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Ph.D. Counseling Psychology with Sport Psychology Emphasis

A specialization in sport psychology and exercise psychology is offered through an elective cluster within the Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology. This combined program prepares students to function as independent sport psychology professionals in research in applied sports settings, working with both athlete and non-athlete populations. The program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. In addition, through the program, students may elect to take additional coursework to meet the certification or specialization criteria of professional sport psychology organizations, such as the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.  The program prepares students for certification as a Licensed Sport Psychologist.

A. Philosophy and Objectives- This specialization provides training to professional sports psychologists within the broad context of the scientist-practitioner model. This training is accomplished through prescribed coursework in general psychology, counseling psychology, and the sport psychology and exercise sciences. In addition, students gain applied experience through counseling and sport psychology and exercise psychology practica. The model focuses on the application of basic principles of psychology, psychotherapy, and sport psychology and exercise science as well.

  1. Advance psychology and sport psychology and exercise psychology through scientific inquiry.
  2. Assist in resolving temporary or reactive psychological and social problems of essentially well-functioning sports teams/organizations and normal athletes, coaches, and other sports personnel.
  3. Provide psychotherapeutic assistance to athletes, coaches, and other sports personnel to cope with serious psychological and/or social problems that interfere with optimal performance in all areas of life.
  4. Enhance individual and team sports performance through mental skills training, life skills acquisition, and team building activities.
  5. Promote individuals’ participation in exercise, sports, and physical activity to develop life-long health and wellness.
Students’ training is conducted, in part, through the UNT Center for Sport Psychology and Performance Excellence, which is a multidisciplinary center devoted to offering sport psychology interventions, research, and training. Through the Center, students complete all sports psychology and exercise psychology practica and conduct scientific research in the field. In addition, students have opportunities for professional development in sport psychology through attending and presenting at professional conferences, developing and leading workshops, developing and writing grant proposals, and writing articles for publication.


B. Admission Requirements - Doctoral applicants must meet the admission requirements of the UNT Toulouse School of Graduate Studies and be admitted to the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program.

Students meeting the counseling psychology program’s admission requirements (see the Counseling Psychology program for details) may be admitted for this specialization. Motivation, intelligence, discipline, enthusiasm, self-awareness, and interpersonal poise, as well as communication, research, and writing skills are highly valued. Furthermore, previous or current sport and exercise experience, although not required, is considered an asset.

In the application, individuals must submit a vita/resume and a statement of goals. In the statement of goals, applicants describe their interest in seeking a doctoral degree in counseling psychology, career aspirations, previous academic and practical experiences, and their fit with the UNT program. In this statement, applicants also should address their interests in sport psychology and exercise psychology training they can receive at UNT. However, applicants must clearly communicate to the training committee why training in Counseling Psychology is a primary goal. The selection Committee’s goal is to match the applicant’s interests and qualifications to the resources and objectives of the program. Information and application forms for the Counseling Psychology Program may be obtained through the Psychology Department (940-565-2671) or the Internet.


C. Degree Requirements - This program requires a serious commitment on the part of the applicant. The general counseling psychology program requires a minimum of 111 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, and a one-year supervised pre-doctoral internship. For those pursuing the sport psychology and exercise psychology specialization the number of semester hours will be higher, though the exact number will depend on previous graduate coursework taken and the number of additional courses needed to meet other certification requirements. In general, full-time students may complete the program in 5 or 6 years.
  1. General Core and Counseling Concentration- All doctoral students are required to demonstrate competency in 6 core psychology classes. In addition, students must complete the 45-hour counseling psychology concentration, which includes courses such as assessment, psychopathology, group, multicultural counseling, and human development. These courses emphasize core counseling psychology values, such as a developmental focus, prevention, and appreciation of human differences.
  2. Sport Psychology and Exercise Psychology Cluster- Students must take the following courses:
      a. Psyc/Kine 5131 Exercise and Sport Psychology
      b. Psyc/Kine 5171 Social Psychology of Sport
      c. Psyc/Kine 5181 Applied Sport Psychology

    In addition, students must take Psyc/Kine 5850 (Sport Psychology Practicum) during the first four years they are in the program. The sport psychology practicum is based on a developmental model where students begin by observing advanced students and faculty conduct sport psychology interventions and then progress to being the leader of an intervention team. Students receive both individual and group supervision by licensed sport psychologists for each sport psychology practicum. Individual supervision is one hour per week, while group supervision occurs weekly during the two-hour sport psychology practica; students may need to take fewer academic classes during their second and third years in the counseling psychology program. To stay on track, students need to take additional courses during summer terms or during their fourth and fifth years in the program.
  3. AASP Certification- Although not required, completion of the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. and the sport psychology and exercise psychology elective cluster provides students with most of the necessary course work and all of the required sports practica training for AASP certification. To meet all criteria, students may opt to take the three remaining courses needed for AASP certification through the Department of HPR at UNT. If students have completed sport psychology and exercise science coursework at other institutions, those courses may satisfy existing criteria.
  4. Research- Students will work with one of the Center for Sport Psychology and Performance Excellence faculty as the students research advisor, and may participate in the Center’s research team. Students’ professional development is fostered via presenting at conferences and publishing in refereed journals.
  5. Internship- a full-time, one year internship is required prior to receipt of Counseling Psychology doctoral degree. Because there are few APA-accredited internships whose primary focus is sport psychology, the CSPPE faculty work with students to identify training sites that best fit their abilities and suit their career goals.
  6. Foreign language- beyond the hours required for he Ph.D., students must satisfy the UNT Graduate School requirement of a reading knowledge of foreign language or have demonstrated competence in a research tool subject that has been approved by the Psychology Department and Graduate Council.



D. Evaluation of Knowledge and Skills - Throughout coursework, practica, and research training, students are evaluated concerning their competence. In addition, all counseling psychology students undergo a yearly evaluation to determine their academic performance, professional development, and progress through the Counseling Psychology program.  For those with the Sport Psychology cluster, the student will be evaluated regarding sport psychology knowledge as well.


E. Financial Assistance - students may apply for departmentally funded assistantships and fellowships. The department and Center strive to support all doctoral students whenever possible. Additionally, competitive scholarships are available from the Graduate School and other sources.


CSPPE FACILITIES
The Center offices are located in Terrill Hall. The offices are designed around the missions of the Center and provide space for student research, center meetings, and individual consultations. Sport psychology consultants are welcome to use the Center’s library, computers, and video-technology to enhance their educational experience and professional development. Although the Center’s facilities are available for sport psychology interventions, most practica and consultation work is done outside of the offices within the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton, TX area.


CSPPE SPORT PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY, LICENSED SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND STAFF
For more information on the Center’s current sport psychology faculty, licensed sport psychologists, and sport psychology counsultants, please visit the "About us" page.


CONTACT INFORMATION FOR Ph.D. IN COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY WITH SPORT PSYCHOLOGY EMPHASIS
University of North Texas
Center for Sport Psychology and Performance Excellence
P.O. Box 311280
Denton, Texas 76203
Room 235- Terrill Hall
Phone: 940-369-SPORT
Fax: 940-565-4682
Email: sportpsych@unt.edu