One of the most often asked questions by students and professionals interested in sport psychology 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 to take to get there. Thus, a central issue for those interested in sport and exercise psychology is 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?
Graduate Education
Through the UNT Department of Psychology’s APA-accredited Counseling Psychology program, graduate students are able to pursue a Ph.D. in counseling psychology with a specialized elective cluster in sport and exercise psychology. Through this doctoral program and specialization, graduates obtain a broad professional education as a mental health practitioner while also receiving specific training in working with athletes, coaches, and sport teams. Upon completion of their clinical internship, graduates will be able to pursue licensure as a psychologist in any state in the U.S.
The Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation offers a Master of Science (MS) in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology. The MS program requires a total of 36 hours, including 15 hours of core kinesiology courses (see courses below). In addition to the core curriculum, students can take 21 hours of additional coursework that will allow for the development of an area of expertise such as sport and exercise psychology.
Degree Requirements (36 semester hours are required):
PhD in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Psychosocial Aspects of Sports and Exercise