EdD in Sport and Performance Psychology with Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization

Who is the CMHC specialization for?

The doctorate of education in sport and performance psychology, clinical mental health counseling specialization (EdD-SPP, CMHC) is uniquely designed for students who are simultaneously seeking counseling licensure and advanced sport and performance psychology training to open the door to a wide array of career options.

What does the program cover?

Using a comprehensive and integrated approach, through the lens of sport and performance, the EdD-SPP, CMHC degree develops professional competencies in two distinct areas:

The clinical mental health counseling curriculum covers eight core counseling content areas: (1) ethics and professional identity; (2) multiculturalism and advocacy; (3) human growth and development; (4) career counseling; (5) helping relationships; (6) group counseling; (7) testing and assessment; and (8) research and program evaluation. It also includes five terms of clinical counseling field placement (one practicum and four internship courses). Additional required courses provide content required by state licensing boards.

In the sport and performance psychology curriculum, students complete the core sport and performance psychology (SPP) EdD curriculum and may elect to participate in the sport and performance psychology consulting concentration (see section below) to prepare them to apply for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) credential. During the final year of the degree, students will complete an individual research project (i.e., dissertation).

Applicants who have already earned a clinical counseling degree are not eligible for this integrated program and should apply to the EdD-SPP program instead.

Program graduates work as counselors, consultants, administrators, educators, performance coaches, researchers, clinical coordinators and clinical supervisors.

Licensure

This program prepares students to sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCHMCE). Passing the NCE/NCHMCE exams are required for licensure in one’s state. It is the responsibility of the individual student to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements. As state licensing boards do not review programmatic content prior to application for licensure, UWS makes no representations or guarantee that completion of UWS coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure. Learn more about licensure by state on our professional licensure disclosure page.

How is the degree completed?

This 148-credit degree can be completed in four years of full-time enrollment or 4.5-5.5 years of part time enrollment and is completed 100% online with consistent and engaging interaction with program faculty who have experience in both fields. This degree is completed with face-to-face internship requirements within students’ communities. Five terms of clinical field placement (one term of practicum and four of internship) allow students real-life application of their skills with live clients. Faculty assist students in finding these field placements, contract with local supervisors and include university-based supervision. Strong student engagement makes the program feel like a cohort model, but students can request flexibility in their program plan to accommodate work and life responsibilities.

For those who have demonstrated success in a previous bachelor’s or master’s program, this degree gives you the opportunity to complete two degrees (master’s-in-passing in clinical mental health counseling and the doctorate of education in sport and performance psychology with clinical mental health counseling specialization) without having to apply to two different programs. Students earn a master’s in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) upon completion of the CMHC required credits (90) and the EdD in SPP with CMHC specialization at the completion of the entire program.

The master’s in clinical mental health counseling is earned prior to starting the doctoral portion of the degree so that students can begin working as a professional counselor while completing their doctorate.

Standardized Patient Program

One of the features of this program is the standardized patient component, which provides unique and personalized learning for students. Faculty design specific case studies, which create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in simulated real-world scenarios with specially trained actors. Students also have the opportunity to design their own case studies to demonstrate conceptualization skills and process understanding.

Sport and Performance Psychology Consulting (SPPC) Concentration

The SPPC concentration within the EdD-SPP, CMHC specialization requires four quarters of continuous mentorship enrollment (16 credits). The SPPC concentration curriculum has been designed specifically to allow students to complete mentorship hours in partial fulfillment of the requirements to obtain the Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) credential through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Students are advised to remain informed of current CMPC standards and work directly with program faculty to assure compliance with both graduation and CMPC requirements.

Students in this concentration are required to attend virtual weekly meetings with their UWS faculty mentor, as well as 3-5 virtual meetings at a designated time for group mentorship during each term of enrollment. Each week students will complete readings and assignments which will be reviewed with classmates during virtual classroom and live video conference group and individual mentorship sessions. Additionally, students will share consulting experiences and discuss case formulations with the small group.

Note: All components of the SPP Mentorship program, including client consultations, individual mentorship meetings, group mentorship meetings, and recorded client sessions must be conducted entirely in English, regardless of students’ and clients’ geographic location or preferred language. A student with a disability that limits their ability to complete the program requirements in English may request a reasonable accommodation via the Office of Student Success. A student with an approved accommodation must contact the Mentorship Coordinator prior to beginning the SPPC concentration to discuss how the accommodation will be implemented within the Mentorship program.

Is counseling your calling?

Watch this video with Dr. Michelle Rose, CMHC director, to find out how the EdD-SPP, CMHC program can help you reach your goals.