Curriculum – MS SPP

The master’s degree program is designed to enhance a current career (i.e., strength coaching, athletic training, executive coaching) with additional sport psychology knowledge. You’ll be able to select elective courses that fit your specific career goals. Regardless of the concentration or no concentration, the credit total of the program remains the same.

If you plan to continue on to a doctoral program in sport and performance psychology, no concentration is needed. You will be able to maximize your elective options while still completing the coursework requirements for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) certification. You will also complete the mentorship hours as part of your future doctoral program.

• Choose the applied practice concentration if you want to obtain CMPC® certification and a master’s degree is your final educational goal. Getting a head start on the process of mentorship and completing the required mentorship hours is essential to moving forward after your MS-SPP degree.

  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.

• Choose the positive coaching concentration if you want to combine your knowledge of sport and performance psychology with a greater effectiveness as a leader in your chosen field. Learning to apply the principles of positive psychology to improve communication, motivation and engagement of those around you enhances the performance of any organization.

Concentrations will be noted on the transcript and diploma, making it more visible to graduates, doctoral admissions advisors and future employers.

The MS-SPP degree is conferred upon an individual who has fulfilled the following requirements:

• Maintenance of enrollment eligibility through satisfactory academic performance, professional development and behavior.
• Successful completion, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, of all required coursework.
• Successful completion of minimum graduation requirements as officially communicated to students through the university catalog, student publications, and other official documents of the university.
• Freedom from all indebtedness and other obligations to the university.

Graduates of the MS-SPP program will be able to be able to:

1. Evaluate the predominant theories and emergent trends within the discipline of sport and performance psychology
2. Distinguish between various ethical codes within the mental health counseling and performance consulting professions, and articulate the rationale for disparities among them.
3. Demonstrate, through discussion, presentation, and in writing, the development of a professional consulting philosophy integrating the disciplines of psychology, sport science, and counseling.
4. Create performance enhancement interventions incorporating a variety of research-supported techniques to improve performance and overall wellness.
5. Develop culturally responsive consulting strategies based upon the relationships, issues, and trends within a multicultural society.
6. Utilize allied theories and concepts to develop an integrated approach to sport and performance consulting. (applied practice concentration)
7. Synthesize the current research and theory within positive psychology to develop coaching and leadership interventions both within and outside of sport. (positive coaching concentration)

The Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology (MS-SPP) offers advanced training for leaders in psychology, coaching, education, health care, business and administration. Using positive psychology and the applied sport psychology scientist-practitioner model of training, the program is designed to help students develop the necessary skills to take their performance to the next level. The curriculum will support students in preparing for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) exam by providing coursework opportunities in the K1-K8 standards of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). The master’s degree is comprised of 54 (36 semester) credits.

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 MS-SPP planner here.

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