Quick Facts
Next Start Date:
January 6, 2025
- Delivery: 100% Online or Blended
- Major Credits: 30
- No GRE required
Coaches across the country have one question in common: How can I get a step up on the competition?
The answer can be found in Ball State University’s graduate program in athletic coaching education. More than a weekend workshop or a noncredit certificate program offering a handful of basic courses, this is a master of arts degree in athletic coaching education.
Taught by faculty who perform on national and international stages of coaching and who have coached Olympians and NCAA champion athletes, Ball State’s program is a world-class master’s degree.
Ball State is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. What this means to you is that we have met rigorous academic standards and professionalism that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and other institutions of higher learning.
Career Outcomes
Athletic coaching offers a diverse and rewarding range of career pathways that combine a passion for sports with the ability to shape lives and inspire excellence. Graduates of our program leverage their expertise to mentor athletes and optimize team performance. They confidently step into roles such as professional and collegiate coaches, performance analysts, and sports scouts.
Beyond the sidelines, many apply scientific principles to improve athletic outcomes and promote overall health in their careers as exercise trainers, strength and conditioning specialists, and wellness consultants. The versatility of an athletic coaching education also prepares graduates as physical education teachers at all education levels.
Alumni have thrived as sports development officers, athletic administrators, and even as entrepreneurs in the sports performance industry, underscoring this field's vast career potential. With a curriculum rooted in evidence-based practice and industry connections, our program equips you with the skills to transform your passion into a lifelong profession in competitive sports, educational settings, or the broader fitness and health arena.
The field of athletic coaching is set to soar, with a projected 9 percent growth in the coming years. This offers unparalleled opportunities for aspiring professionals to thrive in a dynamic and rewarding industry.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, what is driving the growth in the coaching field?*
- The need to replace the many high school coaches who will retire or transfer will provide the most coaching opportunities. (The best prospects are for those who are state-certified to teach academic subjects.)
- The increased need, especially at the college level, for coaches in women’s athletics.
- The demand for private sports instruction is expected to grow as parents encourage their children to pursue fitness and their full potential.
- The increasing number of retirees who will need instruction as they participate in leisure activities such as golf and tennis.
To find some of the latest job postings in the coaching field at:
Get started on your next coaching career move, by requesting more information about the Ball State master's in physical education with a coaching specialization.
* Information from Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
Why a Master's Degree in Athletic Coaching?
- Ball State is consistently highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in best online graduate education programs.
- U.S. News & World Report ranks our Master’s Degrees in Education Programs in the top 20 for Best online programs for veterans.
But it’s do-able because the program is fully online with absolutely no residency requirement. That means you can earn the degree without leaving your coaching position, and you can complete an internship in your workplace.
Since you’ll be taking courses in organization and administration, sport safety and injury prevention, and teaching and motivation, you can take what you learn to practice the next day.
Take note also that coaching salaries are seeing a dramatic rise, particularly at the college level, where compensation for coaches in certain sports has escalated in recent years.
- We have the experience. In 2002, we were the first athletic coaching education program in the country to go online.
- Our faculty members are published authors, active researchers, and recognized authorities in their athletic areas.
- Taking just two classes per semester, you can finish in five semesters.
- Our class sizes—usually in a range of 12 to 20 students—make individual instruction and maximum interaction possible.
- You’ll study with classmates who are coaching in youth leagues, high schools, and colleges throughout the country.
- Alumni of our program are coaching across the country, including the Big 10, the Mid-American Conference, and the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The job market for coaches is expected to grow by 9 percent through 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Our curriculum is based on the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) National Standards for Sports Coaches, emphasizing the eight domains of coaching for building elite athletes and winning teams.
- Competitive tuition rates.
- New cohorts begin each spring and summer.
- We also offer an all online license update in physical education with a coaching specialization. The licensure update courses can be applied to the master's in coaching education. Please note, the license update and the master's program do not lead to an initial teaching license. You will need to take additional courses to attain a teaching license.
- No GRE required.
Meet your mentors
As a student of our master’s program in coaching education, you will work one-on-one with faculty who have made ours a world-class program. They have years of experience in all levels of teaching, coaching, and mentoring, and are active in their field and in athletics-related research.
Read their stories and meet professors who are at the pinnacle of their profession:
- Larry Judge, Ph.D.
Professor of Kinesiology, Associate Chair of the School of Kinesiology, and Coordinator of the Graduate Athletic Coaching Education Program
- Stacy Walker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Athletic Training and Clinical Education Coordinator
- Cheryl Rogow, Ed.D.
Adjunct Instructor
Professor
Physical Education and Athletics
College of Marin
- Thomas Sawyer, Ed.D.
