Degree Offered
- Associate of Arts
Nature of the Program
Athletes aim to maximize their potential both on and off the field/court. Athletic coaches help guide them on their paths to success. The undergraduate Coaching and Performance Science program primes students for a variety of roles in the coaching profession. The program equips students to teach, motivate, and properly structure sports environments.
The Coaching and Performance Science program helps prepare students for coaching certifications. Students graduate with key knowledge in philosophy and ethics, safety and injury prevention, physical conditioning, growth and development, teaching and communication, sport skills and tactics, organization, administration, and evaluation.
Faculty
Chair
- Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History (Duquesne University)
Year @ PSC (2011)
Associate professor
- Doug Little - M.S. Physical Education (Eastern Kentucky University)
Year @ PSC (1999)
Assistant professor
- Donald Schafer - M.S. Physical Education (West Virginia University)
Year @ PSC (2017)
Admissions
Entering freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
Benchmark Requirements
Students who plan to continue at WVU-Morgantown will need to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or better and meet all other admission requirements and deadlines.
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEF Requirements (2, 3, 5, and 6) | 13 | |
| ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1) | 6 |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| CDFS 110 | Families Across the Life Span (GEF 8) | 3 |
| HN&F 171 | Introduction to Human Nutrition (GEF 8) | 3 |
| ACE 106 | Athletic Coaching Education | 3 |
| HLSC 172 | First Aid and Emergency Care | 2 |
| ACE 256 | Foundations of Coaching | 3 |
| ACE 265 | Sport is Life | 3 |
| PET 124 | Human Body: Structure and Function | 2 |
| PET 125 | Principles of Human Movement | 2 |
| PET 175 | Motor Development | 2 |
| PET 215 | Adapted Sports and Physical Activity for All Learners | 3 |
| PET 244 | Motor Learning and Performance | 2 |
| PET 276 | Adapted Sports and Physical Activity for All Learners | 2 |
| SEP 272 | Introduction to Sport and Performance Psychology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| SEP 371 | Sport in American Society (GEF 8) | 3 |
| Electives | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ACE 106 | 3 | PET 125 | 2 |
| PET 124 | 2 | SEP 272 (GEF 4) | 3 |
| PET 175 | 2 | GEF 2 | 4 |
| PET 215 | 3 | HN&F 171 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | ||
| WVUE 191 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ACE 256 | 3 | ACE 265 | 3 |
| PET 276 | 2 | CDFS 110 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| SEP 371 (GEF 8) | 3 | PET 244 | 2 |
| HLSC 172 | 2 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
PE - Coaching and Performance Science Emphasis
The goal of the program is for students to graduate with the essential skills and knowledge to work with athletes in a variety of contexts across their lifetime.
- Content Knowledge – Students will demonstrate technical and tactical knowledge and concepts related to the pedagogy of coaching a variety of sports.
- Reflection and Critical Thinking – Students will demonstrate reflection and critical thinking in order to refine professional practice.
- Programming and Assessment – Students will demonstrate evidence-based knowledge for designing, implementing and evaluating practice plans that address individual student's needs determined by various forms of assessment.
- Professionalism and Ethics – Students will demonstrate professional behaviors, including commitment to excellence, valuing diversity and collaboration, service to others, and techniques for lifelong learning.
- Technology – Students will be able to demonstrate the use of different forms of technology to assess skills and provide meaningful feedback.