Coaching and Performance Science, BS
This major is a strong fit if you want to work with people of all ages and skill levels. You’ll build the skills to communicate clearly, motivate others, and help individuals reach their full potential. That could mean working with youth athletes, high-performance competitors, or individuals in tactical or recreational settings.
Graduates go on to coach in schools, support community and club programs, and lead training in athletic or wellness-based environments. You’ll be prepared to lead in athletic, tactical, or wellness-focused environments.
WVU’s Bachelor of Science in Coaching and Performance Science was ranked No. 8 in the nation by CollegeRank, based on salary potential, affordability, and program quality.
WVU is one of the first in the country to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education. In alignment with CASCE standards, student enrollment, graduation rates, retention rates, CSCS pass rates, and graduate placement rates are publicly available here.
Your Degree Plan
The Coaching and Performance Science program blends cutting-edge sport movement science, performance training and professional development to prepare you for a career in coaching, sport, or tactical performance. You’ll build a strong foundation in theory and apply what you learn through hands-on coaching experiences in real-world settings.
CPS students develop three core areas of knowledge through a variety of learning experiences: interpersonal, professional, and intrapersonal. You’ll build the skills to lead, connect, and communicate with the people you coach. You’ll gain the technical expertise to design effective training programs and improve performance. And you’ll learn to reflect on your own coaching approach so you can keep growing and lead with confidence.
Foundations of Coaching
ACE 256
Designed to teach students the foundations and principles of athletic coaching.
Training Theories for Coaches
ACE 410
Application of sport training theories to building, designing, and assessing athlete training plans, seasonal team development, and long term athlete development from physical literacy to peak performance at all participation levels.
Coaching Education Administration
ACE 430
An administrative focus of leadership, finance, fundraising, planning, facility development, personnel supervision, public relations, rules and regulations, purchase and care of equipment and the conducting of athletic events.
Introduction to Sport Technology and Sport Science
ACE 457
Develop and implement appropriate monitoring and training evaluation plans in sport training. Learn how to evaluate technology-based tools to allow coaches to optimizing the training process and training adjustment decisions.
Basic Strength and Conditioning for Coaches
ACE 469
Present basic exercise performance methodologies to assist in coaching athletics. Types of training include speed drills, agility drills, conditioning workouts, flexibility exercises, balance-improvement drills, and proper training environment safety techniques.
Sport Specific Strength/Conditioning
ACE 487
Present optimal training for athletics of different sports in trained and untrained states. Specific protocols in resistance training and conditioning, correcting specific running and speed mechanics, and agility movements.
Coaching and Leadership
Want to lead a team or run your own sport program? This emphasis helps you build a strong foundation in sport-specific skills, coaching science, and the leadership qualities needed to guide athletes and teams. You’ll sharpen your communication, management, and decision-making skills while applying what you learn in real coaching settings.
Sample courses: Athletic Coaching Administration, Principles of Leadership
Strength and Conditioning
If your goal is to become a strength coach, this emphasis is for you. You’ll focus on the science of training, learn how to design programs, and coach others in and out of the weight room. You’ll also build skills in testing and evaluation through hands-on experience in our instructional performance lab. By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared to sit for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam.
WVU’s Coaching and Performance Science program is one of the first in the country to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education so you can have confidence that your degree meets the highest professional standards in the field.
Sample courses: Sport Specific Strength and Conditioning, Strength and Conditioning Coaching Techniques
Honors
Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.
The WVU Difference
What sets this program apart?
- Ranked 8th in CollegeRank’s Best Bachelor’s in Coaching. (2021)
- WVU is among the first programs to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education.
- The curriculum is built around the long-term athlete development model and is flexible enough to prepare you for graduate school or a career in the evolving world of athletics and recreation.
- Opportunities to work with faculty who are internationally recognized in their field.
- Independent study available with the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences.
- Hands-on learning experiences available with faculty, WVU Athletics, and athletes of all developmental levels including youth, interscholastic, collegiate, professional, and master levels.
- Opportunities to earn professional certifications built into the curriculum, making graduates more marketable within the industry.
- The Army is hiring strength coaches to improve the individual readiness of soldiers as part of their Holistic Health and Fitness or H2F.
- The WVU School of Sport Sciences was recently recognized as one of the best in the country by Newsweek.
Learn by Doing
Get involved outside the classroom.
Coaches of tomorrow will be applied and evidence-based professionals. You will participate in an active research and learning process throughout your time in our undergraduate program. As you explore the art and science of coaching, you are engaged within the community practicing and applying their developing knowledge and skills. Experiential learning opportunities include:
- Coaching a sports team
- Interviewing a coach
- Observing a scholastic or collegiate sports practice
- Actively reflecting on a community
- American Council of Sport Medicine
- International Council for Coaching Excellence
- National Federation of State High School Associations
- National Strength and Conditioning Association
- The Society of Health and Physical Educators America
- USA Cycling
- USA Hockey
- USA Weightlifting
- United Soccer Coaches
- United States Center for Coaching Excellence
Recent graduates and current students have completed coaching internships in the following settings:
- Youth sport organizations
- Collegiate sport programs
- Middle and high school athletics
- Special Olympics or other programs for persons with disabilities
- Health, wellness, and fitness facilities
- Campus recreation
- Intramural and club sports
- Strength and conditioning programs
- U.S. Military bases as part of their Performance Teams
- Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills necessary for quality teaching and leadership
- Strength and conditioning skills
- Teaching skills
Careers and Outcomes
How does this degree prepare students for a career?
