Online Graduate Programs For Applied Sport Coaching
Master's Degree or Graduate Certificate
These online Sport Coaching graduate programs are designed to enhance your coaching knowledge and expertise, and to advance your existing coaching practices through evaluation and application of current research.
A master's degree and a graduate certificate are available, and online courses allow you to fit your education into your busy schedule. See the Course of Study section below for details.
The principles covered in these programs apply to all coaching endeavors and are not specific to any one sport. Whether you are a teacher interested or involved in athletic coaching, or you're a coach in any other capacity, this program will advance your knowledge and skill in all facets of coaching.
An NCACE Accredited Master's Program
This Sport Coaching master's program has received Level 5 comprehensive accreditation from the National Committee for Accreditation of Coaching Education. UNC is one of only four universities that hold Level 5 accreditation. Certificate students take the same courses as those offered for the accredited master's program.
Program Objectives Include...
- Sport pedagogy (teaching).
- Injury prevention.
- Sport psychology.
- Training and conditioning principles.
- International coaching perspectives.
- Applied coaching research.
Athlete Assessments Profile of Professor Douglas
Athlete Assessments recently profiled professor Scott Douglas' athletic, administrative and coaching histories, the applied learning focus of the Sport Coaching master's degree, and role of CoachDISC Profiles for master's students. Read the profile and a Q&A at AthleteAssessments.com.
Coaching Excellence and Career Opportunities
The UNC Sport Coaching online graduate programs were developed to meet the growing demand for high expertise in the field of coaching. These programs can benefit club coaches, recreation facility coaches, high school coaches (particularly those for whom graduate credit hours or a master's degree lead to pay increases), and athletic directors who want the applied expertise to facilitate improved coaching across sports.
Advance your career interests and become a world-class coach who develops high-performing athletes and teams.
Delivered Fully Online
Because of our innovative program design, you will be able to focus on one course at a time for much of your program.
- All courses are completed online, with many incorporating video analysis software and recorded video presentations into the course content.
- Before the program begins, there is a short online orientation course to prepare you for success in the program.
To see a typical list of courses by term, visit an example Current Students page for this program.
Coursework
Master's Degree (30 Credit Hours)
- You can earn your degree in just four academic terms (about 15 months).
- In the first summer term, you will take two 6-week courses and one 12-week course.
- In the fall and spring terms, you will take one course at a time (five or six weeks each).
- The final summer term you will complete internship credits and a comprehensive exam.
- You can choose (along with your advisor) the focus of your internship work.
For full program requirement details, see the official master's degree program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog. Please note that the current catalog shows this program as 31 credit hours. The program is approved to shift to 30 credit hours (including three credit hours of SES 692) in the next UNC graduate catalog. Students who are admitted to summer 2024 term will be advised to update to the next catalog to complete the program under the 30-hour requirement.
Graduate Certificate (15 Credit Hours)
- The course lengths noted above for the master's degree are also true for your coursework, as you will be choosing from among the same courses as those offered for the master's degree.
- You can complete the program in as little as eight months if you take five courses within your first two terms. Or you can choose to spread out your enrollment, particularly if you prefer elective options that will be offered in later terms.
- There are no internship or action research requirements for the certificate program.
This brand new program will appear in the 2024-2025 UNC Graduate Catalog, which will be released this summer. Please contact the Program Coordinator if you would like to see a breakdown of course options prior to then.
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Additional Resources
- Visit the School of Sport and Exercise Science Sport Coaching MA page.
- You can also view information about the world-renowned UNC Sport Pedagogy/Physical Education Faculty.