Deliver psychological services to athletes, coaches and teams so they can achieve their best. Learn the theory and research through:

• role playing
• lectures
• demonstrations
• experiences with whole teams, coaches and individual athletes
• experiences with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra

Develop a thorough understanding of the therapeutic relationship between psychologist and client. Gain skills in related areas such as rehabilitation psychology in order to market your services more broadly.

The Masters degree satisfies the requirements for registration as a psychologist in Victoria. It is the minimum qualification for membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

The program has accreditation from the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC) as a fifth and sixth year in psychology, and approval by the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists. Full college membership is available to graduates who also complete a minimum of two years of full-time equivalent supervised practice.

You may also have the option of converting to Doctor of Applied Psychology, in either Sport or Community psychology, at the end of Year 1. To qualify for admission to the doctoral program you must successfully complete the first year of the Masters course and demonstrate the capacity for carrying out research at the doctoral level.

• Location:
  Footscray Park
• Faculty:
  Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development
• School:
  School of Social Sciences and Psychology
• Study mode:
  Full Time and Part Time
• Delivery mode:
  On campus
• Course code:
  AMPS
• Duration:
  2 years
• This information is for Australian residents.
  Click here for the international version of this course

How to apply

You will undertake practicum experiences including working with whole teams, coaches and individual athletes. There are also short-term (2 to 4 weeks) practicum experiences available at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. 

This course equips you for a career in:

• Sport psychology
• Sport science and related areas.

Learn more about your career options on the Australian government's Career Information and Resources website.

The Sport Psychology stream builds on the general skills and knowledge presented in the core units of study and prepares students for professional practice in the field of sport psychology. It is offered in conjunction with the Department of Human Movement and Recreation in order to provide students with a properly rounded education in sport and sport science. Its aims are to:

• develop students' skills and knowledge of sport psychology in order to inform practice and engender a broad perspective of professional work;
• develop students' knowledge and use of applied skills, methods, and techniques in sport psychology, so they may offer the highest levels of professional service;
• develop students' appreciation of professional and ethical issues in the practice of sport psychology so that they may operate according to the highest standards of professional practice;
• provide students with supervised experience of professional practice in sport psychology and the opportunity to learn from this experience in discussion with peers and professionals;
• develop students' independent use of applied research skills for problem resolution, under the supervision of a researcher in applied sport psychology. This includes the identification of a problem in practice which needs to be resolved by research, the design, execution, analysis and interpretation of a study to address that issue, and the presentation of implications of the study and future directions for research on the issue;
• prepare students for specialist APS College membership in Sport Psychology. The stream is fully accredited by the Australian Psychological Society.

• Current Issues in Sport Psychology

  Unit code

  APM5005

  Credits

  8

• Psychological Practice 1: Ethics and Professional Practice

  Unit code

  APM5010

  Credits

  8

• Quantitative Research Methods

  Unit code

  APM5013

  Credits

  12

• Psychological Practice 2: Psychological Assessment

  Unit code

  APM5018

  Credits

  8

• Thesis Research

  Unit code

  APM6030

  Credits

  12

• Qualitative Research Methods

  Unit code

  APM5003

  Credits

  12

• Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology

  Unit code

  APM5008

  Credits

  8

• Practicum 1

  Unit code

  APM5021

  Credits

  8

• Psychological Practice 3: Counselling Theories, Skills and Interventions

  Unit code

  APM6009

  Credits

  8

• Thesis Research

  Unit code

  APM6030

  Credits

  12

• Professional Practice in Applied Sport Psychology

  Unit code

  APM6003

  Credits

  8

• Practicum 2

  Unit code

  APM6021

  Credits

  16

• Extended Thesis Research

  Unit code

  APM6070

  Credits

  12

• Psychological Practice 4s

  Unit code

  APM6045

  Credits

  8

• Practicum 3

  Unit code

  APM6050

  Credits

  16

• Extended Thesis Research

  Unit code

  APM6070

  Credits

  12

Area of Specialisation - CRESS
One of seven designated University Research Centres at Victoria University, CRESS is the largest of the University Research Centres and through research and consultancy, aims to promote the health and wellbeing of the entire community via the medium of physical activity. It does this by pure and applied work in the areas of rehabilitation, exercise and sport science.
CRESS carries out research and consultancy in four research units:

CRESS aims to develop and extend partnerships with government, industry and other institutions in order to conduct mutually beneficial research and consultancy. In carrying out its mission of promoting the health and wellbeing of the entire community through the application of science to rehabilitation, exercise and sport, CRESS generates programs, services and opportunities for collaborative research with industry and community groups. Most Sport Psychology specialist placements and research projects are conducted under the auspice of CRESS.

Students are required to complete a total of 192 credit points.

• Mature: An honours degree with an Australian Psychological Society accredited four-year sequence in psychology, or a pass degree with an APS accredited three-year sequence in psychology together with an APS accredited fourth-year psychology course, will be the minimum entrance requirement. However, relevant professional experience will be a substantial factor in selection. Applicants will be interviewed to assess suitability for the course. There is normally an intake of students every second year.