School of Kinesiology - Graduate Studies - Master of Arts/ Sciences

Interested in Kinesiology graduate programs? Click here to check out the e-version of our 2009-10 Kinesiology graduate programs brochure.

MASTER OF ARTS/SCIENCES with a SPECIALIZATION in COACHING

Overview

The coaching specialization program is designed for academically qualified individuals who have had elite competitive and/or coaching experience in a sport and wish to improve their knowledge of the science and practice of coaching and gain credentials (certification) as a qualified coach. Since the term “elite” does vary from sport to sport, the classifications advanced by national or provincial organization for their sport is used. That is, specific focus is on five broad categories of individuals:

Athletes who have competed at a varsity intercollegiate, provincial, or national team level and wish to remain within the sport in a coaching capacity.
High school coaches interested in gaining further experience with a master coach and increasing their knowledge of the academic bases of sport excellence.
Undergraduate students who wish to make coaching a career orientation (i.e. operating a soccer, swimming, or track and field program in a town or city).
Undergraduate students who want to enhance their job prospects in the educational setting by using their ability to coach their chosen sport(s) as an adjunct to their teaching qualifications.
Members of the community who wish to coach, on a voluntary but certified basis, within their community, town, city, or province.

A Master’s degree with a specialization in coaching can be obtained in one of two ways. One is designated a professional Master’s degree in which the program of study focuses on course work, the practicum, and a graduate project. The second is designated as a thesis Master’s degree in which the program of study focuses on course work, the practicum and a research thesis.

Admission Requirements: Professional Master’s Degree

The entrance requirements for students interested in completing the coaching specialization program through the professional option are as follows:

Graduation in Honors Kinesiology or equivalent with a first or high second class standing over the final two years (i.e., minimum of 75%) or graduation from an accredited university with an equivalent degree and standing.
Graduation in other related fields with a first or high second class standing over the final two years (i.e., minimum of 75%) and completion of any deficiencies that may be determined by the Kinesiology Graduate Affairs Committee.
Acceptance from the Coaching Program Coordinator. The coordinator will then function as a liaison for contacting a faculty advisor and coach for the practicum.
Acceptance by an intercollegiate coach who will supervise the coaching practicum.

Click here for coach information

Click here for advisor information (MA)

Click here for advisor information (Msc)

Admission Requirements: Thesis Degree

The entrance requirements for students interested in completing the coaching specialization program through the thesis option are as follows:

Graduation in Honors Kinesiology or equivalent with a first or high second class standing over the final two years (i.e., minimum of 75%) or graduation from an accredited university with an equivalent degree and standing.
Graduation in other related fields with a first or high second class standing over the final two years (i.e., minimum of 75%) and completion of any deficiencies that may be determined by the Kinesiology Graduate Affairs Committee.
Acceptance from the Coaching Program Coordinator. The coordinator will then function as a liaison for contacting a faculty advisor and coach for the practicum.
Acceptance by an intercollegiate coach who will supervise the coaching practicum.
Acceptance by a M. A. or M. Sc. advisor that he/she is prepared to serve as an advisor for thesis research.

International Students

In addition to the above admission requirements, international students whose first language is not English, must provide evidence of proficiency in English as evidenced by scores on TOEFL or IELTS. The minimum IELTS score is 7.0/9.0, with no individual component score less than 6.0. The minimum TOEFL requirements for applicants to graduate programs in Kinesiology are:

Internet based: 105
Paper based: 620
Computer based: 260

Program of Study: Professional Option

The program of study for students studying toward a Master’s degree with a specialization in coaching via the professional option is as follows:

Five (5) one-term courses. A minimum of three courses are selected from the School of Kinesiology Graduate Programs offerings. The remaining courses are normally graduate or senior undergraduate courses approved by the Coaching Program Coordinator and Chair of the Graduate Program.
A coaching practicum (i.e., a period of mentorship with a master coach)
A graduate paper/project. The paper is written on a topic selected by the student in consultation with the Coaching Program Coordinator.

