Psychology B.S. (Sport Psychology)

The sport psychology concentration focuses on the mental side of sport and exercise, applying principles of psychology to improve athletic and exercise performance. Students explore how psychological factors affect sport performance and how engaging in sport and exercise impacts a person’s physical health and psychological well-being. The focus is on developing mental skills that improve performance and on assisting athletes struggling with a variety of mental health issues, including performance anxiety, injury, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

Students will have an opportunity to complete a psychology thesis and a 120-hour practicum.

Contact Information

Samantha Monda, Ph.D., NCC, CMPC
Department Head, Psychology and Health Sciences
Associate Professor, Psychology
monda@rmu.edu
412-397-6036

4-Year Course Plan

Freshman Year, Fall

• PSYC1010 General Psychology
• INFS1020 Intro to Decision Support Systems
• HIST/POLS History/Political Science Core Course
• CSEN1010 Reading & Writing Strategies
• HUMA1010 Humanities Art & Music

Freshman Year, Spring

• ECON1010 Survey of Economics
• SOCI1010 Principles of Sociology
• MATH1050 Math Reasoning/Applications or higher
• CSEN1020 Argument & Research
• PSYC2800 Applied Psychology

Sophomore Year, Fall

• Natural Science Elective
• CSCM1030 Public Speaking & Persuasion
• PSYC3500 Child Psychology OR PSYC3550 Human Growth & Development
• Literature Elective
• PSYC3600 Social Psychology

Sophomore Year, Spring

• STAT2110 Statistics
• CSCM2040 Professional Communications in the Workplace
• PSYC3200 Physiological Psychology
• PSYC3250 Sensation & Perception
• PSYC3700 Abnormal Psychology

Junior Year, Fall

• PSYC3100 Methods in Behavioral Research
• PSYC3450 Cognitive Psychology
• Course in Minor
• Course in Minor
• Open Elective

Junior Year, Spring

• PSYC3810 Industrial Psychology
• Course in Minor
• Course in Minor
• Open Elective
• Open Elective

Senior Year, Fall

• PSYC4823 Psychology Thesis
• PSYC4813 Psychology Practicum
• Course in Minor
• Open Elective
• Open Elective

Senior Year, Spring

• Course in Minor
• Open Elective
• Open Elective
• Open Elective
• Open Elective

Practicum Information

All traditional undergraduate students majoring in the social sciences must complete a practicum their senior year. This involves 120 hours of documented experience at an internship related to the student's field that has been pre-approved by the student's faculty mentor and the department head.

Participation in professional activities allows students to experience the work environment in their chosen field, make informed career choices, and enhance their employment credentials. These experiences reinforce the connection between professional and liberal learning through the application of classroom theories to actual occupational problems. 

Completing the practicum involves keeping a journal with daily entries and weekly reflections and a timesheet signed by the supervisor and writing a 12-page paper comparing and contrasting their experiences in the practicum with the theories and information presented in the social sciences coursework which was completed at RMU. It should also explain why the site was selected for the practicum and give any recommendations for future social sciences students about the practicum experience.

More details are available here.