Master's Degrees for Sports Medicine - How to Get Them and How They'll Affect Your Career Path

How to Earn Sports Medicine Master’s Degrees

A sports medicine master’s degree requires approximately two years of full-time study, though there are plenty of part-time options that require three or more years of committed study. While earning a master’s degree in sports medicine, students will be required to study the fundamentals of kinesiology, physiology, sports injury treatment and evaluation, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and proper fitness training fundamentals. Essentially, these are most of the same classes that must be taken while earning a bachelor's degree in sports medicine, but the masters program will ask students to master them on a deeper level while completing all curricular requirements. 

Applying to a master’s program successfully is the essential first step toward completing one's graduate education. Students who are interested in earning a master’s degree must have a bachelor's degree first, though this does not necessarily have to be specifically in sports medicine. It is helpful if the degree is in a related area, such as physiology, anatomy or physical therapy, as these disciplines will all help graduate students succeed in their chosen master’s degree program.

In addition to completing their coursework, students who are seeking a master’s of sports medicine degree are often asked to write an original research thesis on a topic of particular interest to them. Students dedicate at least one semester to the research and writing of their thesis, though many students spend at least an entire year on their thesis.  

How Earning a Sports Medicine Master’s Degree Will Affect Your Career Path

A master’s degree in sports medicine is most useful for those professionals who are seeking top career paths in the industry. The masters program can provide a forum through which to conduct original research and even publish original findings. However, without an additional advanced degree in physical therapy itself or a medical degree that leads to a career as a physician, a graduate of a sports medicine master’s degree program will not be able to work as a medical practitioner who can treat patients who have sustained sports injuries. 

An individual who has a sports medicine degree may be the ideal candidate to become a trainer of personal trainers, as it qualifies them to work as professors at community colleges and universities. The expertise that a person with a master’s degree has, especially when it is combined with firsthand experience as a personal trainer, enables him or her to share their education and expertise with future professionals.