Adjunct Instructor
Professor
Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport
Graduate Coordinator of Sport Management Program
Indiana State University
- Design and write a strength and conditioning program for a team sport.
- Utilize a sport analysis software program to analyze sport technique and provide appropriate feedback.
- Help athletes to develop a mental game plan that includes pre-game preparation, a contingency plan for errors during competition, and how to avoid competitive stress.
- Develop a practice plan that utilizes the concepts of: distributed practice, techniques for gaining and maintaining attention, drill progressions based on complexity, demonstrations of new skills, practice events for closed skills and open skills and provides various forms of feedback.
- Apply the NASPE/NCACE 8 domains of coaching competencies in their present coaching position as demonstrated in their internship
Meet Our Students and Faculty
Learn from their experience! Current students and alumni follow their unique journeys, but they all have one thing in common: Ball State Online offered them opportunities to pursue their passions and further their careers.
Course Requirements
The online master’s in athletic coaching education program provides you the opportunity to study and network with classmates who are your coaching peers from across the country. We keep the classes small to maximize class interaction and to give you ample time to connect one on one with our world class professors.
If you’ve never been in an online classroom, you’ll be surprised at how well you’ll get to know members of your cohort and how much you’ll enjoy being part of this team.
Plan of Study
You have your choice of beginning the program with a fall, spring, or summer cohort. Depending on when you start will affect the sequence of courses you will follow. Below are recommended plans of study to meet course requirements for this 30-credit program, which would allow you to finish in five semesters. For a full list of required courses and their descriptions, see the course catalog.
View Catalog
If you’re an on-campus student, the concentration in sport performance option gives you the opportunity to earn your master’s in athletic coaching education and prepares you for positions in sport science, sport coaching, strength and conditioning, and advanced graduate study in sport science. Learn more.
Fall Cohort Plan of Study
You may start the master's program in athletic coaching education during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. If you start in the fall, we recommend the following course schedule to finish within five semesters:
Fall
- ACE 612 Growth and Development for Coaches (3 credits)
- ACE 618 Skills and Tactics for Coaches (3 credits)
Spring
- ACE 604 Physical Preparation and Conditioning (3 credits)
- ACE 625 Evaluation in Coaching (3 credits)
Summer
- ACE 632 Philosophy and Ethics (3 credits)
- ACE 675 Teaching and Motivation for Coaches (3 credits)
Fall
- ACE 600 Internship in Athletic Coaching Education (3 credits)
- KINE 601 Research Applications (3 credits)
Spring
- ACE 670 Sport Safety and Injury Prevention (3 credits)
- ACE 692 Organization and Administration for Coaches (3 credits)
SPRING Cohort Plan of Study
You may start the master's program in athletic coaching education during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. If you start in the spring, we recommend the following course schedule to finish within five semesters:
Spring
- ACE 604 Physical Preparation and Conditioning (3 credits)
- ACE 618 Skills and Tactics for Coaches (3 credits)
Summer
- ACE 675 Teaching and Motivation for Coaches (3 credits)
- ACE 692 Organization and Administration for Coaches (3 credits)
Fall
- ACE 612 Growth and Development for Coaches (3 credits)
- KINE 601 Research Applications (3 credits)
Spring
- ACE 632 Philosophy and Ethics (3 credits)
- ACE 670 Sport Safety and Injury Prevention (3 credits)
Summer
- ACE 625 Evaluation in Coaching (3 credits)
- ACE 600 Internship in Athletic Coaching Education (3 credits)
Summer Cohort Plan of Study
You may start the master's program in athletic coaching education during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. If you start in the summer, we recommend the following course schedule to finish within five semesters:
Summer
- ACE 612 Growth and Development for Coaches (3 credits)
- ACE 675 Teaching and Motivation for Coaches (3 credits)
Fall
- ACE 604 Physical Preparation and Conditioning (3 credits)
- ACE 618 Skills and Tactics for Coaches (3 credits)
Spring
- ACE 632 Philosophy and Ethics (3 credits)
- ACE 692 Organization and Administration for Coaches (3 credits)
Summer
- ACE 625 Evaluation in Coaching (3 credits)
- ACE 670 Sport Safety and Injury Prevention (3 credits)
Fall
- ACE 600 Internship in Athletic Coaching Education (3 credits)
- KINE 601 Research Applications (3 credits)
More about Online Learning
Ready to Apply?
Review deadlines, admission requirements, and application materials, then start your application.
Ball State is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to accept online students from all U.S. states. However, if you are considering a program that leads to professional licensure, some states may have additional regulations. Review our state authorization website if you live outside of Indiana and contact us if you have questions.
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We’re here to help! You may request more information using our online form, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.
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