Master's in Sports and Exercise Analytics

Step up your game 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.  

Graduates will have the analytic skills to develop new applications and interfaces for large and complex sport and human performance data sets 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.

  

33

Total Credits

2

Years to Complete*

PO

Part-time and Online Options**

 

 

 

 

 

*Based on full-time student  | **Hybrid program with online and on-campus courses.

See how we move 

Check out our latest basketball analytics evaluation in the research lab. 

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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 data sets.  
  • 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 life cycle.  
  • Interpret and translate sports and exercise performance data for targeted consumers (private, public).  

Career Opportunities

Students are prepared to pursue careers in sport and exercise performance data science, including positions at: 

  • Professional sports teams
  • Collegiate sports teams
  • Wearable companies
  • Software companies
  • Human performance laboratories

Hands-on Experience with Marquette Athletics

The program intersects with Marquette Athletics and its 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 datasets including kinetics and kinematic data, performance data and 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 Institutes 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.  

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Ready to learn more about Marquette's sports and exercise analytics graduate program? 

Request more information now or schedule an on-campus visit.

Graduate Program Recruiter

Tim Carter

phone: (414) 288-7139

email: timothy.carter@marquette.edu 

Email the Graduate School

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Application Deadline

This program has rolling admission, 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 Marquette UniversityPaula 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 UniversityDr. Kristof Kipp - Exercise Science

Kristof 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 sciene at Marquette UniversityShion Guha - Director of Data Science program

Shion Guha is an assistant professor in 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.

Dr. Guha's current research interests cut across human computer interaction, computational social science, ictd and privacy.

For more information on Dr. Guha, please visit shionguha.net.

THESIS OPTION (PLAN A)

The master's student in Plan A must complete the required courses in data science (15 credits), the required courses in human performance/exercise physiology (12 credits), and 6 credits of thesis, for a total of 33 credits.    

NON-THESIS OPTION (PLAN B)

The master's student in Plan B must complete the required courses in data science (15 credits), the required courses in human performance/exercise physiology plus electives (15 credits), and 3 credits of project, for a total of 33 credits. 

REQUIRED COURSE WORK FOR PLAN A AND PLAN B   

Data Science Courses

  
COSC 5500 Advanced Data Science 3
COSC 5820 Ethical and Social Implications of Data 3
COSC 6510 Business Intelligence 3
COSC 6520 Business Analytics 1 3
or COSC 6540 Data Analytics
COSC 6570 Data at Scale 2 3
or COSC 6060 Parallel and Distributed Systems
or COSC 6380 Advanced Database Systems

Human Performance/Exercise Physiology Courses

  
EXPH 5192 Advanced Exercise Physiology 3
EXRS 6960 Seminar in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science (taken once) 0
SPRT 6110 Advanced Applied Biomechanics in Injury Prevention and Performance 3
SPRT 6190 Advanced Strength and Conditioning: Data Analytics 3
SPRT 6958 Readings and Research in Sports and Exercise Analytics (taken once) 0
Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Non-thesis) - refer to requirements below. 9
Total Credit Hours 33

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS PLAN A (THESIS)

Elective 3
SPRT 6999 Master's Thesis 6
Total Credit Hours 9

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS PLAN B (NON-THESIS)

Electives - approved EXPH/EXRS/MSSC/COSC courses at 5000 level or higher 6
SPRT 6600 Project Design and Development in Sports and Exercise Analytics 1
SPRT 6998 Professional Project in Sport and Exercise Analytics 2
Total Credit Hours 9

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