Coaches and Scouts
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $45,920
Possible Job Titles: Basketball Coach, Coach, Football Coach, Track and Field Coach
Fitness and Wellness Coordinators
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $61,340
Possible Job Titles: Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, Fitness and Wellness Director, Fitness Coordinator, Fitness Director
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Has a Bright Outlook
May Require Graduate Degree
Median Salary: $105,620
Possible Job Titles: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Clinical Professor, Professor
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Median Salary: $75,890
Possible Job Titles: Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor), Instructor, Physical Education Professor (PE Professor), Professor
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $38,820
Possible Job Titles: Horse Show Judge, Major League Baseball Umpire (MLB Umpire), Referee, Sports Official
Scouting and Videography
Suggested WVU minors for students seeking this career:
Suggested experiences and résumé builders
- Experience with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects
- Student manager for athletics using computer and video system or keeping stats
Sport Coach
Suggested WVU minors for students seeking this career:
Required certifications for this career
- WVSSAC coaching certification (for any West Virginia public school coaching position)
- National Nutrition Certification Program
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Suggested WVU Minors for students seeking this career:
Required certifications for this career
- Certified Strength Conditioning Specialist
Applied Sport Scientist
Suggested WVU minors for students seeking this career:
Required certifications for this career
- Certified Strength Conditioning Specialist
- National Nutrition Certification Program
Suggested experiences and résumé builders
- Fitness center
- High school or college weight rooms
Equipment/Facilities Manager
Suggested WVU minors for students seeking this career:
Required certifications for this career
- Athletic Equipment Managers Association
Suggested experiences and résumé builders
- Equipment manager for athletic program
Recreation/Sports Director
Suggested WVU minors for students seeking this career:
Required certifications for this career
- Certified Adaptive Recreation and Sports Specialist
- Aquatic Facility Operator
Suggested experiences and résumé builders
- Referee for WVU intramurals
- Employment with WVU Student Recreation Center or any community recreation program
Kinesiology
Kinesiology focuses on the biological, developmental, social and behavioral bases of physical activity, recreation, sport and human performance. People with degrees in kinesiology typically specialize in 1 of several fields, including exercise physiology; sport and exercise psychology; motor behavior and control; history and philosophy of sport and exercise; biomechanics; sports and exercise sociology; physical education; recreation and leisure studies; and ergonomics.
MS, Data Analytics
Data analytics is the process of examining data sets to draw conclusions about the information they contain, increasingly with the aid of specialized systems and software. Data analysis establishes the goal of discovering useful material, supporting conclusions and decision-making within the sports industry.
MS, Exercise Science/Exercise Physiology
Exercise physiology is a discipline which studies the body’s responses to physical activity as well as how the body adapts to physical activity over time. Exercise physiologists are responsible for conditioning clients to higher levels of physical fitness and improved health, while staying tuned into safety issues that can be associated with single session exercise.
MS, Sport Coaching
Sport Coaching advances one’s knowledge, skills, and philosophies of practicing sport coaches. Areas of study typically include mental preparation and performance in sport, nutrition and conditioning for athletes, sport ethics, skill development and analysis, administration, and critical reflection.
MS, Sport Management
Sport management involves any combination of skills related to planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, and evaluating within the context of an organization or department whose primary product or service is related to sport or physical activity.
Meet Your Community
The Coaching and Performance Science family will inspire you.
Kristen Dieffenbach
Professional Highlights
- Past President (founding), United States Center for Coaching Excellence
- Fellow, Association of Applied Sport Psychology
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
- Professional cycling and endurance sport coach for 25+ years
- Sport Steering Committee, National Physical Activity Plan
Guy Hornsby
Professional Highlights
- Head Coach of West Virginia Weightlifting and Volunteer (throws) Coach for WVU Track and Field
- Coaching Science Coordinator at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Human Performance Innovation Center
- West Virginia State Director for the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Peter McGahey
Professional Highlights
- Former NCAA Division I and II Women’s Head Coach
- United States Soccer Federation A Licensed Coach
- United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE) – Nominating Committee
Michael J. Ryan
Professional Highlights
- Program Coordinator for Athletic Coaching Education
- 10 years of undergraduate and graduate teaching experience in Exercise Science and Kinesiology
- National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) State and Mid-East Sectional Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year
- 20 years of coaching experience at the Division 1 and high school levels
- Coached 7 WVSSAC State Championship Teams in cross country and track
Valerie Wayda
Professional Highlights
- North American Society (NAS) of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport, and Dance Professionals Fellow
- National Association for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education - Vice President, 2012
- National Association for Sport and Physical Education Board of Directors, 2003-2006
"My professors at CAHS have worked with me closely for the last four years to make me a confident and knowledgeable coach ready to enter the field."
Lauren White
"The faculty here have all done what they’re teaching. I’ve gone to my professors and shared with them the problems I was having, and they’ve talked with me and helped me work through them because they’ve dealt with something similar before."
Troy Bishop
"I think the vast amount of practical experiences in different settings as well as the instructors are what made the program special. The instructors really take pride in making sure the student understands the content from not only a text book application but also how to take the concepts and apply it to a real world setting."
Nolan Harvath
BS, Coaching and Performance Science
Places and Spaces
See where you’ll study, research, and create.
Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences
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Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Coaching and Performance Science major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.
Tuition and Aid
How much does Coaching and Performance Science at WVU cost? And how can you save?
Tuition and Fees
Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.
Ways to Save
Beyond scholarships, here are other ways to reduce your cost of attending WVU.
Financial Aid
The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Coaching and Performance Science, BS is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Ohio Tuition Reciprocity
As the result of a special agreement, students from Ohio who are fully admitted to Coaching and Performance Science can enroll at WVU and pay in-state tuition rates. Students must be admitted to both the University and this major.
Start at Another WVU Campus
You can start your career with WVU at another campus and transfer to WVU Morgantown.
Transfer Articulation Agreements
To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.
Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.
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