Lasell University’s new Master of Science program in applied sport science analytics is the first of its kind in the United States, providing a professional pathway for those seeking careers in human performance data analysis.

Applied sport science analytics is the collection, analysis, and use of data to help with athlete recovery rates, injury prevention, strength and conditioning, and more. According to Program Director and Dean of the School of Health Sciences Cris Haverty, this kind of analysis is now at the forefront of professional sports.

“A few years ago, when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, part of their success came from their use of human performance statistics to determine rest days for players,” she says. “The data-informed rest intervals improved player productivity and performance, and kept them healthy.”

Haverty is ecstatic to have brought the MS program to Lasell, as most other programs in the field are offered internationally.

“Professional athletic teams can’t find many experts in this field in the United States who understand both sport science and data analytics,” she says. “The purpose of this program is to fill that need and to grow a pool of professionals who can immediately contribute.”

Students enrolled in the program will take courses in high performance science; kinesiology and biomechanics; and ethical, social, and cultural implications of data, to name a few. Students will:

• Learn to improve and enhance health and human performance of athletes through evidence-based interventions, applied research, and practical applications based on data collection and analysis;
• Develop innovative training principles through key sport science concepts;
• Understand information technology concepts for manipulating, storing, and analyzing big data;
• Design, implement, and develop machine-learning algorithms;
• Evaluate and design interactive visualization for data analysis;
• Apply statistical learning methods for data mining and inferential and predictive analytics for sport science
• Examine the role that strength and conditioning techniques play in enhancing performance, preventing injuries, and accelerating rehabilitation, and;
• Gain knowledge of the joint structure, function, and biomechanical principles underlying the kinetics and kinematics of human motion.

The master’s degree program can be completed in as few as 12 months, and is offered both fully online and hybrid formats.