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Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

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Focus Area Overview

The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology focus area prepares students for advanced study and professional practice in the growing field of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. Designed for individuals interested in helping athletes, performers, and exercisers enhance both performance and well-being, the program integrates a strong foundation in psychological theory with the opportunity for applied experience. Students gain the scientific knowledge, practical skills, and supervised training necessary to work effectively in diverse performance settings. There are opportunities to complete coursework and mentored experience hours aligned with the requirements for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) credential.

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Career Paths

The Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology concentration prepares students for a variety of careers in applied sport psychology. Our alumni have gone into private practice, contracted with multiple branches of the military, worked for college athletic departments and professional sports organizations, and pursued doctoral education. Students can gain supervised experience providing mental performance consulting services to meet the requirements of the CMPC credential, creating a variety of professional opportunities after successful completion of the program.

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Faculty Mentors

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Kathleen Wilson

Kathleen Wilson, Ph.D

Highlight Research Topic Areas

  • Social influences in physical activity and exercise behavior
  • Social influences across the lifespan
  • Physical activity and health promotion
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Matt Hoffmann

Matt Hoffmann, Ph.D.

Highlight Research Topic Areas

  • Perceptions of mattering among competitive team sport athletes
  • The nature and benefits of peer mentoring relationships among athletes
  • Mental health in elite and youth sport populations
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Katrina Waldhauser

Katrina Waldhauser, Ph.D., CMPC

Highlight Research Topic Areas

  • Supporting psychological health and well-being of military veterans through sport and exercise 
  • Teamwork, communication breakdowns, and social identity in sport
  • Impact of sport psychology practitioners’ behaviors on elite athletes.
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Tommy Minkler

Tommy Minkler, Ph.D.

Highlight Research Topic Areas 

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for Performance Enhancement
  • Effectiveness of the Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Program
  • Examining the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence among Certified Mental Performance Consultants
  • Technology and Application-Assisted Sport Psychology
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Course Requirement

All official graduate study plans must include:

  • KNES 508 – Statistical Methods in Kinesiology
  • KNES 510 – Research Methods in Kinesiology
  • Two 500-level advanced courses, including:
    • KNES 580 - Advanced Study in Sport and Exercise Psychology (required)
    • Plus one of the following:
      • KNES 516 -Advanced Study of the Philosophical Perspectives of Human Movement
      • KNES 582 - Advanced Study in Sociocultural Perspectives of Human Movement
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Research Lab

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (SEPP) Lab

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Questions & Answers

SEPP

Q: Does the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (SEPP) concentration within the M.S. In Kinesiology program provide all of the required coursework and mentored consulting experiences required for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) Credential?

A: While the SEPP concentration provides most of the coursework necessary for the CMPC credential, not all of the required classes are offered. Students may have opportunities to take courses in other departments that meet more of the coursework criteria. Moreover, students may have opportunities to begin completing mentored consulting hours, but are unlikely to complete the 400 hours necessary to earn the CMPC credential prior to completion of the program.

Careers

Q: What kind of careers can I enter into with this degree?

A: The concentration in mental performance consultant can help you develop the skills and expertise necessary to begin a career as a mental performance consultant. Moreover, it can be beneficial toward careers related to college coaching or administration, or athlete academic advising. Finally, many previous students have gone on to Doctoral programs in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and Clinical Psychology and entering into academic positions. 

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Successful Cases

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Anthony Magdaleno

Anthony Magdaleno, MS (CSUF M.S. Class of 2019)

Current Position: Doctoral Candidate, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Research Interests: Self-regulation and performance of professionals working in sport and performance domains
Quote: “My time completing a bachelor's and master’s degree in applied sport and performance psychology at Cal State Fullerton were some of the most formative years of my education and career. It provided an avenue to meet a network of colleagues and mentors that remain close friends to this day.

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Brian Stark

Brian Stark, MS, CMPC, BCB-HRV/P (CSUF M.S. Class of 2021)

Current Position: Cognitive Performance Specialist at Naval Special Warfare Center. 

Quote: “The Cal State Fullerton Sport Psychology Program set me up for success in my career. I was able to learn from some of the best professors in the field, collaborate with peers and apply the theories to practice. The lineage of alumni that graduated from this program has set a high standard. It was evident that my peers wanted to continue that success by spending time in the lab and in the sport psychology club. The program is one that you can take ownership of and find the way you want to apply sport psychology in the world of performance.”

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Brittney Aceron

Brittney Aceron, MS, CMPC (CSUF M.S. Class of 2021)

Current Position: Cognitive Performance Specialist for the U.S. Army Holistic Health & Fitness at Schofield Barracks

Quote: “CSUF’s graduate program allowed me to learn from some of the top mental performance coaches in the field. Most importantly, it connected me with colleagues and professors who opened doors and created opportunities for me to grow as a practitioner beyond the classroom.”

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Emily Hayashi

Emily Hayashi, MS (CSUF M.S. Class of 2024)

Research interests: Athlete Mental Health and Help-Seeking

Current Position: Ph.D. Student, Michigan State University (Kinesiology, Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity; M.A. In Clinical Mental Health Counseling)

Quote: “CSUF's grad program in Kinesiology, along with the guidance from my advisor, Dr. Hoffmann, had a profound impact on my academic and personal growth. I'm forever grateful for the experience as it has shaped both who I am and where I am today!”

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