Our Program
The Master of Science in Biokinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Science at USC provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of sport performance assessment and interpretation framed around injury, injury risk, and optimal performance. Students gain the advanced skills needed to excel in a specialized area related to sport and exercise, where movement is understood as the foundation of performance and resilience.
The program develops individuals who combine data-informed tools and sport technologies with both the established and emerging principles of human movement to:
Critically analyze movement and performance
Apply and/or contribute to technology-enabled evaluation of performance, injury, and injury risk across a variety of settings
Inform solutions that improve physical performance, support injury recovery, and reduce injury risk for athletes at all levels
Graduates apply movement science to real sport and human performance environments and communicate fluently within multidisciplinary teams focused on athlete performance and well-being.
Why Should I Come to USC?
Our program couples rigorous academic preparation with unparalleled internship access across professional sport organizations, collegiate performance programs, and sport technology and footwear environments, giving USC students a direct pathway into elite teams and industry settings for immersive, hands-on experience. USC students important hands-on experience needed for successful careers in sports science.
Major league soccer
Industry
usa volleyball
nfl and nba
USA cycling
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Curriculum
32 units are required
Required Courses (22 units)
Elective CourseS (8 units)
Summative Research Experience (2 units)
Required courses
The required courses ensure that graduates are 1) conversant in physiological, biomechanical and neurological basis of movement, 2) able to conceptualize all aspects of experimental design across several levels of analysis and 3) are able to apply conceptual principles to practical settings.
BKN551 Musculoskeletal and Biomechanical basis of Mvmt (4)
BKN 552 Physiological basis of voluntary movement (4 units)
BKN 553 Experimental methods for the study of human movement (4 units)
BKN 600 Sports Science internship (2 units)
PM 510 Principles of biostatistics (4 units)
BKN 590 Directed research~ Summative Research Experience (minimum 2 units)
Electives
Elective courses give students advanced skills necessary to excel in a specialized area related to sport and exercise. The following are examples of electives offered in the program.
BKN611: Technology in Sport: Physiological Assessments
BKN610: Technology in Sport: Field Assessment of Athlete Performance
BKN 560: Movement Analysis for Sport
BKN630: Resistance Training Techniques for High Performance Athletes
PM566: Introduction to Health Data Science
BKN599: Advanced Data Analysis for Movement Science
BKN563: Biomechanics of Human Motion
* Electives in relevant course offered in Viterbi School of Engineering, Keck School’s Department of Preventative Medicine, Dornsife’s Departments of Biology and Psychology may apply toward degree.
Summative Research Experience
There is no Division requirement for a Master’s thesis or Comprehensive Examination. Instead, students are required to complete a summative research experience. The culminating event of the summative research experience can include, but is not limited to, the following: 1) Poster presentation at the Division Research Day or at a state or national conference, or 2) Oral presentation at Division Seminar or at a state or national conference.
Prerequisites
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher with a science major or equivalent. Courses completed at the time of application must include work in chemistry, mathematics, physics and biology (with appropriate laboratory study).
Course work in anatomy, physiology, calculus, histology, kinesiology, trigonometry, analytical geometry, exercise physiology and biochemistry is highly recommended. Candidates should have some degree of computer literacy.
Those interested in the field of data analytics should have completed coursework in statistics, calculus, linear algebra and have some knowledge of basic programming language.
International applicants will be considered on a special evaluation of credentials. Students deficient in certain prerequisites may be admitted subject to completion of requirements within two years after admission.
Application
Applications deadline for the MS program Sports Science emphasis is January 1st
The application process for the M.S. Program involves the following components
1. USC GRADUATE ADMISSION APPLICATION
Complete a USC Graduate Application on-line.
2. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Statement should address how the applicant’s academic training and/or experience qualify them for the program and how the program will help the applicant meet their professional goals.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
Applicants are required to have three letters of recommendation.
5. TOEFL or IELTS EXAM
Required for International Applicants only.
Contact Us
For more information or to schedule a visit email info@sportscience.usc.edu
Visit the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy website for more information regarding the Biokinesiology graduate and research programs.
Follow us on twitter @USCSportsSci and Instagram @uscsportssci