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Sports and Exercise Analytics Graduate Program

Be on the cutting edge of data in the sports and exercise field

Data analytics is transforming the world of sports and exercise. The Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Analytics at Marquette University intersects physiology and biomechanics with data science to address specific questions regarding elite athletic, sport, exercise and human performance.

The 33-credit interdisciplinary program unites Marquette University’s Data Science and Exercise Science programs, preparing graduates for success as data analysts working in collegiate and professional sports teams, the wearable or sports software industries and human performance laboratories.

Hands-on experience with Marquette Athletics

The program intersects with Marquette Athletics and their staff to address specific questions regarding elite athletic performance with our faculty as experts to assist in those measurements but most importantly their interpretation. Students work with real data sets from research laboratories, Marquette athletes and other large data sets including kinetics and kinematic data, performance data, physiologic data which provides a rich learning environment with ample opportunities to network with prospective stakeholders. Students will also be trained in systems currently being used at Marquette such as Dexalytics and Catapult.

Graduates will be uniquely qualified to meet the challenges we face in analysis, management, and use of large data sets and trained in the ethical considerations of collecting, managing and analyzing large data sets to make human performance decisions. This program is timely as the National Institute of Health has identified a lack of tools, and insufficient training in data science as an impediment to rapid translation of impact, decreasing our ability to advance the understanding of human health and disease.

Develop ethical, analytical and physiological skills

Graduates will have the analytic skills to develop new applications and interfaces for large and complex sport and human performance datasets combined with the foundational knowledge in exercise and sport physiology by which to aid in the accurate interpretation and translation of results to consumers, end users, and clients.

The Sports and Exercise Analytics graduate program is offered in hybrid format, with some courses available online and can be completed full-time in 2 years or on a part-time basis.

Learning outcomes

The goal of this program will be to train sports and exercise data analysts to:

Articulate changes, trends and implications using analytics tools that can be ethically addressed across data platforms.
Design and implement strategies for analyzing data using appropriate methods, tools and datasets.
Analyze data to create actionable information, and use it to establish priorities, make decisions and solve problems aligning with the ethics, needs and values of individuals, communities and stakeholders

Display and explain the results of analytics projects using effective written, graphic, and verbal tools and techniques.
Use advanced data processing tools incorporating regulatory, data governance, master data management, data profiling, parallel and distributed processing best practices.
Manage data analytics projects and teams throughout the analytics lifecycle.
Interpret and translate sports and exercise performance data for targeted consumers (private, public).

Pursue careers in sports and exercise data science and beyond

Students successfully completing the master’s program are prepared to pursue careers in the field of sport and exercise performance data science including those in professional and collegiate sports as well as the corporate world in the wearables and sports software industries and human performance laboratories.

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Program Faculty

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Graduate Program Recruiter

Tim Carter

phone: (414) 288-7139

email: timothy.carter@marquette.edu

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Application Deadline

This program has rolling admissions, which means you may apply any time before the following dates:

Fall term admissions- August 1 (June 1 for international applicants)

Your application must be complete and all required documentation must be received in the Graduate School by the above date.

Application Requirements

Read all application instructions prior to beginning an application.
Copies of all college/university transcripts except Marquette.^*
A curriculum vitae including work history, formal education, continuing education, licensing and certification, professional organizations, honors and awards, publications, presentations and grants.
A personal statement of no more than 500 words addressing your purpose for applying to the program, your ability to successfully complete the program and your goals (short and long term).
Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s academic, professional, clinical, personal attributes and potential for meaningful graduate study. At least one academic reference must be included.
GRE scores. Required for any non-Marquette University graduate applying.
For international applicants only: a minimum acceptable score on the iBT TOEFL exam of 90 overall, with minimum section scores of 25 for listening and speaking, and minimum scores of 20 for reading and writing, or other acceptable proof of English proficiency.
Applicants may wish to submit one example of written work, such as a class project, course assignment, first author publication, grant application, etc. (optional).
An interview with the admission committee is mandatory.

^_*_{Upon admission, final official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities, with certified English translations if original language is not English, must be submitted to the Graduate School within the first five weeks of the term of admission or a hold preventing registration for future terms will be placed on the student’s record.}

Paula Papanek- Associate Professor and Director of Exercise Science

Paula Papanek is the founding director of the Program of Exercise Science in the Department of Exercise Science at Marquette University, teaching and training exercise physiologists for over 20 years. Her expertise and knowledge of sports and exercise data analytics will be critical to the success of this program. Her expertise in body composition and bone mineral physiology is linked to athletic injury and performance.

For more information on Dr. Papanek, please visit the Physical Therapy department page

Dr. Kristoff Kipp Marquette University Dr. Kristof Kipp- Exercise Science

Dr. Kipp joined the Department of Physical Therapy, Program in Exercise Science at Marquette University in the fall of 2011. He received a PhD in Nutrition and Exercise Sciences with emphasis in biomechanics from Oregon State University and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Michigan.

For more information on Dr. Kipp, please visit the Physical Therapy department page

Shion Guha- Director of Data Science program

Shion is the assistant professor at the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at Marquette University and also holds an administrative position as the Director of Data Science and participates in the Cognitive Science program. He has received a PhD from Cornell University under Steve Wicker and a MS from the Indian Statistical Institute under BS Daya Sagar.