Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
New and current students cannot declare this program.
Coordinator: Megan Babkes Stellino
Email: Megan.Stellino@unco.edu
Location: Gunter 2590
Telephone: 970-351-1809
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/sport-exercise-science/
The focus of this concentration area is upon social psychological concepts as they relate to sport, exercise and physical activity behavior including motivation, self-perceptions, emotion, group processes and socialization. A lifespan developmental perspective is also taken to address these social psychological forms of influence in sport, exercise and physical activity contexts. Involvement in ongoing faculty research opportunities is encouraged. Research in social psychology of sport and physical activity is primarily conducted with individuals in natural or “field” settings. Students in this Master’s program choose between a Thesis Option or Non-Thesis Option
Admission
Location: Greeley
Start Term: Fall and Spring
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
Sport and Exercise Science M.S. - Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Concentration
Admission Deadline
New and current students cannot declare this program.
At the M.S. level, programs will typically (but not always) admit students to the program in both spring and fall, with the exception of Sport Administration which only admits students in the fall. For specific questions related to these deadlines, applicants are encouraged to communicate directly with faculty in the program they are applying to for further clarifications. Applications received by the appropriate date listed below will receive priority screening. Applications received after the date may not be reviewed if no program spots are available.
- Fall Admissions: Feb. 1
- Spring Admission: Aug. 31
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request two (2) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni!(The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.)Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to:grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Step 3: Note About the GRE
This program does not require GRE scores.
Step 4: Supplemental Items
Log back into the Admissions Portal to submit the following:
- Written Statement of your background, career goals and research interests (if applicable). Please indicate that you are applying to the SES: Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity M.S. program in the first paragraph. Failure to do so could mean a rejection of your application.
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirementspage for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 33 Credits
Required Credits — 21 credits
| SES 602 | Introduction to Research in Sport and Exercise Science | 3 |
| SES 624 | Advanced Developmental Kinesiology | 3 |
| SES 625 | Laboratory Techniques in Exercise Science Research | 3 |
| SES 636 | Motivation | 3 |
| SES 635 | Exercise and Sports Psychology | 3 |
| SES 665 | Advanced Sociological Kinesiology | 3 |
| | |
| SES 601 | Statistics in the Movement Sciences | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 602 | Statistical Methods I | 3 |
SES 625: Laboratory Techniques in Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
Elective Credits — 3-9 credits
Elective credits must have the approval of the program advisor and must satisfy the Thesis option or the Non-Thesis option.
Choose 1 of the following courses — 3 credits
Thesis Option — 6 credits
The thesis option may be included as elective hours within a student's program. The thesis option requires the completion of a research study, including problems development with data collections and appropriate analysis. The thesis will be completed in a format consistent with UNC Graduate School guidelines. Students must request approval from their advisor to complete the Thesis, and at least one additional UNC faculty member will comprise the thesis committee.
Non-Thesis Option
The Comprehensive Examination must be completed by those students who do not complete the thesis. The comprehensive examination will consist of a written portion, which will be sequestered. Comprehensive examination questions will be focused primarily on content addressed in the Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity concentration area. However, content from required research courses and from the student's elective coursework will also be included. It should be understood that the comprehensive examination and the thesis are intended to be of similar difficulty.
The following courses are recommended electives:
| GERO 625 | Psychosocial Aspects of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 664 | Advanced Social Psychology | 3 |
| SES 680 | Perspectives in Sport Pedagogy | 3 |
| SOC 532 | Social Psychology and Group Dynamics | 3 |
| SRM 680 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |