Program: Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, M.S. - California State University, Long Beach (2024)

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology is a field broadly addressing a) the use of psychological principles to help improve desired outcomes for athletes, coaches, exercisers, and other professionals in sport, exercise, and performance settings, and b) the mental health outcomes of participation in sport and physical activity. The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Master of Science program is designed to prepare students for careers in sport and exercise psychology, in particular as performance enhancement specialists, coaches, and/or as researchers and teachers in academic settings. The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Master of Science program consists of 36 units. Students are required to take core classes, elective courses, and have the option to complete a thesis or comprehensive exam/capstone. Courses are designed to facilitate those seeking AASP certification and applied opportunities are available for students to accumulate mentored experience hours. Students completing a Master of Science in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology will gain knowledge in psychology, sociology, history, ethics, research methods, and quantitative and qualitative analysis. Students in our program gain the skills and experience needed to work with athletes, coaches, and exercisers through coursework and supervised applied experiences.

Under the Master of Science degree, students have the choice of three options: 1) Sport Psychology, 2) Exercise Psychology, and 3) Coaching. Each option offers specialized coursework, applied opportunities, and/or research opportunities within each field.

• The Sport Psychology option includes coursework for students who wish to become applied consultants working in performance enhancement in sport or other performance domains.
• The Exercise Psychology option provides coursework and research opportunities for students who plan to go on to PhD programs or work in wellness or public health.
• The Coaching option is intended for coaches working in secondary or post-secondary educational, community, or club settings.

Careers:

Our students are prepared for careers in coaching sports teams at youth, community, club, high school, and collegiate levels; specialists in performance enhancement in sport, exercise, and other performance domains; wellness coaching and other fitness professions, and teaching in higher education. Career opportunities for performance enhancement specialists are growing in university athletic departments, professional sports teams, and in the military through their Master Resilience Trainer program.

Kinesiology Graduate Programs

Two degree programs are available to the student: Master of Arts degree in Kinesiology with five Options and Master of Science degree in Kinesiology with four Options. Students may select the thesis/project track, the comprehensive examination track, or the capstone course track. The minimum unit requirement for the all MA or MS degree programs in Kinesiology is 36 units.

Admission Criteria

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major in Kinesiology/Physical Education or the equivalent;
2. If a prospective graduate student has a baccalaureate degree in a field other than Kinesiology or Physical Education, he/she may be required to take prerequisite or foundational upper-division undergraduate coursework in Kinesiology. Students must consult with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and/or major advisor before enrolling in foundational courses. The courses, which vary depending on the student’s academic background and Option, may be taken at CSULB or another college/university. All foundational coursework must be completed prior to Advancement to Candidacy.
3. An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or better and an upper division Kinesiology/Physical Education major GPA of 2.75 or better;
4. A minimum cumulative score of 150 on the verbal, 141 on the quantitative and 3.5 on the analytical writing sections of the Graduate Record Examination.

Advancement to Candidacy

1. Completion of the general University requirements for advancement to candidacy;
2. A graduate program must have approval of the student’s advisor, Department Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, and Associate Dean of Graduate Students, Research, and Faculty Affairs for the College of Health and Human Services.

Degree requirements:

Elective Courses (15 units):