Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (MS)

Summary

The Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology is designed to develop a theoretical base in the discipline of sport, exercise, and performance psychology to prepare students, coaches, and consultants to apply such knowledge to performance enhancement issues associated with competitive athletics, performance, and exercise settings. 

The courses and applied experiences in our program can be used towards certification with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Students work directly with local college, high school, and recreational athletes and earn hours towards certification at the same time. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Master of Science

Major Credits

36

Total Credits

36

Locations

Mankato

Career Cluster

Health Science

Apply

Program Requirements

Common Core

Provides the developing helping professional with an introduction to basic helping skills: attending, listening, responding to content and affect, probing, and providing feedback. The course is experiential in nature and includes small group interaction, videotaping, and role playing simulations.

Prerequisites: none

This course provides students with an introduction to career paths in sport and exercise psychology. Students will also begin to earn hours for a certification in applied sport psychology as part of the course requirements.

Prerequisites: none

Psychological parameters that affect performance in athletic and exercise settings. Emphasis on theoretical and scholarly literature associated with exercise and sport psychology. Practical application of psychological principles in sport and exercise dimensions will also be addressed.

Prerequisites: none

This is an advanced graduate seminar focused on applying knowledge towards the practice of sport and exercise psychology. This class focuses specifically on how to implement sport and exercise psychology principles as consultants, coaches, teachers, and/or other professionals.

Prerequisites: none

This course examines the theory and research of the psychology of exercise and behavior change, as well as how to integrate these theories into practice. Students will have opportunities to integrate learning into their personal lives.

Prerequisites: none

This course examines ethical issues that impact the field of sport and exercise psychology including ethical standards and codes. Students will learn how ethical issues influence consultation and develop ways to deal with ethical dilemmas that may arise in in their work.

Prerequisites: none

Examines the institution of sport from a sociological perspective. The intent of the course is to identify and discuss ways in which societal values affect the character of spot and vise versa, and better understand the positive and negative consequences of the way sport if organized in our society.

Prerequisites: none

This course is an advanced graduate seminar focused on developing knowledge of performance domains other than traditional sport and applying sport and performance psychology knowledge, skills, and strategies to working in these domains. Current graduate student in the sport, exercise, and performance psychology graduate program.

Prerequisites: none

This course provides understanding and application of the psychology of sport and injury. Topics include psychological concerns, psycho-social antecedents of injury, psychological skills to implement with patients who are injured as a result of participation in athletics and physical activity.

Prerequisites: none

This is an advanced graduate seminar that will involve the oversight of practicum activities in sport, exercise and performance psychology. Cases will be presented by each graduate student to stimulate direct and indirect supervision. Ethical, multicultural and legal issues associated with applied work will be discussed.Grading Method

Prerequisites: none

Research/Methods Course(s)

This course provides an introduction to both research methodology and statistical concepts in the discipline of human performance. This course focuses on the development of research design and choice of appropriate statistics to address a research question.

Prerequisites: none

Restricted Electives

Certification Option - Choose 5 Credit(s). HP 682 will be repeated in two semesters to earn the 5 credits for the option.

This is an advanced graduate seminar that will involve the oversight of practicum activities in sport, exercise and performance psychology. Cases will be presented by each graduate student to stimulate direct and indirect supervision. Ethical, multicultural and legal issues associated with applied work will be discussed.Grading Method

Prerequisites: none

This is an advanced graduate seminar focused on cultural sport psychology and how to work with diverse populations in the field. This class will explore multicultural counseling theories and competencies as well as additional topics including oppression, discrimination, biases, prejudices, white privilege and acculturation to assist sport psychology professionals in being cultural competent.

Prerequisites: none

Non-Certification Option - A total of 5-7 credits is required for the option.

Core Course

To introduce interested students, professionals, and coaching licensure candidates to the psychological literature and latest techniques associated with coaching in an athletic setting.

Prerequisites: none

Electives - Choose 3 - 4 Credit(s). A different elective course may taken with approval of advisor.

Hereditary and environmental factors of typical and atypical motor development across the lifespan.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to increase the student's awareness and understanding of abnormal psychology. Students will become familiar with clinical descriptions, course of onset, and treatment regimens specific to various disorders.