Period of Study: Professional Option

The expected duration of program shall vary from one to two years depending upon the candidate’s background and sport experience. That is, candidates shall be required to enroll in Kinesiology 9612 (Coaching Practicum) for either one or two years depending upon their previous experience. An Advisory Committee (comprised of the Coaching Program Coordinator, a mentor coach from Sport and Recreation Services (SRS), and a member of the Kinesiology Graduate Program) shall evaluate the candidate’s sport coaching background and sport experience.
If the candidate’s coaching background and sport experience are judged by the Advisory Committee to be relatively minimal, an initial practical coaching internship shall be required in a local high school or community program under the guidance of a master coach (i.e., a person identified by the Advisory committee as an experienced, competent coach. The second year coaching internship shall be with a UWO intercollegiate mentor coach who shall provide full access and coaching opportunities for the student.
If the candidate’s coaching background and sport experience are judged by the Advisory Committee to be of a high level, a one-year internship shall be carried out under the supervision of a mentor coach from SRS.
Financial Assistantship: Professional Option
There is no financial assistant available for students pursuing a Master’s degree with a specialization in coaching through the professional option.

Program of Study: Thesis Option

The program of study for students studying toward a Master’s degree with a specialization in coaching via the thesis option is as follows:

Five (5) one-term courses,
A coaching practicum (i.e., a period of mentorship with a master coach)
A thesis. The process whereby the student satisfactorily completes the thesis requirement is progressive in nature. The preliminary steps are informal: the student is accepted by a n Advisor prior to admission, the research problem is discussed, modified and/or delimited, and a research design or format is agreed upon. The prospectus is then developed, a prospectus meeting is held, and the research problem is discussed with an Advisory Committee (plus one or two other faculty). The student then completes the project (i.e., collects the data, undertakes the library research etc.). The thesis should involve original work, and give evidence of independent thought, both in perceiving problems and making satisfactory progress toward their solution. The prospectus should be completed within one year of admission. Familiarity with the bibliography of the special area of study and correct citation of authorities is expected. Once this thesis work is completed, the student, in consultation with the Advisor, writes the thesis. An examining committee is then arranged for the oral examination. To graduate, both the written thesis and oral defense must be deemed satisfactory

Period of Study: Thesis Option

The period of study for students pursuing a Master’s degree through the thesis option with a specialization in coaching is normally two years, but can be less.

Part-Time Study

The School of Kinesiology at The University of Western Ontario does not offer graduate studies on a part-time basis. Some students who enter the program on a full-time basis may be approved to change to part-time status at a later point in their program; however, these changes are ruled upon by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and granted on an individual basis for exceptional circumstances only.

Financial Assistantship: Professional Option

There is no financial assistant available for students pursuing a Master’s degree with a specialization in coaching through the professional option.

Financial Assistantship: Thesis Option

The amount of institutional funding available for graduate students is at the discretion of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Faculty of Health Sciences (although it is also possible that some students may receive additional funding from their advisor’s research grant). Each student admitted to the Master of Arts degree is guaranteed an assistantship from institutional funding (teaching and/or research) for a minimum of two years. The annual minimum amounts (which includes the value of tuition)

Domestic students with no scholarship receive $10,000 annually
International students with no scholarship receive $14,000 annually
Domestic students with a scholarship valued at $15,000 or more+ receive an additional $3000 from the Kinesiology Graduate Program.

The Application

Applicants to the Master degree with specialization in coaching must provide the following:

Graduate Program Application-submitted online
One official academic transcript* from each post-secondary institution attended**

Please note:

Past or current students of The University of Western do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western. This information will be obtained internally.
If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario university or college other than The University of Western Ontario you MUST use the electronic application process in order to request transcripts. These transcripts will be delivered electronically to each of the programs to which you are applying.
All other transcripts must be forwarded in hard copy to Kinesiology Graduate Program to complete your application.

• Two Academic References- submitted online
Note: The referee contact information submitted by student in the online application is used by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to request and receive the academic references. Two academic references are required; a third reference is optional and does not need to be academic in nature.
• Graduate Student Teaching (GTA) and Research (GRA) Assistantship Form) –mailed to:
Graduate Affairs Assistant
School of Kinesiology
Room 2230, 3M Centre
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario N6A 3K7
A nonrefundable application fee of $100 –paid via the online application

Also from this web page: