Sport Social Work Certificate

The Graduate Certificate program in Sport Social Work prepares students from varying disciplines to work in sport settings to increase culturally responsive care for athletes and people in sport. Students will gain interdisciplinary knowledge of how to create environments that prioritize the mental health and well-being of people in sport and knowledge of the biopsychosocial well-being of people in sport from a systems perspective.  

Students who complete the Social Work in Sport Graduate Certificate will be able to:  

• Understand the symptomology and cultural manifestations of common mental health diagnoses in athletic populations from an ecological systems perspective.  
• Synthesize and integrate key theories, concepts, and models of organizational behavior with sport management practices.  
• Synthesize and integrate key theories, concepts, and interventions in micro and macro social work practice.  
• Critically examine social issues relating to those who manage, participate, and consume sport. 
• Critically assess different mental health policies in sport at the individual, organizational, and cultural levels. 
• Implement evidence-based interventions to meet the biopsychosocial needs of people in sport.  
• Formulate clear solutions that sport managers, administrators, and behavioral health professionals can use to improve the well-being of athletes and employees in sport organizations. 
• Formulate evidence-based preventative interventions at the individual, organizational, and cultural levels in sport.   
• Evaluate individual behavior, group dynamics, and structural choices in sport organizations with a holistic view of athletes and athletic staff.  
• Evaluate effectiveness and efficacy of interventions the individual, organizational, and cultural levels in sport.   

Application Process:  

To apply to the certificate, students must already be admitted to a graduate program at Georgia State University. To apply for the certificate, students will need to submit several documents for review: 

• Online application 
• Goals statement (upload with the application) 
• Official transcript(s): minimum 3.0 undergraduate degree GPA or completed master’s degree required.