Sport Coaching, Graduate Certificate

Program Overview

Are you looking to increase your competency and knowledge as a coach but cannot make a commitment to a full master’s degree? Our fully online 10-credit graduate certificate post-baccalaureate program in sport science is designed to increase knowledge and skills for coaches at any level. High-performance, teacher, and youth sport coaches can gain fundamental knowledge and skills in a variety of sport sciences.

Our graduate certificate program is designed to fit your needs as a coach with fully online courses to enable you to work around your busy schedules.

Program Outcomes

Our graduate certificate will enable you to build your confidence and improve in your coaching capacity. While not a requirement for entering the coaching profession, our graduate certificate will give you skills and knowledge to help you advance in the job market. Completing the graduate certificate also allows for you to transfer your classes into the master’s degree program.

Based on your chosen courses and competency areas, the graduate certificate can help you become more efficient in the following areas:

Effective communication skills (to improve communication with athletes and other sport stakeholders)
Effective planning skills (to develop practice plans and program environments to enhance athletic performance and personal development)
Effective sport pedagogy (including instructional messages and constraints-led approaches to technical and tactical development)
Safety, injury control, and risk management
Reflective practice skills (to help with your daily, weekly, and lifelong professional development)
Ethical decision-making skills
General sport science knowledge (to become a better consumer of evidence and information and how they inform practice as a coach or sport leader)
Scientific writing skills (to better communicate your learning experiences during the program)

Career Outlook

The Sport Coaching graduate certificate program is best suited to a student seeking to gain knowledge and skills related to the practices of coaching athletes at all levels. Primarily, our alumni tell us that this graduate certificate has built their confidence and has prepared them to be more outspoken and assertive in the workplace and within sports coaching jobs. Although a degree or certificate is not a requirement for entering into the coaching profession, it will enhance your knowledge and skills and help you advance in the job market. There are some circumstances where higher education is a requirement for placement or advancement.

A Top-Ranked Education

29th among Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2026
Veteran-Friendly 'Gold Status' 10 Years in a Row — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, 2025

Tuition & Fees

In-State Tuition

Out-of-State Tuition

$978.25

$1,181.25

Cost of Attendance

The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found on the "Estimate Your Cost of Attendance" page.

The MSU Value Promise

You can be ensured a return on your investment at Michigan State University.

As one of the top research universities in the world, Michigan State University has advanced the common good with uncommon will since 1855.

MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community.

MSU has been offering online degree programs since 1998. Our maturity is evident in the high quality of the learning experience enjoyed by our online students.

MSU provides programs and initiatives that support and enhance diversity. We will expand our campus and external partnerships to put in place inclusive recruitment and retention practices. We nurture and promote individuals’ varied experiences and perspectives, ensuring structures and processes make possible full participation by all members of our community.

MSU actively collaborates with campus and external partners to innovate across all dimensions of graduate education. We create and support networks that increase collaboration and improve educational opportunities for our online students.

MSU’s nationally recognized online programs foster student growth and well-being throughout their academic career. We will expand inclusive mentoring practices and accelerate improvement across units to implement evidence-based practices to ensure our students complete successfully.

Continuing education can be one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences you undertake in your life. We hope you consider becoming a Spartan, to learn online and reach your career goals. With highly ranked online programs and exceptional professors, we educate students who advance the common good with uncommon will.

Course Information

Core Courses

KIN 852 – Ethics for the Sport Practitioner (1 credit)

Electives

1. At least one of the following courses (3-6 credits):

KIN 819 – Advanced Sports Nutrition (3 credits)
KIN 829 – Safety and Injury Control (3 credits)
KIN 856 – Physical Bases of Coaching Athletes (3 credits)
KIN 861 – Growth, Maturation, and Physical Activity (3 credits)
KIN 865 – Stages of Athlete Development (3 credits)
KIN 868 – Skill Development in Athletes (3 credits)

2. At least one of the following courses (3-6 credits):

KIN 846 – Sociocultural Issues for Sport Practitioners (3 credits)
KIN 849 – Theory and Practice of Modern Sport Leadership (3 credits)
KIN 849B – Organizational Behavior in Sport (3 credits)
KIN 855 – Psychosocial Bases of Coaching Athletes (3 credits)
KIN 855P – Psychosocial Aspects of Athletic Performance (3 credits)
KIN 857 – Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Sport (3 credits)

Admissions Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

A bachelor's degree
Undergraduate degree transcript that shows a minimum GPA of 3.0 from an accredited institution of higher education
Current résumé (2-page max) that highlights all work experiences relevant to sport coaching and leadership
A written academic statement clearly stating your professional goals and how you anticipate this program would help you to attain them.
- Your statement should be very close to 750 words. An ideal statement shows research into our course offerings and shows your deliberation and planning on what you hope to achieve in this degree program. It will also be used to help assign you to an academic advisor that best matches your interests.
3 letters of recommendation.
- One should come from an academic source who can vouch for your credentials as a student, the other should come from workplace source who can vouch for your credentials on the job. Provide contact information for your recommenders and the MSU application system will provide instructions to them.
Optional: Written personal statement that illustrates your unique qualities and life experiences that might make you a stronger candidate for admission (750 words max).

To apply to this program:

Complete a university graduate application and pay the application fee.
Submit all required materials to the application portal.
Send all transcripts to Michigan State University.
International applicants should speak with the program director about potential restrictions for online degree programs.

Sport Coaching

Graduate Certificate

Online

Course Delivery

10

Total Credits

$978.25

Credit Hour

8 months

Minimum Duration

Dr. Andy Driska

Associate Professor, Program Co-Director

Program Overview

Program Outcomes

Career Outlook

A Top-Ranked Education

Key Dates

Fall Semester

Application Deadline

Spring Semester

Application Deadline

Summer Semester

Application Deadline

Tuition & Fees

Cost of Attendance

The MSU Value Promise

Next Steps

Course Information

Core Courses

Electives

1. At least one of the following courses (3-6 credits):

2. At least one of the following courses (3-6 credits):

Admissions Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

To apply to this program: