Sport & Fitness Psychology Certificate Program

Are you involved in sports or fitness as a:
• Athlete
• Trainer
• Coach
• Fitness Instructor
• Health Professional

Do you want to:
• Develop optimal performance
• Create effective teams
• Enhance physical/mental well-being

If so, the Sport and Fitness Psychology
Certificate Program is for you.

Take one course or the whole certificate to acquire tools to perform your job more effectively
or expand your present job skill set. Parent coaches will learn how to build cooperative teams.
High school coaches can use these courses towards a teaching credential. Fitness instructors
can increase their employability. Athletes will advance their careers.

Best of all, you can do all of this anywhere, anytime via our online courses.

Courses
The Sport and Fitness Psychology Certificate Program consists of 5 courses of 3 units each (link to CSUDH catalogue).

The five courses are:
PSY 480: Sport Psychology
An in-depth analysis and application of psychological principles and research in motivation, psychophysiology, personality, cognition, and emotion in sport settings.

PSY 481: Applied Sport and Fitness Psychology
Scientific research results in the field of psychology are used to illustrate how participation in sports and physical activity can facilitate psychological development and physical well-being.

PSY 482: Psychology of Coaching and Team-Building
Group processes, team-building techniques, leadership skills, and interpersonal communication skills will be applied to the enhancement of team sports performance and individual well-being.

PSY 483: Contemporary Issues in Sport and Fitness Psychology
Psychological theories will be applied to the identification and treatment of problems people who participate in sports may have as well as applied to the promotion of mental health.

PSY 486: Internship in Sport and Fitness Psychology
Supervised application of psychological principles applied to sports and fitness to promote performance and optimal well-being.

Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

How will the Sport Psychology course help me?

In this course you will learn how to develop athletes’ optimal performance, create effective teams, and enhance physical and mental well-being.

How will the Sport and Fitness Psychology Certificate help me?

High school and college coaches can use these courses for professional development. Athletes can advance their careers Fitness instructors and trainers can increase their employability. Youth coaches will learn how to build cooperative teams.

Do I have to take all of the courses in the certificate program or can I
take just some of them?

Take one course or the whole certificate to acquire tools to perform your job more effectively or expand your present job skill set.

How many courses will be offered each trimester?
At least two courses in the certificate are offered each trimester. PSY 486 Internship offered at least two times a year.

How do I enroll in the courses?
You enroll through the California State University, Dominguez Hills'
Extended and International Education unit by calling 310-243-3741.

Can I count the units toward a master’s degree?

Courses in this certificate are numbered at 400 or senior level which may count toward a graduate degree program. All of the courses are transferable and they all can be counted as sport & psychology courses. Transferrability is determined by the institution or program accepting the units. Check with your master’s degree advisor to see what elective course requirements they might fill.

What does a sport psychologist do?

Sport psychologists help athletes optimize their performance, help coaches create winning
teams, help players set personal as well as performance goals and find ways to reach those
goals. Sport psychologists may be employed by a university or a professional team on a
full-time or consultant basis. To find out more about sport psychology go to http://www.appliedsportpsych.org/.

What do I need to do to become a sport psychologist?

Most sport psychologists have a doctoral degree, which takes about 4 years of study beyond
the bachelor’s degree. You have to be licensed in the state in which you practice in order to
call yourself a sport psychologist. However, even without the license, you can use some of
the techniques that sport psychologists use when consulting with athletes and teams. You
just cannot “treat” individual problems nor call yourself a psychologist.

If I live outside of the Los Angeles area how do I do an internship (PSY 486)?

For students who live outside of the Los Angeles area, the instructor of PSY 486 will work with individual students to approve a suitable internship site in their area of residence. Examples of eligible experiences include working under supervision to provide training of athletes on performance-relevant issues or working as an intern with a coaching staff in an applied sport psychology setting.

Faculty

Beverly B. Palmer, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills. Dr. Palmer is
an expert in creating online instructional programs that are maximally interactive and engaging. In addition to receiving the Outstanding Professor award at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Dr. Palmer has a private practice as a clinical psychologist in Torrance, California, where she helps athletes achieve optimal performance and helps corporate administrators apply the principles of team-building to a variety of situations.
contact: bpalmer@csudh.edu

Mark Cartiglia, Ph.D.
Instructor, Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton Besides teaching at California State University, Fullerton, Dr. Cartiglia also teaches an online course at North Central University.  His areas of interest include psychological testing and sport psychology.
contact: mcartiglia@fullerton.edu

For further information:
Contact Joanne Zitelli at jzitelli@csudh.edu

Professional Links

Association for Applied Sport Psychology http://appliedsportpsych.org

International Society of Sport Psychology http://www.issponline.org

Exercise and Sport Psychology, Division 47 of the American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/divisions/div47/
Careers in Sport Psychology
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologycareerprofiles/p/sportspsyc.htm