The Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) Graduate Certificate program prepares those who have completed, or are currently completing, a graduate degree (e.g., MS, PhD, PsyD), with the didactic coursework and mentored experiences to be eligible to sit for the CMPC® certification exam. The CMPC® designation prepares individuals for employment opportunities working alone and/or alongside other health professionals in some of the following settings: general health care (injury prevention and/or rehabilitation), sports medicine, counseling or clinical psychology, adaptive sports, exercise and fitness, military, performing arts, e-sports, and gaming. The CMPC® designation enables already practicing mental health professionals to expand the scope of their practice. 

The course and credit requirements for the CMPC® Graduate Certificate program depend upon whether the student is completing the program in-tandem with another graduate degree or as a post-graduate curriculum. Upon application into the CMPC® Graduate Certificate program, each student will undergo a transcript review whereby prior didactic coursework and prior mentored experience will be compared to the list of didactic coursework and mentored experience requirements to obtain the CMPC® designation (as determined by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies). 

For additional information, please contact the Program Coordinator, Dr. Monna Arvinen-Barrow, PhD, CMPC FAASP (United States), CPsychol AFBPsS (United Kingdom), UPV sert. (Finland).

Please visit the Laboratory for Sport Psychology & Performance Excellence web page for more information.  

Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Application

  • Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
  • All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School through the Panthera Admission Application.
  • Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
  • Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.

Admission

The CMPC® Graduate Certificate program uses a rolling admission process. 

The admission requirements of the CMPC® Graduate Certificate program are consistent with those requirements specified by the Graduate School of UWM. In addition, students must also meet the following requirements:

  • Currently enrolled, and in good standing, in a graduate degree program at an accredited university, OR;
  • A Master's or Doctoral degree from an accredited university.
  • Transcripts from all university degrees/coursework.
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
  • Personal statement that includes rationale for certificate study and career goals.
  • Two letters of recommendation from persons most knowledgeable about the applicant's recent academic and relevant work experiences.
  • Electronic interview with program faculty may be requested by the Program Coordinator.
  • Students wishing to obtain the CMPC® Graduate Certificate should inform the Program Coordinator and apply using the Graduate School online application.
    • Upon review of the application materials, the Program Coordinator will generate a Plan of Study for the student. The Plan of Study will include the specific Knowledge Areas (i.e., courses and required credits) the student needs to meet the didactic coursework proportion of the CMPC® designation as well as the number and type of mentored experience (i.e., courses and required credits) the student needs to meet the mentored experience portion of the CMPC® designation.
    • The Plan of Study will be shared with the student in-writing and via verbal discussion.
    • A Plan of Study signed by the Program Coordinator and the student will be sent via email to the Graduate School and placed in the student's official file.
       

Credits and Courses

In-Tandem Requirements

Students who enroll in the CMPC® Graduate Certificate program in-tandem with a current graduate degree must complete a minimum of 34 credits. The number of credits needed to obtain this certificate depends on the needs of each student.

Didactic Coursework 12
COUNS 814Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling Psychology 13
PRPP 551GPsychology of Injury: Prevention, Rehabilitation & Return to Participation (Psychology of Injury: Prevention, Rehabilitation & Return to Participation) 23
PRPP 552GPsychology of Personal Excellence (Psychology of Personal Excellence) 23
PRPP 553G (Psychological Considerations for Optimizing Health & Performance ) 23
PT 723Physiological Regulation in Exertion & Disease 33
Select one of the following: 43
Multicultural Considerations in Lifespan Psychopathology
Adult Psychopathology
COUNS 714Essentials of Counseling Practice 53
ED PSY 624GEducational Statistical Methods I 63
Select one of the following: 73
Cognitive Neuroscience
Psychophysiology
COUNS 715Multicultural Counseling 83
Clinical Experience 910
Professional Studies in Sport & Performance Psychology 10
Mentored Fieldwork in Sport and Performance Psychology 11
Total Credits40
1

Knowledge Area 1: Professional Ethics & Standards

2

Knowledge Area 2: Sport Psychology

3

Knowledge Area 3: Sport Science

4

Knowledge Area 4: Psychopathology

5

Knowledge Area 5: Helping Relationships

6

Knowledge Area 6: Research Methods & Statistics

7

Knowledge Area 7: Psychological Foundations of Behavior

8

Knowledge Area 8: Diversity & Culture

9

More than 10 credits (equivalent to 400 clinical hours) may be necessary to amass the required combination of clinical hours.

10

Students must enroll in and complete PRPP 854 for a total of 6 credits.

11

Students must enroll in and complete PRPP 855 for a total of 4 credits.

12

Other courses as approved by the program director.

Post-Graduate Requirements

Students who enroll in the certificate program as a post-graduate with a completed graduate degree must complete a minimum of 15 credits. The number of credits needed to obtain this certificate depends on the needs of each student. 

Didactic Coursework
Select one or more of the following: 13
Psychology of Injury: Prevention, Rehabilitation & Return to Participation (Psychology of Injury: Prevention, Rehabilitation & Return to Participation)
Psychology of Personal Excellence (Psychology of Personal Excellence)
PRPP 553G
(Psychological Considerations for Optimizing Health & Performance )
Clinical Experience 212
Professional Studies in Sport & Performance Psychology 3
Mentored Fieldwork in Sport and Performance Psychology 4
Total Credits15
1

Knowledge Area 2: Sport Psychology

2

More than 12 credits may be necessary to amass the required combination of clinical hours. 

3

Students must enroll in and complete PRPP 854 for a total of 6 credits.

4

Students must enroll in and complete PRPP 855 for a total of 6 credits.

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit 

Transfer credit is not allowed for this certificate.

Minimum Grade Requirement 

Students must complete all courses with a grade of B or better (not including B-).

Time Limit 

It is expected that students completing the CMPC®  Graduate Certificate program in-tandem with another graduate degree at UWM complete the requirements for the certificate within seven years. It is expected that students completing the CMPC® Graduate Certificate program as a post-graduate curriculum complete within three or four years, pending credit requirements. 

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Articulation with Degree Programs

  1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
    • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
    • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
    • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.