Sports Psychology Degrees, Courses and Programs

Sport psychology (often written sports psychology) studies motivation, confidence, attention, stress, team dynamics and the psychological side of injury and retirement. Degrees range from a sport and exercise psychology strand within a science degree to specialist master’s programs and doctorates.

There are two quite different professional routes. A person can work as a mental-performance or sport-psychology consultant, a role often governed by an association’s certification, or practise as a licensed psychologist who specialises in sport, which requires psychology qualifications and registration in most countries.

A sports psychology degree is therefore not automatically permission to use the title psychologist or to offer clinical treatment.

Typical topics: Motivation and confidence, Performance under pressure, Team dynamics, Injury psychology, Mental skills training, Research methods.

Also called: Sport psychology, Sport and exercise psychology, Performance psychology, Sportpsychologie. These names lead to this one page.

Titles such as psychologist are legally protected in many countries. Each program states whether it is accredited by a psychological or sport-psychology body and whether it leads to registration; where we have not found a statement, it is marked not published.

Each program below states its intended audience, whether prior professional registration is required, and links to current official requirements where we found them.

• Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc (Universität Leipzig): Bachelor's degree in sport science or psychology, C1-level English, letter of motivation
• Psychology in Sport and Exercise (M.Sc.) (Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln): Aimed at graduates in psychology or sport science.
• Sport Psychology (B.A.) (120 credits) (Laurentian University): Ontario high school: 1 grade 12 English U/M course and 5 other grade 12 U/M courses; minimum overall average of 75% in the 6 best
• Sport and Exercise Psychology (BPS Accredited) MSc (Bangor University): At least a 2.2 honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent).
• Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc (Staffordshire University): Typically a minimum 2:2 (Hons) degree (or equivalent) in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Psychology or a related subject