J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

LINKED MA SPORT PSYCHOLOGY/CLINICAL DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGYNote: Students may not link a bachelor’s degree to a master’sdegree and then link the master’s degree to a doctoral degree.As the field of psychology continues to diversify and expandthe range of specialties, it is important for educationalinstitutions to stay on the cutting edge of programdevelopment. John F. Kennedy University has achievedthis by linking the MA in Sport Psychology program withthe clinical doctoral program, the PsyD. Unlike a researchbasedPhD, the PsyD program is designed to producepractitioners, not researchers, while providing the same highlevel of scholarly study. Both the MA in Sport Psychologyand the PsyD offer the highest level of available training inapplied sport and clinical psychology respectively. In thepast, students could earn a master’s degree in two years anda Doctorate of Psychology in an additional four years. Thisinnovative linked program allows completion of both degreeswithin five years of full-time, intensive study (part-timeoptions are also available). Having both degrees will enablegraduates to use the title “Sport Psychologist,” allow them toapply for either master’s or doctoral certification through theAssociation for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology(AAASP), and work with both clinical and athletic clientsby applying the skills and knowledge developed from bothfields. Eligibility to take the psychology licensing exam for thestate of California will also be earned.The full-time student starts in the sport psychology programfor the first year and then moves into the PsyD Program forthe following four years. Once in the PsyD Program, thelinked student fulfills all the same curricular and trainingrequirements asked of all PsyD students. The MA componentof the linked program consists of 41 units in the SportPsychology Program (completed during the first year), and36 units in the PsyD Program (completed during the first twoyears of the PsyD Program, i.e., years two and three of fulltimestudy). Upon successful completion of these 77 unitsand the Master’s Written and Oral exams, a Master’s degreein Sport Psychology will be conferred. Upon successfulcompletion of the fifth year of full-time study in the linkedprogram and all requirements for the PsyD, a PsyD degreewill also be awarded. For information on the practicum,internship exams, and advancement to candidacy, refer to thePsyD section of this catalog.Admission RequirementsApplicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionallyaccredited institution. Prospective students should apply tothe MA program and the PsyD Program concurrently. In theevent that a student in good standing in the Sport PsychologyProgram is not accepted into the PsyD Program, the studentmay continue the master’s degree program. A student must beaccepted into the PsyD Program before enrollment in a PsyDcourse is permitted.MA DEGREE IN SPORT PSYCHOLOGY/CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGYA student will be awarded a MA degree in Sport Psychology/Clinical Psychology when he or she has satisfactorilycompleted all first-, second-, and third-year courses of thelinked program (i.e., year one is completed in the SportPsychology program, years two and three are completedin the PsyD program), is a student in good standing, andhas passed the MA written and oral exams in the SportPsychology program and the comprehensive writtenexamination of the PsyD program. The Sport Psychology MA/PsyD linked students have a choice between conferred withone of two MA degrees, either an MA in Sport Psychologyor a join MA in Sport Psychology/Clinical Psychology. Thisjoint degree would reflect a terminal and primary MA inSport Psychology with a non-terminal, non-licensable clinicalcomponent.184 GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGYJOHN F. KENNEDY UNIVERSITY