Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, BS
The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology program helps you turn your passion for sport, movement, and human potential into a purposeful career. The goal of our program is to help students combine a passion for sports with an evidence-based approach to psychology. You’ll explore how psychological and social factors influence performance in sport, fitness, military, performing arts, and other high-pressure settings. You’ll also examine what motivates people to stay active and live well.
WVU is home to one of the most globally respected sport and performance psychology doctoral programs in the country, and the undergraduate experience is shaped by that same level of expertise and innovation. The SEPP program is one of the only undergraduate programs of its kind across the country and widely respected.
Our students often find jobs right after graduation in fitness, coaching, wellness, or recreation, where understanding performance and motivation gives them an edge. Others pursue graduate training to become Certified Mental Performance Consultants®, working with athletes, military personnel, performing artists, or professionals in business settings. Some graduates choose advanced study in counseling, coaching, public health, business, or health professions such as physical or occupational therapy.
Unique to WVU, students can pursue an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program. Students in this program complete a bachelor’s degree in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology and an online master’s degree in Executive Sport Management in just 4 years. Learn more about saving time and money, while boosting your credentials, with the 4-year Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Program.
Your Degree Plan
This program balances core training with professional development to help you find your path in a dynamic and growing field.
Build your foundation
You’ll begin with introductory courses that examine the foundations of the field, including basic psychology and kinesiology.
Find your path
Round out your experience with professional development courses that prepare you for graduate school or the workforce. You’ll work closely with faculty who will help guide your development.
Honors
Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.
Sport Management Accelerated BS/MS Program
Sport Management offers the option to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in an accelerated time frame.
The WVU Difference
What sets this program apart?
- Enroll in 1 of the few Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology undergraduate programs in the nation.
- Interact with the largest Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology doctoral program in the U.S.
- Study abroad in 1 of the only in the world to specialize in sport, exercise, and performance psychology.
- Garner unique social and professional experiences beyond the classroom through the Sport and Exercise Psychology Club.
- Network with industry leaders and distinguished alumni at professional conferences like AASP.
- Learn from 6 faculty experts who are award-winning researchers, educators, certified mental performance consultants, and licensed counselors.
Learn by Doing
Get involved outside the classroom.
Active engagement in research
- You’ll have opportunities to work on research projects with faculty and graduate students. Recent studies have explored performance issues among NCAA athletes, body image in sport, mobile health apps, and wellness program evaluation. You can even earn course credit for your research experience.
Community service involvement
- The Sport and Exercise Psychology Club regularly organizes community service events open to all students that help establish and build connections with the Morgantown community.
Professional development
- You will take 3 career and professional development courses to learn more about the profession while also preparing you to apply to graduate school or find employment.
- You can earn course credit by serving as a peer adviser. Students in the peer advising program will have performed well in their courses and provide support to other students in mastering core content in the curriculum. Peer advisers have an opportunity to lead and learn skills related to teaching and mentoring.
- Select students have the chance to shadow the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology doctoral students in mental skills workshop design and delivery with athletes and other performers.
Study abroad
- Faculty and students lead study abroad trips and engage in an enriching, cross-cultural experience. Trips have included destinations such as Sweden, Costa Rica, Ireland, and South Africa.
View all of the student organizations you can join.
- Developing interpersonal skills for quality connection and communication with others.
- Applying mental performance psychology skills in daily life.
- Writing and speaking so your innovative ideas are heard.
- Practicing professional self-reflection to prepare you for the successes and challenges ahead.
Before graduating, all undergraduates in this major complete an academic project (or “capstone”) to demonstrate their research, communication, and critical thinking skills. Projects have included:
- An imagery intervention for field goal kickers.
- Impact of exercise on university students suffering from anxiety.
- Mindfulness interventions with collegiate athletes.
- Pre-competition anxiety interventions among high school track athletes.
- The effect of coach involvement on ACL injury rehabilitation.
- The relationship between motivational climate and burnout in youth sport participants.
- The relationship between resilience and anxiety/depression in U.S. service members.
Careers and Outcomes
How does this degree prepare students for a career?
