Start your journey
Your pathway to becoming a leader in human health and performance starts here.
Customizable Curriculum: Create an education that aligns with your specific career interests. Explore multiple dimensions of sport and exercise science, including exercise physiology, sport psychology and sociology, biomechanics, and health promotion.
Flexible Format: Make the most of your gap year with a 3-semester degree plan or progress at a pace that aligns with your professional and personal schedule. Benefit from a supportive, primarily in-person learning experience, with some online class options also available.
Professional Certification Preparation: A number of courses are designed in alignment with components of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and American College of Sports Medicine examination materials to help prepare you for credentialing.
Applied Academics: By balancing evidence-based theory with practical training, this program cultivates your critical thinking while enabling your integration into the local sports performance community to build meaningful, real-world experience.
Ignite your Impact: Wherever your passions lead, a MEd in Sport and Exercise Science will lay the groundwork for professional excellence and career advancement. You will leave this program ready to leverage your knowledge to make a difference in the lives of your athletes, patients, clients, and community.
Careers
Graduates of the Master of Education (MEd) in sport and exercise science program may go on to work in a variety of roles and settings such as:
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Exercise physiologist
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Certified strength and conditioning coach
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Certified nutrition coach
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Clinical support staff
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Group fitness instructor
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Head or assistant sport coach
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Kinesiologist
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Personal trainer
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Sports performance analyst
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Sports scientist
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Sport training facility manager
How to apply
Before applying
Review the MS vs. MEd degree information to ensure you want to apply for the MEd program: A professional and coursework-focused program.
Application deadlines
The School of Kinesiology reviews applications on a rolling basis. Review the deadlines below to be admitted to a specific semester:
- November 1: Spring start
- March first: Summer start
- May 1 (preferred) and July 1 (final): Fall start
Admission requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, exercise science, or a comparable experience
- Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
- English language proficiency (nonnative english speakers and/or international students)
- Transfer credit information
- Application fee
Application process
- Apply online
- Submit your application materials
- Statement of purpose for the program, including details on how the application’s experience, education, and goals align with the program (limit 2 pages)
- Resume or CV
- Unofficial transcripts
- Applicants are notified of admission decisions approximately 2-4 weeks after their application is submitted
Tuition
View Sport and Exercise Science MEd program costs on the College of Education and Human Development's 2025-2026 professional program costs page.
Visit OneStop for the most up-to-date tuition information and to understand the full cost of attendance.
Financial aid
- Employer tuition reimbursement
- College of Education and Human Development fellowships and scholarships
- University of Minnesota financial aid opportunities
Visit our funding webpage for additional opportunities.
Request information
Coursework
This is a coursework-focused, primarily in-person program with some online options also available. Thirty total credits are required for completion, which are divided into core courses, customizable electives, and a final capstone project. See a list of required and elective courses for the Master of Education in Sport and Exercise Science.
Students will learn how to optimize athletic performance, analyze human movement, and improve health and fitness across diverse populations. Our curriculum dives into the following areas essential to the industry:
- Exercise physiology
- Sport psychology
- Sport sociology
- Coaching
- Biomechanics
- Clinical movement neuroscience
- Nutrition
- Exercise testing and prescription
