Image
Kent State’s Women’s Lacrosse Team

Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology - B.S.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology provides students, athletes and those preparing for careers as coaches and sport practitioners with the knowledge of psychological theory and skills to enhance human behavior in the sport and exercise settings and the performing arts. This major explores social-psychological concepts such as motivation, self-confidence, anxiety or burnout, and how these concepts interact with the sport environment to influence athletes and performers.

Contact Us

This content is specific to programs that are online

Apply Now
Request Information

Examples of Possible Careers

  • Sport Coaching
  • Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • Sports Nutritionist
  • Athletic Training

With additional graduate work, graduates of this program could pursue employment as Performance Enhancement Specialists (PESs), Mental Performance Coaches, or Mental Conditioning Coaches, or work with performers in a variety of settings (e.g., college and professional sports and performing arts).

To practice in the field of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, graduate-level training is highly recommended. While some students find employment in a sports-related field (e.g., coaching, strength training) after graduating from the SEPP bachelor’s degree program, most students pursuing a career in this field secure a graduate degree.
 

Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology provide students, athletes and those preparing for careers as coaches and sport practitioners with the knowledge of psychological theory and skills to enhance human behavior in the sport and exercise settings and the performing arts. The major differs from existing sport-related bachelor's degree programs due to its focus on psychological processes related to sport performance, as opposed to existing programs that focus on pedagogical, physiological or the business aspects of sport performance.

The Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology major explores social-psychological concepts such as motivation, self-confidence, anxiety or burnout, and how these concepts interact with the sport environment to influence athletes (e.g., losing focus under pressure or having self-doubts during a game) and performance. The program prepares students with essential knowledge of psychological aspects of sport performance and ethical practice to work in wide-ranging sport-related fields or to further their education in their chosen careers via graduate programs and mental performance certification by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Explain the role of the individual and the environments in sport and exercise behavior.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of the foundation of motivation in sport sciences, learning and personal life.
  3. Define and illustrate the concepts, tools and application of mental skills and performance enhancement.
  4. Design and evaluate an applied research study from inception to conclusions.
  5. Define the standards for competence, domestic and global diversity and ethical principles (i.e., AASP and APA) and its role in sport psychology professional practice.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
HED 46052STRESS: RECOGNITION AND MANAGEMENT 2
PESP 25033LIFESPAN MOTOR DEVELOPMENT 3
PESP 45015PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING 3
PH 30002INTRODUCTORY BIOSTATISTICS 3
or PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I
SEPP 20026PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE 3
SEPP 30019PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH SPORT 3
SEPP 32250PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SPORT INJURY 3
SEPP 40020HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETES IN SPORT 3
SEPP 40221EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY 3
or PSYC 41584 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EXERCISE
SEPP 45007PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 3
SEPP 45092PRACTICUM IN SPORT PERFORMANCE (ELR) 3
SEPP 45300MOTIVATION IN SPORT, PERFORMANCE, AND MOVEMENT SETTINGS 3
SEPP 48225SPORT PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS 3
SPAD 25000SPORT IN SOCIETY (DIVD) 3
SPAD 43018ETHICS IN SPORT 3
SPAD 45020ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP IN SPORT 3
SPAD 45024SPORT IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE 3
SPAD 45050SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT 3
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
COMM 15000INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) 3
PSYC 11762GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) Electives2
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) (other than PSYC)3
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)6-7
Kent Core Additional3
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credits hour, including 39 upper-division credit hours)28
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000

Students considering admission into a sport psychology graduate program should attain a higher GPA, as admission to those programs are competitive.

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
COMM 15000 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) 3
PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
SEPP 20026 PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE 3
Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) Elective 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 4
 Credit Hours14
Semester Three
PH 30002
or PSYC 21621
INTRODUCTORY BIOSTATISTICS
or QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I
3
Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) Elective 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 5
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
PESP 25033 LIFESPAN MOTOR DEVELOPMENT 3
SEPP 30019 PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH SPORT 3
SPAD 25000 SPORT IN SOCIETY (DIVD) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
PESP 45015 PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING 3
SEPP 32250 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SPORT INJURY 3
SPAD 43018 ETHICS IN SPORT 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
HED 46052 STRESS: RECOGNITION AND MANAGEMENT 2
SEPP 40020 HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETES IN SPORT 3
SEPP 40221
or PSYC 41584
EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
or THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EXERCISE
3
SEPP 45007 PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 3
General Elective 4
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
SPAD 45020 ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP IN SPORT 3
SPAD 45050 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT 3
!SEPP 45092 PRACTICUM IN SPORT PERFORMANCE (ELR) 3
SEPP 45300 MOTIVATION IN SPORT, PERFORMANCE, AND MOVEMENT SETTINGS 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
!SEPP 48225 SPORT PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS 3
SPAD 45024 SPORT IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery
    • Online
    • Mostly Online
  • Location
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

Examples of Possible Careers
  • Sports Performance Psychologist
  • Strength and Performance Conditioning Coach
  • Sports Performance Coach
  • Mental Health Counselor/Athletics Embedded
  • Sports Nutritionist
  • Sports Medicine Fellow
  • Performance Enhancement Specialists (PESs)