Master of Sports Science (M.S.S.)

The Academy offers a 33 semester-hour program leading to a Master of Sports Science (MSS) degree. Students may also pursue a combination of any of the master’s degree areas leading to a dual major, for a total of 42 to 48 semester-hours depending upon the area of study.

Academy courses are offered online so that students can conveniently take courses at anytime and from anywhere. Students can also enroll and start their studies anytime.

Master's Program Details

• Course Descriptions
• Admissions Requirements
• Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

To start the admissions process, please complete our online application.

If you have further questions, please contact an admissions counselor at: (800) 223-2668 or admissions@ussa.edu.

Major Areas of Study

The Academy offers a Master of Sports Science degree with 33 semester hours in the following majors:

• Sports Coaching
• Sports Fitness and Health
• Sports Management
• Sports Medicine
• Sports Studies

Students may take a dual-major by combining any two majors, which require between 42 and 48 semester hours, depending upon the combination.

Sports Coaching

The graduate curriculum in sports coaching prepares students for sports coaching careers at a variety of levels of competition. The program is designed for each student to focus on the demands involved in the leadership and operation of individual and team sports.

Students will develop their own coaching philosophy and focus in areas such as Sports Psychology, Sports Coaching Methodology, and Strength & Conditioning. Students in this area of study may choose to complete a mentorship, thesis, or non-thesis elective track to create a degree that focuses toward their area of interest in the sports world.

Sports Fitness and Health

The graduate curriculum in sports fitness prepares students for careers in either managing a corporate, private, public or hospital-based fitness center or in a direct service fitness-science field. The program also examines various issues in health: from basic nutrition to physical conditions concerned with various diseased-stated populations. Students enrolled in this program will be required (unless otherwise noted) to complete a mentorship within the Sports Fitness and Health industry. This mentorship allows students to gain practical experience and use the skills that they have acquired in their course curriculum.

Prospective students may want to consider enrolling in the Dual Master’s degree program in Sports Medicine-Health and Fitness. With this 42 semester hour dual program, students enlarge their scope of practice and opportunities. Students attain the injury management background and the sport fitness background to condition and train athletes for performance and health & wellness.

Sports Management

The graduate curriculum in sports management is designed to prepare students for careers of leadership in the field of sport and recreational management.

During the course of study, sports management students gain expertise for multi-faceted sports careers in the fields of facilities management, information technology, front office administration and community recreation. The program provides students the opportunity to garner knowledge and develop skills though coursework and mentorship experience within the sport industry.

The Sport Management program has received program approval/accreditation through the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). The Academy’s program is one of a small group of academic programs nationally that have received this program approval.

Sports Medicine

The Academy’s Sports Medicine master’s degree is designed for those who are already in the sports medicine field and currently have certifications or licenses in the healthcare profession. The degree is also utilized by those who want to move forward into medical school, physical therapy school and physician assistant school.

Please note: Completion of this program will not qualify you to sit for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (“NATA”) board certification exams and will not qualify you to become an athletic trainer.

Students enrolled in this program will be required (unless otherwise exempted) to complete a mentorship within the Sports Medicine industry. This mentorship allows students to gain practical experience and use the skills that they acquire in their course curriculum.

Prospective students may want to consider enrolling in the Dual Master’s degree program in Sports Medicine-Health and Fitness. With this 42 semester hour dual program, students enlarge their scope of practice and opportunities. Students will attain the injury management background and the sport fitness background to condition and train athletes for performance and health & wellness.

Sports Studies

Besides completing the core courses, which are standard for all academic programs, the sports studies program allows students to the select their own courses in accordance with their area of interest. This makes it possible for students to create a degree that is focused toward their specific goals in sport.

Students will select courses for their major area of study from the departments of Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Fitness and Health, or Sports Medicine. Selections can be made from any combination of 500 or 600 level graduate courses to develop a personalized course of study based upon the needs of each student. In the sports studies curriculum, a student works with an advisor to select courses from any department of their choosing to help build a concentration in their area of interest.

NCAA Compliance is very broad and multifaceted.  It is an important area about which sport administrators, coaches, and practitioners should be both familiar and knowledgeable.  Prepare yourself by earning your Master’s degree in Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Medicine, Sports Studies or Sports Fitness with and Emphasis in NCAA Compliance.  NCAA Compliance involves the study of the rules and regulations that govern collegiate athletics.  This emphasis is designed to give students a baseline understanding of what institutions and athletes can do to ensure that athletics programs stay in compliance with collegiate regulations and the tools they use for the same.

To obtain the emphasis in NCAA Compliance, a Master’s degree student may take the following three courses in the non-thesis elective track:

SAM 523 NCAA Compliance (3 sem. hrs.)

This course is designed to give the student a working knowledge of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) compliance issues. It will present an overview of rules, eligibility, bylaws, and practices and procedures of the NCAA. This course requires a final exam.

SAM 524 NCAA Rules and Procedures (3 sem. hrs.)

Examining and analyzing the bylaws, policies, and procedures of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is at the heart of this course. Students will be introduced to specific cases to develop a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the NCAA, what it is, and how it functions. This course requires a final exam.

SAM 592 Introduction to the Business of Sports Agents (3 sem. hrs.)

This course is designed to examine the role of the sports agent in the world of sports. An emphasis is placed on NCAA rules and state regulations surrounding recruitment by agents and the potential pitfalls an athlete could face. A thorough understanding of the sports agency profession is provided, including the techniques necessary to operate successfully in the profession. This course requires a final exam.

Olympism

The emergence of the modern Olympics has led to an era of sport history that transcends sport. The gathering of athletes for this multi-sport competition has been used to promote world peace, international cooperation, education, and physical fitness for the past century. Prepare yourself by earning your Master’s degree in Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Medicine, Sports Studies, or Sports Fitness with an Emphasis in Olympism. The Olympism emphasis will allow the student to learn the historic, sociological, and administrative aspects of the Olympic movement.

To obtain the Emphasis in Olympism, a Master’s degree student will take the following three courses:

SAB 622 Structure and Function of the Olympic Games (3 sem. hrs.)

The structure and function of the Olympic movement, starting with the International Olympic Committee and moving through the national governing bodies to international sports associations, is the focus of this course. It emphasizes the unique characteristics of the Olympic Movement and various political, social, and economic impacts on the Games. This course requires a final exam.

SAB 661 Current Issues in the Olympic Movement (3 sem. hrs.)

The impact of contemporary issues on the Olympic Movement, whether they are governmental, intellectual, societal, cultural, political, or economic, is the focus of this course. Through selected readings, factors such as race, gender, religion, nationalism, drug use, commercialism, and violence and their influence on the Olympic Movement are taken into consideration. This course requires a class paper.

SAB 667 Olympism (3 sem. hrs.)

This course examines the growth and development of the modern Olympic Games through the eyes of their founder, Pierre de Coubertin. The International Olympic Committee has published selected writings by de Coubertin that include the search for a vision, the events leading up to the Olympic renewal, historical perspectives of the Olympics, the philosophical and educational dimensions of Olympism, and the Olympic Movement. This course requires a class paper.

Personal Training

Traditionally, personal training has been associated with one trainer and one individual or client with the goal of improving his or her appearance or health: a simple and straightforward relationship. However, personal trainers are increasingly venturing into multiple areas of sport. Trainers are now expected to improve performance and reduce blood pressure for a client, while managing a training facility in addition to coaching a youth basketball team. Likewise, coaches and administrators are venturing into the personal training field in order to work one-on-one with athletes. By earning a Master’s degree in Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Medicine, Sports Studies, or Sports Fitness with an emphasis in Personal Training, you will be able to study a specific area of sport while learning the fundamentals of personal training, allowing you to gain the skills necessary to work one-on-one with any population, from elite athletes to the elderly.

SAD 587 Management Strategies in Sports Medicine (3 sem. hrs.)

This course involves the study of the basic concepts, theories, and organization of management as applied to the field of Sports Medicine. Topics include organizational structure and function, program development and administration, human resource management, financial management, inventory control, information management, insurance issues, and legal considerations in Sports Medicine. This course requires a class paper.

SAR 526 Personal Training (3 sem. hrs.)

This course will combine sports science and entrepreneurial principles toward the design and implementation of a personal training business. This course requires a final exam.

Sport Psychology

Human behavior is dynamic and complex. Therefore, it is important for sport administrators, coaches, and practitioners to gain knowledge regarding human behavior and elite performance. Prepare yourself by earning your Master’s degree in Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Medicine, Sports Studies, or Sports Fitness with an Emphasis in Sports Psychology. Sports Psychology entails the scientific study of human behavior in sport and exercise and the practical application of information in sport and exercise settings (Gill & Williams, 2008).

The M.S.S. degree with an Emphasis in Sports Psychology is designed for individuals who are interested in learning about the principles and theories associated with Sports Psychology and how individual characteristics and social situations interact to produce behavior in sport settings.

To obtain the Emphasis in Sports Psychology, a Master’s degree student will take the following courses:

SAB 563 Psychological Aspects of Sports Medicine or SAB 566 Psychological Aspects of Health and Fitness Programming

SAB 563 Psychological Aspects of Sports Medicine (3 sem. hrs.)

This course is a study of the psychological and sociological aspects of Sports Medicine. Emphasis will be given to the application of knowledge to the counseling of athletes coping with sports injuries and to the development of motivational strategies for rehabilitation and return to physical activity. This course requires a class paper.

SAB 566 Psychological Aspects of Health and Fitness Programming (3 sem. hrs.)

This course is a study of the psychological and sociological aspects of health and fitness programming and the application of this knowledge to the development of effective motivational and behavioral modification strategies. This course requires a class paper.

SAB 657 Psychology of Elite Performance (3 sem. hrs.)

This course examines the psychological factors that are most critical to elite sport performances. Special emphasis is focused on the physical, mental, and emotional variables related to optimal performance conditions. Theory and practive for athletes and coaches will be discussed. This course requires a final exam.

SAB 659 Group Dynamics in Sports and Exercise (3 sem. hrs.)

In-depth study of the influence of teams on the individual performance and the influence of individuals on team performance in sport and exercise settings. Particular focus on interpersonal aspects such as cohesion and leadership. This course requires a class paper.

Download the Master of Sports Science Degree with Sports Psychology Emphasis program flyer (PDF).

In addition, students who major in Sports Coaching are still required to take SAB 568 Sports Psychology as a major course.