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Sports Psychology Degree Programs
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Most people presume that sports psychology is concerned only with professional athletics. In fact, sports psychology covers a broad array of clinical, scientific and applied psychology topics involving sports, fitness and exercise. Sports psychology can be broken down in two key areas of interest: understanding how psychology can be employed to improve performance and motivation and understanding how sports, athletics and related fitness areas can improve mental health and individual well-being.
As is the case in many fields of psychology, sports psychologists may also choose to specialize in a particular area. Major specialties within the field of sports psychology include Applied Sports Psychology, which teaches skills to enhance athletic performance, Clinical Sports Psychology, which involves the use of mental training strategies and psychotherapy to assist individuals suffering from mental health problems, and Academic Sports Psychology, which focuses on teaching higher education institutions how to conduct related research.
Whatever your final career destination, if you plan on becoming a sports psychologist then you'll need a good education. Entry-level positions require a bachelor's degree at minimum, but are rare. Most sports psychology positions require candidates to possess a master's degree or preferrably a doctorate degree in counseling, clinical or sports psychology. Experience is also essential to obtaining a good job, so go out of your way to acquire as much experience via internships and direct training as possible while you complete your degrees.
However, because there aren't that many graduate level degree programs in sports psychology, it can be hard to determine what exactly qualifies someone to be called a 'sports psychologist.' According to the American Psychological Association (APA) a sports psychologist school be a licensed psychologist with "experience in applying psychological principles in sports settings." If you pursue a degree in counseling psychology, clinical psychology or a related field and planning on becoming a sports psychologist, then you should also develop an extensive educational background in sports training, athletic performance and motivation management.
Below you'll find accredited colleges and universities offering online and campus-based undergraduate and graduate degree programs in psychology and sports psychology.
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Capella University
Online Programs Offered:
MS - Sports Psychology
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California University of Pennsylvania
Online Programs Offered:
MS - Exercise Science - Sport Psychology
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Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL |
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The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL |
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Troy University
Troy, AL |
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University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ |
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Arkansas State University
State University, AR |
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Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR |
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR |
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University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR |
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University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR |
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California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA |
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California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA |
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California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA |
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Concordia University-Irvine
Irvine, CA |
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San Diego State University
San Diego, CA |
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA |
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Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT |
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University of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC |
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Armstrong Atlantic State University
Savannah, GA |
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Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley, GA |
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Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA |
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Thomas University
Thomasville, GA |
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University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI |
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University of Idaho
Moscow, ID |
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Adler School of Professional Psychology
Chicago, IL |
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Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL |
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Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL |
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Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL |
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University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL |
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL |
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Ball State University
Muncie, IN |
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Indiana Institute of Technology
Fort Wayne, IN |
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Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN |
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Drake University
Des Moines, IA |
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA |
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Allen County Community College
Iola, KS |
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Emporia State University
Emporia, KS |
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS |
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University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY |
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Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA |
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The University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA |
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University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA |
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University of Maine-Farmington
Farmington, ME |
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University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME |
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Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD |
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Assumption College
Worcester, MA |
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Springfield College
Springfield, MA |
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University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA |
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI |
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Wayne State University
Detroit, MI |
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Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI |
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Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN |
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St. Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN |
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University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN |
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Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, MO |
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Montana State University
Bozeman, MT |
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Montana State University-Billings
Billings, MT |
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University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV |
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Kean University
Union, NJ |
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New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM |
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Western New Mexico University
Silver City, NM |
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CUNY-Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY |
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CUNY-Hunter College
New York, NY |
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Hilbert College
Hamburg, NY |
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Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY |
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SUNY-Albany
Albany, NY |
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University at Buffalo - SUNY
Buffalo, NY |
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East Carolina University
Greenville, NC |
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Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, NC |
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Methodist University
Fayetteville, NC |
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North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC |
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC |
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Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC |
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University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND |
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Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH |
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Kent State University
Kent, OH |
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Ohio State University
Columbus, OH |
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Ohio University
Athens, OH |
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University of Cincinnati-Raymond Walters College
Blue Ash, OH |
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Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, OH |
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Wright State University
Dayton, OH |
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Langston University
Langston, OK |
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Portland State University
Portland, OR |
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Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR |
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Alvernia University
Reading, PA |
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Clarion University
Clarion, PA |
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DeSales University
Center Valley, PA |
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East Stroudsburg University
East Stroudsburg, PA |
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, PA |
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Penn State Lehigh Valley
Fogelsville, PA |
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Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA |
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University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA |
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University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
Greensburg, PA |
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University of Scranton
Scranton, PA |
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Bayamon Central University
Bayamon, PR |
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Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico
Ponce, PR |
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University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus
Rio Piedras, PR |
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Salve Regina University
Newport, RI |
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South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC |
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University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC |
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South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD |
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The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN |
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The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN |
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University of Memphis
Memphis, TN |
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South Plains College
Levelland, TX |
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Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX |
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The University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg, TX |
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University of North Texas
Denton, TX |
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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX |
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Utah State University
Logan, UT |
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Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA |
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University of Washington
Seattle, WA |
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Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA |
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV |
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Concordia University-Wisconsin
Mequon, WI |
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI |
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University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI |
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