Sport Education, Master of Arts
The Sport Education program is designed to assist in the advanced preparation of individuals who are involved with sport- and fitness-related endeavors. These fields of endeavors may include physical education programs, coaching environments, fitness centers, sport clubs, and other physical-activity settings. The development of skills will be accomplished through coursework, research, and pedagogical experience. Students will benefit from a synthesis of current and applicable information derived from both theory and practice.
The Sport Education program, which can be completed entirely online, includes thirty credit hours in five components: methodology, science, socio-culture, administration, and elective. The primary focus of the program is instructional expertise in sport-related settings. The elective component of the program consists of six hours of additional subject-area work.
This program does not include recommendation for graduate-level NC teaching licensure.
Admission Requirements
- A baccalaureate degree.
- Official transcripts.
- Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- A one-page (250 word minimum) personal statement indicating the applicant’s interest in the program and describing professional intent.
- Two letters of recommendation. The letters must address the applicant’s potential to succeed in sport and physical activity professions and in graduate work.
Program Goals
Integrating Christian values, concepts, and ideas, the Master of Arts in Sport Education is designed to meet the following goals:
- Provide in-depth study in a carefully selected curriculum specifically intended to foster the development of individual potential for becoming optimally effective in their chosen professions;
- Provide advanced preparation for ethical leadership in Sport Education;
- Develop the skills essential for the research of various aspects of Sport Education;
- Develop the capacity to interpret and then apply the findings of research to actual practices;
- Develop skills and understanding of the numerous teaching styles used in effective instruction; and
- Foster a responsibility to make positive change in the student’s chosen profession and the global community.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will develop a comprehensive plan for risk prevention and management for a sport or physical activity facility;
- Students will compose a Spiritual Perspective paper examining the influences of Christian faith on play, games, and sport in a socio-cultural context;
- Students will advocate for the responsible inclusion of a diverse group of participants in a disability research presentation;
- Students will justify the use of a variety of instructional techniques and strategies;
- Students will generate a scholarly paper using formal research methodologies;
- Students will critically evaluate administrative practices;
- Students will create a wellness plan using the principles of behavior change;
- Students will prescribe an effective exercise program for a specific population using specified fitness data.
Sport Education Curriculum (30 hours)
Required Courses (24 hours)
| SPED 600 | Research in Sport Pedagogy | 3 |
| SPED 601 | Instructional Strategies | 3 |
| SPED 602 | Scientific Principles of Human Performance | 3 |
| SPED 603 | Contemporary Concepts of Wellness | 3 |
| SPED 604 | Sport in Society | 3 |
| SPED 605 | Sport and Physical Education for Diverse Populations | 3 |
| SPED 606 | Sport and Physical Education Administration | 3 |
| SPED 607 | Legal Issues of Sport and Physical Education | 3 |
Electives (6 hours)
Choose two of the following.
During the final semester of enrollment or the semester immediately following the completion of all coursework, the student must pass a written comprehensive examination, based on the cumulative coursework.
Total Credit Hours: 30