Course overview

The psychology of human performance in sport and/or exercise environments is fundamental to helping individuals to realise their physical, technical and/or health performance potential. With London having hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and an increased awareness as to the negative consequences of an inactive, obese lifestyle, government and society are becoming increasingly interested in understanding ways to optimise elite sporting performance in addition to sustaining an active and healthy general population. This course aims to train students in understanding how the mind can impact upon human behaviour and performance within competitive sport and everyday physical activity settings.

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in working in the applied, research or teaching field of sport and exercise psychology, and therefore a background in sport and exercise science, sport and exercise psychology, psychology or coaching would be beneficial.

Course features

• Excellent NSS ratings for our teaching and student support (National Student Survey, 2011)
• Personal tutorial system which includes one-to-one meetings with academic staff who hold CPsycol and British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accreditation
• High quality research reputation
• Excellent research laboratory and computing facilities

Watch our video to see and hear what University life is like for our postgraduate students.

Course content

You can study this course full time over one year or and part time over two years. The following provides an overview of the full-time course content (part-time students will complete 90 credits per academic year, taking two years to complete the course).

Units include:

• Applied Sport Psychology (30 credits): you will identify and develop a range of professional skills associated with applied practice
• Applied Research Methods (30 credits): you will generate suitable research designs and be able to select and use the appropriate form of data analysis
• Research Project (60 credits): this unit will provide you with an opportunity to independently investigate a particular topic related to sport/exercise psychology
• Exercise Programming and Behaviour Change(30 credits): this unit will provide a theoretical, research and practical understanding of health behaviour change
• Professional Practice Placement(30 credits): you will have the opportunity to observe and where possible participate in the delivery of psychological principles and techniques within sport or exercise settings

Please note that the professional practice placement is subject to availability and appropriate screening and selection processes.There may also be financial costs associated with travel if applying for a non university-related placement.

Career prospects

Specific careers directly related to this qualification would include becoming an:

• applied practitioner
• a researcher and /or a lecturer in sport and /or exercise psychology

Organisations employing applied practitioners include:

• various sporting governing bodies
• health and fitness companies
• UK Sport, National Health Service
• a variety of private healthcare companies

Researchers tend to be employed by commercial companies and academic institutions. Lecturers in this field are employed by further and higher educational establishments. Given the range of general employability skills developed throughout the programme, graduates could go on to a variety of careers in other sectors (e.g, business, police and armed services etc).

Facilities and features

The Department of Sport and Exercise Science is a vibrant and dynamic environment in which to study. We strive to provide a high-quality and satisfying educational experience within a stimulating and supportive environment.

In the latest National Student Survey (NSS, August 2011), 96 per cent of our students agreed that they were satisfied with the quality of the course. This places the Department in the top three for those offering sports science-based programmes in the UK and number one in England.

The Department has strong links with UK Sport and the Fuchs Foundation, and we are proud of the our three-storey, purpose-built teaching and research facilities that include a range of outstanding state-of-the-art laboratories enabling the department to remain at the forefront of research and teaching in sports and exercise science.

The Department has approximately 25 academic staff, supported by a dedicated team of technicians and administrative staff. Academic staff  have a close affiliation with sport and are research active within their chosen specialism. Our five psychologists within the Department are all BPS Chartered and have a wealth of experience in research and applied practice in sport and exercise psychology. There is also a unique opportunity to complete a professional practice placement, where you will be required to perform the role of a trainee sport and/or exercise scientist within a related setting.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: Sport and Exercise Science
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 5550
Email: sci-pgrad@port.ac.uk