School Psychologists
Median Salary: $86,930
Possible Job Titles: Bilingual School Psychologist, Consulting Psychologist, Psychologist, School Psychologist
Sports Medicine Physicians
Median Salary: $239,200
Possible Job Titles: Athletic Team Physician, Physician, Sports Medicine Physician, Team Physician
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $109,840
Possible Job Titles: I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist), Organizational Consultant, Organizational Psychologist, Research Scientist
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Median Salary: $75,890
Possible Job Titles: Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor), Instructor, Physical Education Professor (PE Professor), Professor
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
Median Salary: $80,330
Possible Job Titles: Instructor, Professor, Psychology Instructor, Psychology Professor
Athletic Trainers
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $60,250
Possible Job Titles: Athletic Instructor, Athletic Trainer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Personal Trainer
Athletes and Sports Competitors
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $62,360
Possible Job Titles: Baseball Player, Golf Professional, Hockey Player, Race Car Driver
Keep going right here at WVU. Consider these graduate programs:
Meet Your Community
The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology family will inspire you.
Ashley Coker-Cranney
Professional Highlights
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
- Licensed Professional Counselor, West Virginia Board of Examiners for Counseling
Jeanette Garcia
Professional Highlights
- Research focuses on the development of health promotion interventions for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities
- Received numerous awards for research impact, including the University of Central Florida Luminary Award and Excellence in Research Award
- Received over $100,000 in funding for the "Judo for Autism" initiative
- Postdoctoral training at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Peter Giacobbi Jr.
Professional Highlights
- Research focus on chronic disease risk reduction using digital and other delivery technologies
- Expert in the use of guided imagery in sport and exercise settings, overall well-being, and managing health behavior
- Current Google Scholar H-index of 37, Scopus H-index of 28
Zenzi Huysmans
Professional Highlights
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
- Licensed Professional Counselor, West Virginia Board of Examiners for Counseling
Dana Voelker
Professional Highlights
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
- Steelcase Education Active Learning Center Grant, 2019
- WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teachers, 2018
- Association for Applied Sport Psychology Dorothy V. Harris Memorial Award, 2018
Sam Zizzi
Professional Highlights
- Twice recognized as Most Outstanding Teacher at WVU CPASS, and has mentored over 30 PhD students through degree completion
- Serves as the Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor to focus efforts on the health and wellness of WV citizens
- Published one of the first books on self-awareness in sport, Being Mindful in Sport and Exercise Psychology (2017), with friend and colleague Mark Andersen
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
"I think this program is special because it is geared specifically to sport and performance, but there are many different ways to apply what we learn. I’ve had the chance to meet people, get involved with research, and see what’s actually out there in this field. I knew I wanted to do this, but WVU has given me more opportunities than I expected."
Addison Dobson
"When I visited WVU, I felt like I was stepping into a family. Even though it’s a big school, I felt like I was going to get every single thing I needed. For a school that has such a large number of students, you still get such a small, close-knit relationship with your professors and classmates. My friends at small, private colleges don't have the kind of personal connection with their professors like I do at WVU."
Holly Rogers
"WVU has a legacy of training some of the best sport psychology professionals out there and that was what initially drew me to the program. Once I got there, it was much less about the legacy that made it special and so much more about the people (staff, faculty, and other students in the program) who relentlessly supported each other."
Matthew Gonzalez
BS, Sport and Exercise Psychology
"The amazing professors in the sport and exercise psychology program have been able to show me all of the possible outcomes with this degree, as well as offering me a plethora of opportunities to get the most out of my time here as a student."
Nora Hanlon
BS, Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology
"I was provided with support and mentorship from the first moment I began classes in the program and always felt the faculty genuinely cared about me doing well and helping me craft my own career path. Being a student at WVU shaped my journey in more ways than I can say, and I will always feel indebted to the people at WVU."
Kelsey Kinnamon
BS, Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2019
"The faculty and staff truly care about each student’s individuality and encourage them to pursue and explore unique areas and interests. There is room for creativity, trying new things, and being your own person. I’ve always felt supported by the faculty as I found my own path."
Adrianna Wood
BS, Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.
Tuition and Aid
How much does Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology at WVU cost? And how can you save?
Tuition and Fees
Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.
Ways to Save
Beyond scholarships, here are other ways to reduce your cost of attending WVU.
Financial Aid
The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, BS is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Ohio Tuition Reciprocity
As the result of a special agreement, students from Ohio who are fully admitted to Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology can enroll at WVU and pay in-state tuition rates. Students must be admitted to both the University and this major.
Start at Another WVU Campus
You can start your career with WVU at another campus and transfer to WVU Morgantown.
Transfer Articulation Agreements
To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.
Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.
Request Info
Want to know more about Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology at WVU? Fill out our request form to receive more information.
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