Minor in Sport Psychology

If you're interested in the relationships between psychological concepts and attitudes towards health and exercise, consider a minor in sport psychology.

The minor in sport psychology is a collaboration between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Health and Human Performance. Students study relationships between brain biology and behavior. Among the topics covered are:

  • methods of training and coaching
  • teamwork and leadership
  • motivation and stress
  • mental skills
  • social issues in sports
  • personality factors in exercise
  • why people exercise
  • exercise adherence
  • psychological effects of exercise

Students will learn to apply psychological theories and perspectives toward understanding an individual's thoughts about exercise, willingness to exercise, and the choice of exercise. Students will also learn to assess the relationship between physical and mental health.

Downloads

Download the Brochure. PDF

Degree Program

The minor requires 21 credit hours: four psychology courses (PSY), two exercise and sports science courses (ESS), and one elective.

If you are a psychology major pursuing the sport psychology minor, you cannot count courses toward both the major and the minor.

Psychological Perspective

Take both courses:

  • PSY 3331 - Social Psychology
  • PSY 3336 - Sport Psychology

Take one course from Group 1 and one course from Group 2:

Group 1: Health Psychology and Wellness

  • PSY 3350 - Behavior Modification
  • PSY 3361 - Health Psychology

Group 2: Biological Bases of Behavior

  • PSY 3321 - Sensation and Perception
  • PSY 3322- Brain and Behavior

Physical Education Perspective

Take both courses:

  • ESS 3323 - Psychosocial Aspects of Exercise
  • ESS 3329 - Motor Learning

Elective

Take one of the following:

  • PHIL 3326 - Philosophy of Sport
  • SOC 3340 - Sociology of Sport and Leisure

Prerequisites

PSY 1300 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for the psychology courses in this minor. For non-psychology majors, PSY 1300 will satisfy the social science requirement of the General Education Core Curriculum at Texas State.