Baseball player getting ready to swing the bat at home plate

Sports Psychology

Add a focus on sports performance to your psychology degree program

An athlete's mental health is critically important and directly affects an athlete's performance. Understanding the mental health aspects of athletics has grown in importance and popularity.

Southwest Baptist University's unique degree in Psychology with Sports Performance Enhancement blends core classes from psychology and kinesiology to prepare you for a career in working with athletes at all levels.

While the focus is on performance enhancement, the program provides you with an overview of how to help athletes work on the mental side of their sport and compete at their best.

This program will also prepare you for graduate studies in areas such as sports psychology or counseling psychology. You can even add a minor in counseling to this degree program.

The bachelor's degree in psychology with sports performance enhancement also is excellent preparation for entering SBU's Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

The psychology with sports performance enhancement degree is offered through SBU's College of Arts and Sciences.

Male student smiles while sitting in booth with book open on table in front of him

The SBU Advantage

Develop interpersonal and servant leadership skills through SBU's people-focused approach to psychology and kinesiology.
Work with faculty members one-on-one to find practicum and internship opportunities that match your interests.
Learn from faculty with a wide range of relevant real-world experiences.
Receive personalized instruction and build quality relationships with faculty and classmates through small class sizes and individual academic advisement.

Faith Integration

You will be intentionally challenged to consider how your faith will influence your interactions with patients and clients. A Christian perspective of psychology and counseling permeates every course. You will engage in honest discussions with faculty and classmates about hard topics and consider multiple points of view, while approaching everything from the lens of a Christian worldview.

The subjects encountered within the Psychology with Sports Performance Enhancement program lend themselves to Biblical and Christian worldview topics. The major is focused on performance — both physical and psychological — and SBU's program emphasizes that our performance in all things is to be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

SBU faculty are committed to producing graduates who will be servant leaders in their professional fields. You will be equipped to become the best professional you can be in order to be a witness for Christ in your chosen profession.

Careers

SBU's program in psychology with sports performance enhancement will equip you for a variety of career opportunities, including:

Athletic coaching at any level
Client care
Counselor
Group home work
Healthcare
Mental health worker
Recreation program director
Sports psychologist

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates from SBU have gone on to further study at programs such as:

Arizona State University (sports psychology)
University of Kansas (sports psychology)
University of West Florida (health, leisure, and exercise science)

Additionally, you will be equipped to pursue graduate degrees right here at SBU, including:

"I was drawn to this program because I am a basketball player at SBU and plan to become a coach. I think it is important to understand the mental aspects of the game. I believe this degree sets me up to help grow and lead young athletes."

Kyleigh Vaught

current student

Clubs and Organizations

Behavioral Sciences Club

As a behavioral sciences student, you are encouraged to join SBU's Behavioral Sciences Club, which unites all students interested in and studying the behavioral sciences, including criminal justice, psychology, social work and sociology. Club members meet regularly to encourage each other and participate in various service projects.

Psi Chi

Join SBU's chapter of Psi Chi, a national honor society for students of psychology who excel in scholarship, display high standards of personal behavior, and seek to advance the science of psychology.

Scholarships

As a student majoring in Psychology with Sports Performance Enhancement, you will have the opportunity to apply for several privately funded scholarships for psychology students, including:

Autry and Irene Brown Scholarship
Joe B. Shelton Scholarship
Parsons Scholarship
Rose E. Ray Scholarship
Sara McGaha Memorial Scholarship

Sports Psychology FOUR YEAR PLAN

Discover Core Curriculum