EdD in Sport and Performance Psychology with Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization

Who is the CMHC specialization for?

The doctorate of education in sport and performance psychology, clinical mental health counseling specialization (EdD-SPP, CMHC) is uniquely designed for students who are simultaneously seeking counseling licensure and advanced sport and performance psychology training to open the door to a wide array of career options.

Watch this video to find out if the clinical mental health counseling specialization is a fit for you.

What does the program cover?

Using a comprehensive and integrated approach, through the lens of sport and performance, the EdD-SPP, CMHC degree develops professional competencies in two distinct areas:

The clinical mental health counseling curriculum covers eight core counseling content areas: (1) ethics and professional identity; (2) multiculturalism and advocacy; (3) human growth and development; (4) career counseling; (5) helping relationships; (6) group counseling; (7) testing and assessment; and (8) research and program evaluation. It also includes five terms of clinical counseling field placement (one practicum and four internship courses). Additional required courses provide content required by state licensing boards.

In the sport and performance psychology curriculum, students complete the core sport and performance psychology (SPP) EdD curriculum and may elect to participate in the sport and performance psychology consulting concentration (see section below) to prepare them to apply for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) credential. During the final year of the degree, students will complete an individual research project (i.e., dissertation).

Applicants who have already earned a clinical counseling degree are not eligible for this integrated program and should apply to the EdD-SPP program instead.

Program graduates work as counselors, consultants, administrators, educators, performance coaches, researchers, clinical coordinators and clinical supervisors.

Licensure

This program prepares students to sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCHMCE). Passing the NCE/NCHMCE exams are required for licensure in one’s state. It is the responsibility of the individual student to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements. As state licensing boards do not review programmatic content prior to application for licensure, UWS makes no representations or guarantee that completion of UWS coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure. Learn more about licensure by state on our professional licensure disclosure page.

How is the degree completed?

This 148-credit degree can be completed in four years of full-time enrollment or 4.5-5.5 years of part time enrollment and is completed 100% online with consistent and engaging interaction with program faculty who have experience in both fields. This degree is completed with face-to-face internship requirements within students’ communities. Five terms of clinical field placement (one term of practicum and four of internship) allow students real-life application of their skills with live clients. Faculty assist students in finding these field placements, contract with local supervisors and include university-based supervision. Strong student engagement makes the program feel like a cohort model, but students can request flexibility in their program plan to accommodate work and life responsibilities.

For those who have demonstrated success in a previous bachelor’s or master’s program, this degree gives you the opportunity to complete two degrees (master’s-in-passing in clinical mental health counseling and the doctorate of education in sport and performance psychology with clinical mental health counseling specialization) without having to apply to two different programs. Students earn a master’s in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) upon completion of the CMHC required credits (90) and the EdD in SPP with CMHC specialization at the completion of the entire program.

The master’s in clinical mental health counseling is earned prior to starting the doctoral portion of the degree so that students can begin working as a professional counselor while completing their doctorate.

Standardized Patient Program

One of the features of this program is the standardized patient component, which provides unique and personalized learning for students. Faculty design specific case studies, which create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in simulated real-world scenarios with specially trained actors. Students also have the opportunity to design their own case studies to demonstrate conceptualization skills and process understanding.

Sport and Performance Psychology Consulting (SPPC) Concentration

The SPPC concentration within the EdD-SPP, CMHC specialization requires four quarters of continuous mentorship enrollment (16 credits). The SPPC concentration curriculum has been designed specifically to allow students to complete mentorship hours in partial fulfillment of the requirements to obtain the Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) credential through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Students are advised to remain informed of current CMPC standards and work directly with program faculty to assure compliance with both graduation and CMPC requirements.

Students in this concentration are required to attend virtual weekly meetings with their UWS faculty mentor, as well as 3-5 virtual meetings at a designated time for group mentorship during each term of enrollment. Each week students will complete readings and assignments which will be reviewed with classmates during virtual classroom and live video conference group and individual mentorship sessions. Additionally, students will share consulting experiences and discuss case formulations with the small group.

