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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 performance psychology. Through this doctoral program and elective cluster specialization, graduates obtain a broad education as a mental health professional while also receiving specific training in working with athletes, coaches, and sport teams. Upon completion of their pre-doctoral clinical internship, graduates will be able to pursue licensure as a psychologist in any state in the U.S. and seek Certification as a Mental Performance Counsultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. This training model, a sport psychology specialization embedded in an APA-accredited counseling psychology program, is unique and one of the many reasons that students from all over the U.S. and internationally come to UNT.

Ph.D. Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Sport Psychology
A specialization in sport psychology is offered through an elective cluster within the Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology. The Counseling Psychology program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association, and this combined program trains students to be independent, licensed psychologists who also have the knowledge, skills, and experience to work with athletes, coaches, teams, and sport organizations. In addition, through the sport psychology elective cluster, students may elect to take additional coursework to meet the certification or requirements of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology to become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant.

A. Philosophy and Objectives - The counseling psychology program and sport psychology elective cluster provides training to graduate students within the broad context of the scientist-practitioner model. This training is accomplished through prescribed coursework in general psychology, counseling psychology, and sport psychology and the sport sciences. In addition, students gain applied experience through separate individual, group, and sport psychology practica that are done throughout their 4-6 years in the program.

It is very important for students to know that their training in counseling psychology is the primary focus of the program and is conducted by the program's faculty in the Psychology Department. If you are NOT fully invested in being trained as a counseling psychologist (in addition to the sport psychology specialization), then the UNT program would NOT be a good fit for you. Students' sport psychology training is conducted, in part, through the UNT Center for Sport Psychology and Athlete Mental Health, which is a multidisciplinary center devoted to offering sport psychology interventions, research, and training. Through the Center (and its associated practicum), students complete all their applied sport psychology training and conduct scientific research in the field. In addition, students have opportunities for professional development in sport psychology through attending and presenting at professional conferences, developing and leading workshops, developing and writing grant proposals, and writing articles for publication.

B. Admission Requirements - Doctoral applicants must meet the admission requirements of the UNT Toulouse School of Graduate Studies and be admitted to the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program.

All students who meet the counseling psychology program's admission requirements and are selected by the admission committee (see the Counseling Psychology program for details) will enter the doctoral program affiliated with an elective cluster. For the Sport Psychology elective cluster, motivation, intelligence, discipline, enthusiasm, self-awareness, and interpersonal poise, as well as communication, research, and writing skills are highly valued. Furthermore, previous or current sport and exercise experience, although not required, is considered an asset.

In the admission application, individuals must provide all requested information. In the statement of goals, applicants should describe their interest in seeking a doctoral degree in counseling psychology, career aspirations, previous academic and practical experiences, and their fit with the UNT Counseling Psychology program. In this statement, applicants also should address their interests in the sport psychology elective cluster training they can receive at UNT. However, applicants must clearly communicate to the admission committee why becoming a licensed Counseling Psychologist is their primary goal. The Admission Committee's goal is to match the applicant's interests and qualifications to the resources and objectives of the program. Information and application forms for the Counseling Psychology Program may be obtained through the Psychology Department (940-565-2671) or the Department's website.

C. Degree Requirements - This program requires a serious commitment on the part of the applicant. The general counseling psychology program requires over 100 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree, and a one-year supervised pre-doctoral internship at a location that is likely to be in a state other than Texas. For those pursuing the sport psychology elective cluster the number of semester hours will be higher, though the exact number will depend on previous graduate coursework taken and the number of additional courses needed to meet other professsional organization's certification requirements. In general, if you enter the program with a master's degree and transfer a number of graduate hours, you may be able to complete the counseling psychology program (with sport psychology elective cluster) in 5 years (which includes the one-year predoctoral internship). If you are entering the program with only an undergraduate degree, you should expect to finish in 6 years (again, including the pre-doctoral internship).

In addition to the general psychology and counseling psychology core requirements, students in the sport psychology elective cluster will engage in the following activities:

1. Coursework - students must take:

KINE 5185 or PSYC/KINE 6185 Applied Sport Psychology II* - 3 credit hours

PSYC 6200 Theory and Practice of Sport & Performance Psychology - 3 credit hours

2. Sport Psychology Practicum - students are required to take Psyc/Kine 5850 (Sport Psychology Practicum) during at least the first three years they are in the program (and elective cluster); most students enroll in the sport psychology practicum for every year they are in the program. Students receive both individual and group supervision by Center faculty for each sport psychology practicum experience.

3. AASP Certification - pursuit of this certification is not required for the elective cluster, though students are encouraged to satisfy AASP requirements so they may become certified once they have met all requirements and taken the certification exam. By completing the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. and the sport psychology elective cluster, students will have met the majority of the requirements for AASP certification. However, there are two areas in which additional coursework is needed to satisfy the certification criteria. These include:

a. Knowledge area K2 (Sport Psychology) - one additional course, in the required course area #3 (e.g., exercise osychology, psychology of injury, team dynamics, youth sport, and/ or psychology of coaching, etc.)

b. Knowledge area K3 (Sport Science)

Please check the AASP website for the most current certification requirements.

4. Research - it is recommended that students work with one of the Center Director as their research advisor. Students' professional development is fostered via presenting at conferences and publishing in refereed journals. Students are encouraged (but not required) to devote at least one of the student's two required research projects to issues within sport and/or performance psychology.

5. Internship - a full-time, one year internship is required prior to receipt of Counseling Psychology doctoral degree. The Center Director will discuss internship placements with you in the year prior to applying.

D. Financial Assistance - students may apply for departmentally funded assistantships as well as university-based fellowships. The department and Center strive to support all doctoral students throughout their tenure in the program. Upon acceptance of admission, you will be informed by the counseling psychology programs as to your funding package.

CSPAMH FACILITIES
The Center offices are located in 235 Terrill Hall. The offices are designed around the missions of the Center and provide space for student research, center meetings, and individual consultations. Sport psychology consultants are welcome to use the Center's resources, including computers and video-technology, to enhance their educational experience and professional development. Although the Center's facilities are available for sport psychology interventions, most practica and consultation work is done outside of the offices within the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton, TX area.

TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON THE Ph.D. IN COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY WITH THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGY ELECTIVE CLUSTER, click here.

YOU ALSO CAN CONTACT US DIRECTLY IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ELECTIVE CLUSTER. WE CAN BE REACHED AT 940-369-7767 OR sportpsych@unt.edu