Master of Science in Human Performance and Wellness with Specialization in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology
The specialization in Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology (SEPP) combines both theory and practice in preparing students for leadership roles in sport, exercise, and overall performance enhancement. Teaching, coaching, performance consulting and research are examples of career fields in which professional opportunities are available. Graduates are also prepared to pursue doctoral study. Degree preparation includes advanced coursework in the sport sciences and in psychology, focusing on the thought processes that ultimately influence the behavior of individuals involved in sport, exercise, and other performance activities such as dance or music. Students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to influence those processes. The program offers extensive opportunities for research and applied practice with state-of-the-art equipment housed in the Performance Behavior Laboratory (PBL).
All students who select the “Applied” option (total 36 credits) (i.e., requiring SES-677 SEPP Service Delivery, SES-678 SEPP Professional Practice, and SES-660 Performance Enhancement Psychology, at 3 credit hours per course) may have the opportunity to accumulate applied experiences and begin accumulating hours applicable toward Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) provisional status certification. The student is responsible for completing, subsequent to graduation, any remaining supervised applied hours and submitting the AASP application materials required for certification. Some individuals may need to enroll in additional coursework beyond that listed below for completion of the degree in order to satisfy AASP provisional status certification requirements. Consult with the coordinator of the SEPP program in the early stages of planning a program of study so that it can be determined if any additional coursework might be necessary.
Students who intend at some point to pursue advanced graduate study leading to the doctoral degree are strongly encouraged to select the “Research” option (total 36 credits), which requires the submission of a written thesis. The research option requires SES-624 Advanced Statistics for SES or SES-630 Qualitative Research in SES (3), AND SES-689 Thesis I and SES-690 Thesis II at 3 credit hours per course).
Students wishing to pursue the “Dual” track (i.e., both the applied AND research emphasis) in SEPP must include in their plan of study: SES-660 Performance Enhancement Psychology (3) AND SES-624 Advanced Statistics for SES or SES-630 Qualitative Research in SES (3), SES-677 SEPP Service Delivery (3), SES-678 SEPP Practice (3), AND SES-689 Thesis I and SES-690 Thesis II (6). This plan of study will require nine (9) additional credits to complete both emphases for a total of 45 credits. Students choosing this option must successfully complete all requirements in both emphases for M.S. degree conferral.
Admission Requirements
General admission requirements are to be found under SES Graduate Program Requirements and Policies. A personal interview arranged with program director may be requested prior to admission or obtaining “degree seeking” status. In addition, a student seeking admission to the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology program must:
- have completed undergraduate coursework in psychology, and
- receive an acceptable score on the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) and possess an “above average” undergraduate GPA.
Note:
The SES Program Director reserves the right to establish a minimum undergraduate GPA as well as a minimum GRE score for applicants. GRE applications are available from Barry’s Office of Graduate Admissions. Students in the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology specialization who lack undergraduate coursework in anatomy, and kinesiology or biomechanics will be required to complete those courses prior to taking SES-520 or SES-546.
Graduation Requirements
Refer to the Master of Science in Movement Sciences graduation requirements.
Master of Science (36 – 45 credits)
| Degree Total for Applied or Research track: |
36 |
| Degree Total for Dual track |
45 |
Core Courses (21 credits)
Electives (minimum 3 credits)
Choose one of the following areas of emphasis to complete program requirements:
Applied Emphasis Track Requirement (6 credits)
| SES-660 | PERF ENHANCEMENT PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| CSL-652 | INDIV COUNSELING PROCEDURES | 3 |
Research Emphasis Track Requirement (9 credits)
Dual Emphasis Track Requirement (15 credits)
Note: Other Barry graduate level courses may be substituted as electives, subject to prior approval by the student’s Graduate Committee.