Earn a Sports Performance Degree Online

Our fully online MS in Applied Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Performance Training is tailored for working professionals, offering flexible classes that fit into your schedule anytime, anywhere. We maintain small class sizes to foster meaningful connections with both classmates and professors. Additionally, dual concentrations are available for those seeking to broaden their expertise.

This program is designed to prepare students with the skills necessary to enhance athletic performance and promote overall wellness.

Earning a degree in sports performance offers a variety of benefits, both professionally and personally. Here are some key advantages:

1. Specialized Knowledge and Skills: A sports performance training degree provides in-depth understanding of exercise science, biomechanics, nutrition and training methodologies. This specialized knowledge enables you to design and implement effective training programs that optimize athletic performance.
2. Career Opportunities: With a degree in sports performance training, you can pursue a range of careers in the sports and fitness industry, including roles as a strength and conditioning coach, sports scientist, performance analyst or personal trainer. This degree opens doors to work with athletes at all levels, from amateur to professional.
3. Professional Credibility: Holding a degree in sports performance training enhances your credibility and reputation in the field. It demonstrates a commitment to professional development and a deep understanding of the science behind athletic performance.
4. Networking Opportunities: Throughout your degree program, you’ll have the chance to connect with peers, professors and industry professionals. These connections can lead to valuable opportunities, collaborations and career advancements.
5. Hands-On Experience: Many sports performance programs offer practical experience through internships, lab work and field studies. This hands-on learning allows you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, gaining experience that is highly valued by employers.
6. Enhancing Athletic Performance: Whether you’re working with teams or individual athletes, the knowledge gained from a sports performance degree enables you to make a significant impact on their training and performance outcomes.
7. Contribution to Health and Wellness: Beyond athletic performance, this degree equips you to promote overall health and wellness. You’ll be able to guide individuals toward achieving their fitness goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
8. Foundation for Further Education: A sports performance training degree also serves as a solid foundation for advanced studies, such as a doctoral program, opening up even more specialized career paths and research opportunities.

Personal Growth: Earning this degree can also contribute to your personal development, enhancing your understanding of your own physical capabilities and how to maintain peak performance and health throughout life.

A degree in sports performance opens up a wide range of career opportunities in the sports, fitness and health industries. Here are some of the key paths you can pursue in kinesiology and sport performance:

1. Strength and Conditioning Coach: Work with athletes at various levels — high school, college or professional — to design and implement training programs that enhance strength, endurance, agility and overall performance. A strength and conditioning specialist uses injury prevention techniques to help athletes stay healthy. 
2. Personal Trainer: Offer individualized training programs to clients seeking to improve their fitness, athletic abilities or overall health. These sports performance professionals can work in gyms, wellness centers or as independent contractors.
3. Sports Scientist: Conduct research and apply scientific principles to improve athletic performance. This role often involves analyzing data, testing athletes and developing new training methods or technologies.
4. Performance Analyst: Use data and video analysis to assess athlete performance, helping coaches and athletes make informed decisions about training strategies and game plans.
5. Exercise Physiologist: Work with individuals to improve their physical health through exercise programs, often collaborating with healthcare professionals to develop rehabilitation plans for patients recovering from injuries or surgeries.
6. Athletic Trainer: Provide preventative care, emergency care, and rehabilitation services to athletes using your athletic training. Athletic trainers often work in schools, colleges, professional sports teams or healthcare settings.
7. Health and Wellness Coach: Focus on improving the overall well-being of individuals by developing comprehensive wellness plans that include physical activity, nutrition and lifestyle changes.
8. Fitness Facility Manager: Oversee the operations of gyms, fitness centers or sports complexes, including managing staff, maintaining equipment and developing programs that attract and retain clients.
9. Corporate Wellness Coordinator: Develop and manage wellness programs within corporate environments to help employees stay healthy and reduce workplace stress, leading to improved productivity and job satisfaction.
10. Sports Coach: Lead and train athletes in specific sports, applying your knowledge of sports performance to improve their skills and strategy.
11. Entrepreneur: Start your own business in the sports and fitness industry, such as opening a gym, creating a fitness product or launching an online coaching service.

These future careers offer the opportunity to make a significant impact on the health, human performance and well-being of athletes and the general population.

In our master’s program, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the key principles that drive sports performance and exercise science. Here’s what you can expect to learn:

1. Kinesiology: Explore the science of human movement, focusing on how muscles, bones and joints work together. You’ll study how the body moves during physical activity, and how to optimize movement patterns to enhance performance and prevent injury.
2. Biomechanics: Delve into the mechanics of movement, learning how to analyze and improve the efficiency of athletic performance. You’ll gain the skills to assess motion, force and the mechanical aspects of the body, helping athletes achieve optimal performance with reduced injury risk.
3. Research Design and Analysis: Develop a strong foundation in research methods, learning how to design, conduct and analyze studies in exercise science. This includes understanding how to collect and interpret data, critically evaluate research and apply findings to real-world sports performance scenarios.
4. Exercise Physiology: Study the physiological responses and adaptations to exercise. You’ll learn about the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems, and how they are affected by various forms of physical activity. This knowledge will allow you to design effective training programs that improve endurance, strength and overall fitness.
5. Exercise and Sports Nutrition: Gain an in-depth understanding of the role nutrition plays in sports performance. You’ll learn how to create nutrition plans that support athletic goals, optimize recovery and enhance overall health, ensuring athletes perform at their best.

By the end of our program, you’ll be equipped with the advanced knowledge and practical skills necessary to excel in the field of sports performance and exercise science, whether you’re working with elite athletes or promoting wellness in the general population.

The MS in Applied Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Performance Training prepares students with the critical thinking skills and hands-on experience necessary to thrive in the fitness industry. Take the next step and apply online or book a call with our admissions team.