Note: All components of the SPP Mentorship program, including client consultations, individual mentorship meetings, group mentorship meetings, and recorded client sessions must be conducted entirely in English, regardless of students’ and clients’ geographic location or preferred language. A student with a disability that limits their ability to complete the program requirements in English may request a reasonable accommodation via the Office of Student Success. A student with an approved accommodation must contact the Mentorship Coordinator prior to beginning the SPPC concentration to discuss how the accommodation will be implemented within the Mentorship program.

Fast Facts

PROGRAMEdD-SPP, CMHC Specialization
EdD-SPP, CMHC Specialization with SPPC Concentration
FORMATonline
LENGTH16 quarters (4-5 years)
CREDITS148 quarter (98.7 semester)
ENTRY TERMSpring and Fall
TUITION$755 per credit

Graduation Requirements

The EdD in sport and performance psychology is conferred upon the student who has fulfilled the following requirements:

  1. Maintenance of enrollment eligibility through satisfactory academic performance, professional development and behavior.
  2. Successful completion of all required courses and program requirements or approved equivalents in a student’s EdD program path with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all required coursework.
  3. Successful completion of minimum graduation requirements as officially communicated to students through the university catalog, student publications, and other official documents of the university.
  4. Freedom from all indebtedness and other obligations to the university.

The master’s in clinical mental health counseling is earned prior to starting the doctoral portion of the degree so that students can begin working as a professional counselor while completing their doctorate.

Learning Outcomes

Master of Science Learning Outcomes:


During the first 90 credits, your courses will focus on the following program learning outcomes.

  • Students will create a professional identity based on the philosophies, history, and roles of the clinical mental health counseling profession.
  • Students will apply ethical and legal standards to clinical mental health counseling practices.
  • Students will develop culturally responsive counseling strategies based on their professional evaluation of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends of a multicultural society.
  • Students will apply effective advocacy strategies to enhance clinical mental health services.
  • Student will synthesize theories of human growth and development to create differentiated counseling interventions that promote resilience, optimum development, and wellness across the lifespan.
  • Students will create a career development plan to assess and develop client skills appropriate to their work, relationships, and wellbeing.
  • Students will integrate theories and best practices related to trauma-informed and community-based strategies to appropriately intervene in meeting the needs of diverse clients.
  • Students will develop culturally responsive treatment and/or intervention plans with measurable outcomes for clients.
  • Students will apply theoretical foundations, group processes, and developmental dynamics, and therapeutic factors to effectively lead group counseling.
  • Students will implement evidence-based assessment techniques appropriate for mental health counseling professionals to diagnose developmental, behavioral, and mental health disorders in diverse clients.
  • Students will assess mental health counseling research to inform clinical practice.

Doctor of Education Learning Outcomes:

During the remainder of your doctoral program, you courses will focus on the following program learning outcomes.

  • Evaluate the predominant theories and emergent trends within both the discipline and profession of sport and performance psychology.
  • Determine appropriate professional conduct for a variety of situations based on the legal and ethical codes of clinical mental health counseling and sport and performance psychology.
  • Implement an individual philosophy of performance excellence integrating the disciplines of psychology, sport science, and counseling
  • Implement culturally responsive consulting strategies based upon the relationships, issues, and trends within a multicultural society.
  • Extend the predominant theory, research, and application trends in sport and performance psychology through the completion of individual research.

Those students selecting the sport and performance psychology consulting concentration will complete an additional learning outcome:

Implement ethical and evidence-based interventions in sport and performance contexts that will lead to improved performance and satisfaction.

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Textbooks

You can buy your textbooks online. Find the SPP/CMHC textbook list here.

Curriculum

The UWS catalog houses the curriculum, course descriptions, curriculum sequence and other helpful information about the program. View the current catalog.

Program Planners

Find your EdD-SPP, CMHC planner here.

Is counseling your calling?

Watch this video with Dr. Michelle Rose, CMHC director, to find out how the EdD-SPP, CMHC program can help you reach your goals.