One of the questions students interested in sport psychology most often ask is “How can I become a sport psychologist?” Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the field -- drawing from psychology and the sport/exercise sciences - there are many different educational pathways students can take to get there. Thus, a central issue for students interested in sport and exercise psychology concerns determining exactly what they want to do in the field. Do they want to teach and conduct research at a college or university? Do they want to coach? Do they want to work with athletes on mental skills training or performance enhancement issues? Do they want to provide athletes with counseling or therapy? How you answer these and other questions will guide your choice of career and graduate training.

To assist students with this process, members of the American Psychological Association – Division 47 (Exercise & Sport Psychology) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) developed a brochure on “Graduate Training & Career Possibilities in Exercise & Sport Psychology.” The primary purpose of the brochure is to inform students interested in pursuing training in sport/exercise psychology about the different career tracks that exist within the field and the educational pathways they would pursue to receive the necessary training.

If you are a student interested in sport and exercise psychology, we strongly encourage you to read this information before making any decisions concerning a career or graduate training. If you have additional questions about the field or would like to talk to one of our Performance Excellence Staff regarding training opportunities at the University of North Texas, please contact us at sportpsych@unt.edu or 940-369-SPORT (7767).