Prerequisites: none

Overview of multivariate statistical analyses including: multiple regression, ANCOVA, MANOVA, discriminate function analysis, and factor analysis.

Prerequisites: none

Participant observation, focused interviews, and qualitative analysis; students actively participate in a field research project.

Prerequisites: none

Capstone Course

Choose 2 - 3 Credit(s). Students should choose a capstone project option in consultation with their advisor.

Course requires completion of alternate plan paper.

Prerequisites: none

Course requires completion of a manuscript submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed journal. Prerequisite: graduate student/professor consent

Prerequisites: none

Supervised field experience related to the student's academic specialization associated with the disciplines of human performance. Disciplines include the following: College Teaching, Sport Management, Public School Teaching, D/APE, Intramural-Recreational Sports Management, Elementary Physical Education, Exercise Physiology, and Sport Psychology.

Prerequisites: none

Course requires completion of thesis paper.

Prerequisites: none

Degree Plan

The Degree Plan is a model for completing your degree in a timely manner. Your individual degree plan may change based on a number of variables including transfer courses and the semester/year you start your major. Carefully work with your academic advisors to devise your own unique plan.
* Please meet with your advisor on appropriate course selection to meet your educational and degree goals.

First Year

Fall - 10 Credits

Provides the developing helping professional with an introduction to basic helping skills: attending, listening, responding to content and affect, probing, and providing feedback. The course is experiential in nature and includes small group interaction, videotaping, and role playing simulations.

Prerequisites: none

This course provides students with an introduction to career paths in sport and exercise psychology. Students will also begin to earn hours for a certification in applied sport psychology as part of the course requirements.

Prerequisites: none

Psychological parameters that affect performance in athletic and exercise settings. Emphasis on theoretical and scholarly literature associated with exercise and sport psychology. Practical application of psychological principles in sport and exercise dimensions will also be addressed.

Prerequisites: none

This course provides understanding and application of the psychology of sport and injury. Topics include psychological concerns, psycho-social antecedents of injury, psychological skills to implement with patients who are injured as a result of participation in athletics and physical activity.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 11 Credits

This course provides an introduction to both research methodology and statistical concepts in the discipline of human performance. This course focuses on the development of research design and choice of appropriate statistics to address a research question.

Prerequisites: none

This is an advanced graduate seminar focused on applying knowledge towards the practice of sport and exercise psychology. This class focuses specifically on how to implement sport and exercise psychology principles as consultants, coaches, teachers, and/or other professionals.

Prerequisites: none

This course examines ethical issues that impact the field of sport and exercise psychology including ethical standards and codes. Students will learn how ethical issues influence consultation and develop ways to deal with ethical dilemmas that may arise in in their work.

Prerequisites: none

This is an advanced graduate seminar that will involve the oversight of practicum activities in sport, exercise and performance psychology. Cases will be presented by each graduate student to stimulate direct and indirect supervision. Ethical, multicultural and legal issues associated with applied work will be discussed.Grading Method

Prerequisites: none

Second Year

Fall - 7 Credits

This course examines the theory and research of the psychology of exercise and behavior change, as well as how to integrate these theories into practice. Students will have opportunities to integrate learning into their personal lives.

Prerequisites: none

Spring - 8 Credits

Examines the institution of sport from a sociological perspective. The intent of the course is to identify and discuss ways in which societal values affect the character of spot and vise versa, and better understand the positive and negative consequences of the way sport if organized in our society.

Prerequisites: none

This course is an advanced graduate seminar focused on developing knowledge of performance domains other than traditional sport and applying sport and performance psychology knowledge, skills, and strategies to working in these domains. Current graduate student in the sport, exercise, and performance psychology graduate program.

Prerequisites: none

Policies

Admissions: In addition to the university requirements, students should: (a) submit three letters of reference, (b) a personal statement, and (c) a resume. Students do not need to take the GRE. The program does not have a specified minimum GPA, however, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is typically necessary to compete for acceptance. Core pre-requisites include a statistical methods course or similar course.  

The program follows a cohort model with a Fall start date.