Online sports psychology programs may provide students with the skills and training needed to enhance amateur or professional athletes’ performance. These programs are ideal for individuals who are analytical, patient, observant, and work well with people. Sports psychology degree programs are available online at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Select schools may offer a career diploma or certificate option.

Graduates may seek employment in parks and recreation facilities, sporting organizations, fitness clubs, or health club settings. With the knowledge and skills gained through these programs, graduates may find a career as a sport psychologist, coach, sports counselor, fitness coach, or sport development manager.

Available Degree Levels

• Career Diploma: Varies
• Certificate: One to two years to complete
• Associate Degree: Two years to complete
• Bachelor’s Degree: Four years to complete
• Master’s Degree: One to two years to complete
• Doctoral Degree: Three to five years to complete

An online career diploma program in sports psychology teaches students how to motivate and improve athletes’ performances. These programs may cover team leadership and cohesion, motivation and self-confidence, relaxation strategies, and psychology of injuries and drug abuse.

Individuals interested in online sports psychology certificate programs learn how to develop optimal performance, create effective teams, and enhance athletes’ well-being. Individuals may opt for either undergraduate or graduate certificate programs. Students may complete courses in fitness psychology, contemporary issues involved in sports, the psychology of team building and coaching, and therapeutic boundaries.

Online associate-level programs in psychology arm students with the skills and training to seek entry-level employment. Students may opt to further their education by transferring credits into a baccalaureate-level program. In the associate program, students may study psychological theory and practice as well as ethical principles.

Students enrolled in online sports psychology baccalaureate programs study the discipline of sports psychology. They may learn about the current research trends, the history of sports psychology, legal and ethical issues regarding performance enhancement drugs, and multiculturalism in sports. Coursework may cover exercise physiology, social psychology, motor learning, and research design and analysis.

Online sports psychology master’s-level degree programs teach students how to apply psychological ideals to the lives of amateur and professional athletes, such as team motivation, stress management, and injury recovery. Typical courses may include ethics and multicultural issues, performance enhancement in sports, applied sports psychology, and the biological basis for behavior.

Doctoral-level programs in sports psychology provide students with applied and theoretical knowledge in the field. Students study counseling methods, mental toughness, teamwork, coaching principles, and group dynamics. Courses in this research-heavy program may cover precision communication, leadership, developing professionalism, and advanced mental training.

Career Options

Those who have earned a sports psychology degree or certificate may have the skills to help athletes perform to the best of their abilities, enhance their performance, and achieve their goals. Graduates may possess the skills to work in parks and recreational areas, sporting organizations, fitness clubs, and health clubs. Graduates may specialize in administration, counseling, coaching, consulting, or entrepreneurship.

Possible career fields include:

• Sport Development Manager
• Coach
• Sport Psychologist
• Sports Counselor
• Fitness Coach