3
Electives24
Select eight of the following:
ACE 518
Psychology of Coaching
ACE 522
Motor Behavior for Sport Coaches
ACE 539
Creating a Healthy Competitive Environment
ACE 541
Positive Youth Development in Sport
ACE 510
Training Theories for Coaches
ACE 568
Sport Movement Analysis
ACE 569
Strength and Conditioning Methods for Coaches
ACE 530
Coaching Education Administration
SM 571
Interscholastic Sport Organization and Administration
SM 578
Leadership in Interscholastic Athletic Administration
SM 545
Current Issues & Applications in Sport Management
SM 580
Social and Ethical Responsibility in Sport
Total Hours30

Major Learning Outcomes

Sport Coaching

The goal of the program is for students to graduate with the essential skills and knowledge necessary to prepare them for a career in sport coaching.

Professional Knowledge - Understand advanced disciplinary knowledge and the primary modes of inquiry that form the basis for evidence-informed practice in their field.

Professional Practice - Apply evidence-informed strategies in their professional practice to meet the differentiated needs of the client groups and key stakeholders whom they serve.

Professional Leadership - Contribute to the leadership of communities of professional practice as collaborative learners who can facilitate their own continued development and that of others.

  • School of Counseling and Well-​being
  • School of Education
  • School of Sport Sciences
    • Coaching and Teaching Studies
    • Executive Sport Management
    • Physical Education Teacher Education
    • Sport Coaching
    • Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology
    • Sport Management

WVU Morgantown

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Morgantown, WV 26506
Email: registrar@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: 304-293-5355

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