Program Description

Recent trends in the world of sport have highlighted the need for individuals who are sensitive to unique academic, social, and athletic challenges that athletes face at all levels. The Athletic Counseling program is designed to meet this need by offering students an interdisciplinary preparation in counseling, psychology, and the sport sciences that will enable them to offer specialized support services to athletes in a variety of settings.

Building on a foundation of general counseling competencies, students in the program are offered intensive study and research opportunities in the area of life span developmental factors that affect athletes. Classroom, laboratory, and fieldwork placements provide students with opportunities to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in providing support services to this unique population.

The basic program is forty-eight credits (M.Ed.) or forty-nine credits (M.S.) Students seeking further specialization in career development, life skills enhancement, sport psychology or counseling/ clinical areas may elect to take additional coursework. Students planning full time study must begin their program in September.

The supervised fieldwork/internship component of the program provides students with opportunities to work with athletes in a variety of settings. Sites range from competitive youth sports to Division I university programs, and give the students significant experience in preparation for professional careers. Participation in the Research Team is an option for the students to gain a better understanding of the research process. Students and faculty meet weekly to discuss recent student and faculty research.

I. Degree Requirements (48-49 credits)