Master in Sport Psychology

This master has been designed to provide students with specialised knowledge with the latest trends in sports psychology and tools for improving sports performance.

A practical methodology underpins the entire programme. In order for students to optimally assimilate new knowledge, we combine teamwork, seminars and individual work at cutting-edge facilities. These include physiological laboratories with equipment for carrying out functional assessment and training tests at our Human Performance Research Lab.

The faculty is composed of professionals from sports psychology and related fields to the sports performance as sports nutrition or sports medicine. Each member of faculty is an active professional working with top-tier sport organisations.

You shall put theory into practice right from day one to develop the skillset you need to thrive in the sports industry. What’s more, all of our students get the chance to carry out professional internships at world-class sports institutions.

Develop the professional network you need to succeed by networking with our international teaching staff, diverse student body and the leading professionals you’ll meet at numerous events throughout the year.

Enjoy exclusive experiences with Real Madrid C.F., the White Week, international field trips, professional visits, live sporting events, networking events...

Study at the leading sports sciences research centre in Spain—equipped with a fully updated sports complex—and enjoy the extensive facilities and laboratories at our Human Research Lab, where you can find the latest advances in sports sciences research equipment.

The School’s academic quality is certified by its 16-year history and more than 13,000 graduates, most of whom are now successful international professionals in the sports industry.

• Learning processes in sports activity.
• Attention and motivation in physical and sports activity.
• Optimum level of activation and emotional management in sports practice.
• Self-confidence and self-concept in the athlete.
• Athlete's locus of control: between optimism and pessimism.
• The dark triad of performance personality: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

• Sport, Health, and Psychology.
• Sport and physical activity in different contexts.
• Evaluation of the Behavioural and psychophysiological indicators involved in physical activity.
• Sport and physical activity with populations with special needs.
• Evaluation of the physical-sports condition of the people.
• Psychophysiology of physical activity and sport.

• Methodology and planning of the intervention design in sport psychology.
• Quantitative and qualitative instruments of evaluation in psychological intervention in sport.
• Psychological intervention techniques (definition of objectives, management of the optimal level of activation, attention, training in imagination and visualization, management of emotions and self-instructions).
• Multidisciplinary intervention in sport psychology.
• Differences in psychological intervention in individual and collective sports.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the interventions. Study cases.

• Basic psychological processes of base sport.
• Theoretical models of motivation in sports initiation.
• Psychological intervention with young athletes and the transition to professional sport.
• Psychological intervention with coaches and families of young athletes.
• Advice on the relationship between athletes, families, and sports technicians: the importance of education in values ​​in sport.
• Evaluation systems and counselling programs for athletes and grassroots sports coaches

• Psychological variables related to training, performance, and competition.
• Psychological preparation for the competition.
• Specific intervention in the different sports modalities. Emotional processes, anxiety, and coping strategies in high performance athletes.
• Psychology of sports coaches.
• Psychological intervention with referees and sports judges.

• Psychological effects of overtraining and substance abuse.
• Disabling psychological disorders and conflicts in athletes.
• Psychological implications of the prevention and recovery of sports injuries.
• Withdrawal from sports career.
• Psychological intervention strategies in sports withdrawal.
• Identity and vocational redefinition processes in sports retirement.

• Strategic planning of sports management: an approach from sports psychology.
• Psychological intervention with sports organizations and managers.
• Psychology in the management and direction of sports teams and youth academies.
• Group psychology in the design of sports coaching teams.
• Generalizability in decision-making and sports management.
• Management of leadership and motivation in sports entities.

• Introduction to the sector and contextualization of Esports.
• Evaluation and Psychological Intervention with an Esports team.
• Advice and Intervention with Esports coaches.
• Risks and Psychopathologies in Esports.
• Future lines of research.
• Application of sports psychology in non-sports areas.

• Realization of professional practices. This activity gives students the chance to apply and experience the knowledge and skills acquired during the master's degree in a real environment. The practices will be supervised by a tutor and an internship coordinator who will monitor the student's performance during the practical activity

Design and develop a master’s Thesis. Said work can be of two modalities:

• Presentation, intervention, and evaluation of a practical case representative of the field in which the professional practices have been developed or some other field that is relevant to the student.
• Carry out a genuine research project based on specific and relevant objectives and following a design that involves data collection and analysis and evaluation.
• Research Methodology in Sports and Health Psychology
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods

1. Design an individual or group intervention project in sport psychology.
2. Carry out the evaluation of the anamnesis of individual and team sportspersons using quantitative and qualitative tools.
3. Analyse and evaluate the socio-occupational situation of the sportsperson by means of quantitative and qualitative techniques, assessing the effect of these factors in the context of sports execution and performance.
4. Adapt intervention techniques and programmes, counselling and training in psychological skills, prevention and other psychological tools to the context of physical activity and sport.
5. Investigate and evaluate sports organisations and entities, their communication strategies and the structure and management style used.
6. Design and execute an evaluation plan of the impact of an intervention in sport psychology in the attention of the needs of sportspersons and their socio-occupational context, using data collection techniques and critical analysis of the information.
7. Determine the criteria for the evaluation of behavioural change after psychological intervention in the field of sport.
8. Drawing up technical reports with conclusions and recommendations based on the results of the psychological assessment carried out in the context of physical activity and sport.
9. Plan and use direct and indirect intervention strategies to enable athletes and teams to make decisions during sport practice.
10. Design virtual training and assessment environments through the use of information and communication technologies.
11. Design training programmes that improve the training needs of sports coaches and managers in communication skills, motivation and pedagogical and training strategies.
12. Design strategies to improve attention and concentration, control of emotions and motivation during physical exercise.Apply in a practical and integrative way the knowledge, skills and competences acquired in real cases related to sport psychology.

For the access to the Master's Degree/University Specialist/University Expert it is necessary to meet one of the following requirements:

• To be in possession of a University Degree.
• If applicable, accredit professional experience of at least 6 months that is directly related to the field of the degree.
• If applicable, accredit professional internships of CFGS that are directly related to the scope of the degree.

This program is specially designed for:

• Degree in Psychology and Sports Science or equivalent.
• Degree in Health Sciences or Education Sciences: To be reviewed by the academic and admissions departments.

• Antonio Hernández Mendo
  PhD in Psychology from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Bachelor's Degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Master in Sports Psychology from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Degree in Psychology from the National University of Distance Education. Professor at the University of Malaga. Coordinator of the Official Master's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Research.
• Ricardo de la Vega
  Graduate in Psychology. PhD in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. Full Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Coordinator of the Degree in CAFYD. Head of Training in Sports Psychology at the Olympic Center for Higher Studies (COES). Master in Sport Psychology (UAM). Master's Degree in Psychobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience (UAB). Master's Degree in Clinical and Health Psychology (ISEP).
• Beatriz Crespo
  PhD in Medicine and PhD in High Performance Sports. Businesswoman and university professor specialized in the leadership of innovation projects and teams in health, sports and well-being with a focus on generating value and profitability for companies and people.
• Anna Jordana Casas
  PhD in Health and Sports Psychology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Associate professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​professor at the Girona School of Health and Sports (EUSES, a center attached to the UdG) and professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Graduated in Psychology and Master in Neurosciences.