Athletic Coaching

Florida State University’s online master’s degree in Athletic Coaching has been designed by coaches for coaches. Our goal is to provide current and future coaches and sports professionals with current knowledge and best practices that are based on experience and research. We want our students to be the most knowledgeable and successful in the profession.
Athletic coaching is an old profession, but a relatively new academic discipline. Coaching requires expertise across many kinesiology and pedagogy-based disciplines, such as exercise science, physical education and sport psychology. Knowledge and skills in this discipline are important to be successful in what is an increasingly demanding and complex role and within a competitive job market.
This program is housed in FSU's Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH), which is dedicated to using research and scientific knowledge to help coaches become better at what they do so that their athletes are more successful within and external to their sport. You can learn more about the center at fsu-coach.fsu.edu.
The admissions committee will holistically review all application materials, including academic and professional credentials, for factors that merit an applicant’s admission to the program.
Language proficiency test (international students only) – FSU accepts scores from TOEFL (minimum 80), IELTS (minimum 6.5), MELAB (minimum 77), Cambridge C1 Advanced Level (minimum 180), Michigan Language Assessment (minimum 55), and Duolingo (minimum 120)
Other Information:
Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department, program, or college determines admissibility to the degree program. University graduate admissions requirements are found at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions. Academic programs have additional requirements.
Florida State University requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements for graduate admission.
Master's Student Handbook 2024-2025
Content Knowledge (15 hours)
Intrapersonal Knowledge
PET 5769 3 Theory & Practice of Athletic Coaching
PET 5175 3 Philosophy & Ethics of Sport & Coaching
Interpersonal Knowledge
PET 5250 3 Sociology of Sport & Cultural Foundations of Coaching
PET 5856 3 Coaching the Athlete 360
Professional Knowledge
APK 5121 3 Sport & Exercise Psychology for Coaches
Research & Practice (6 hours)
PET 5530 3 Understanding & Conducting Research in Sports & Coaching
PET 5940 3 Athletic Coaching Internship
Electives (9 hours) – other electives may be approved by Program Director
PET 5855 3 International Perspectives of Coaching
PET 5392 3 Coaching for Human Performance
PET 5XXX 3 Seminar in Sports and Coaching
PET 5235 3 Motor Learning for Coaches
How Much Does It Cost? Cost depends on whether you are an in-state student, out-of-state, or international student. Current rates for tuition/fees can be found here. Look for the line "Distance Learning Graduate" to find your cost per credit hour and then multiply it by 30 credit hours to get a total cost for the program.
Do You Have Any Scholarships? Yes! The AC Scholarship is a $12,000 scholarship awarded to out-of-state and international students who are accepted into the program. We also have several additional scholarships that all students are eligible for once enrolled in the program. These range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
A master's degree in Athletic Coaching from Florida State can open up a variety of career opportunities in the coaching and sports professions. Examples include, but are not limited to: sport coach, performance coach, personal trainer, sport scientist, scout, athletic director, coach educator, and sport development officer.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "employment of coaches and scouts is projected to grow 12 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Increasing participation in high school and college sports may boost demand for coaches and scouts."