Career Opportunities

Career Opportunities with a Master's Degree in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

A master's degree in sport, exercise, and performance psychology will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. You can help others enhance their sport, exercise, and physical activity performance and increase their enjoyment in these activities.

• You can consult with athletes, exercisers and other performers to enhance their mental skills through motivation, imagery, confidence, self–talk, and anxiety management.
• You can coach or assist a high school, university, or professional team to enhance their performance through the use of mental skills and team dynamics.
• You can increase your success if you are already an athletic trainer by better understanding psychological aspects of injury and how to teach mental skills.
• You can prepare for doctoral study, if you have plans to conduct research or teach at the university or college setting.
• You can start your own consulting business by taking sport management classes with your Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology degree.
• You can transfer your knowledge of performance excellence to other areas, including business, the U.S. Army, medicine, dance, etc.

Former Students: Where are they now?

We interviewed our former students about where they are and what they are doing now, here's what they said:

"A handful of us (former students) work for Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness as Master Resilience Trainer-Performance Experts! I work out of Fort Sill, OK. Here is the official description of what we do: MRT-PEs teach mental skills, resilience, and performance enhancement techniques to Service Members, Families, and Civilians. Teaching includes general education in human performance along with personalized training on how to acquire and apply specific mental skills and techniques that cultivate the mental and emotional strength necessary to thrive in an era of overwhelming demands and persistent conflict. MRT-PEs help the clients to become high performing "tactical athletes"and help foster high performing "unit teams"in preparation for, during, and following combat operations. Specifically, MRTPEs teach performance psychology to further promote excellence and efficiency during physical, technical, and tactical training, as well as during the challenges of combat operations."
-Brittani McVay

"I work at Chapman University, as an Internship Coordinator. I am currently working in career development helping students with using their internships for credit towards their degree. I also assist with a career readiness program for student athletes, called Playbook for Life. I would say I use sport psychology concepts daily within my job duties and with students!"
-Heidi Swanson

"I am a Doctoral Student in the Kinesiology Department at Michigan State University. I am a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant (i.e., I teach an undergraduate course: Measurement in Kinesiology). I am also taking classes toward my degree and completing a practicum study, the first of three that will culminate in my dissertation. My research pertains to the psychological and social contributors to athlete burnout as well as the progression of burnout and its effects on sport and physical activity participation."
-Chrissy Pacewicz

"I am the assistant swimming and diving coach at Allegheny College! I am basically head recruiting coordinator, develop the weightlifting program for the team, run the learn to swim program, and obviously full-time swim coach!"
-Kayla McCormick

"I am an Athletic Development Coach at Athlos Academy, St. Cloud, MN. I help students to learn how to move effectively and tap into their athleticism (everyone is an athlete) and inspire a love of movement. I work to instill 12 character traits of successful people through Athletic Movement and sport: Leadership, Courage, Grit, Curiosity, Creativity, Initiative, Energy/Zest, Focus/Self-Control, Integrity, Optimism, Humility, and Social Intelligence."
-Phil Niemela

"I am currently a graduate student, pursuing my doctorate in Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. I teach classes in the Physical Activity Department at the U of Mn, and am a research assistant in the Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity Laboratory. My research pertains to behavioral antecedents and correlates of physical activity and healthy dietary practices in children and adolescents, especially in populations with weight disparities. My experience in my Master's degree program at MNSU, Mankato and assistantship at the Center for Sport and Performance Psychology were invaluable in shaping my studies at the U of Mn, and for these opportunities/experiences I am very grateful!"
-Eydie Noelle

"I'm a Profile Coach (health coach) at Profile by Sanford Health. I work on healthy lifestyle development in areas of nutrition, activity, and lifestyle (behavior change) with members of the weight management program."
-Laura Reutlinger

"1st year Counseling Psychology PsyD student at Springfield College (Springfield, MA). Working as writing tutor and TA in psychology."
-Phil Imholte

"I am a Mental skills coach at Premier Sport Psychology supporting athletes and teams at all levels of sport. Additionally, through our sister company JSA Advising, I work with corporate clients (executive coaching, leadership training, team dynamics, succession planning)"
-Simon Almaer