Psychological Science of Sport & Exercise BSc (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  From becoming more active to thriving in the world of elite sport: It’s all in the mind.

  Understanding factors affecting the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours associated with peak sport performance and optimal functioning in exercise and physical activity has always been important and is becoming increasingly more so in today’s world. Whether you have aspirations to work with top sports performers, or to focus on encouraging more people to become more active, when you study our psychology in sports degree, you will embark on a journey that will equip you with the knowledge and skills to be able to work critically and effectively within these realms.

  In year (stage) 1 of this sport psychology course, you will begin to learn about what it’s like to work as a psychologist, as well as developing a sound knowledge of specific sport and exercise psychology-related factors. This will include key behavioural theories, and factors affecting motivation and performance. You will also learn how to be successful at university.

  In year (stage) 2 of our Psychological Science of Sport and Exercise degree, your knowledge of biological and cognitive psychology will become part of the focus, along with developing an understanding of how exercise and sport can affect mental health and wellbeing.

  At this point, you will begin to develop your research knowledge and skills. The focus of this year is to encourage you to become more critical in your thinking, and to choose an independent research topic, which will become your dissertation project.

  In year (stage) 3 of the Psychological Science of Sport and Exercise BSc course, you will go on to develop your dissertation project, bringing your research ideas to fruition. Further sport and exercise-related modules will serve to enhance your abilities to apply your acquired learning to specific, real-world sport and exercise settings.

  Modules will be delivered as a mixture of online and face-to-face, blended learning, utilising our fantastic sports facilities, labs, and the variety of classroom-based venues on the campus. As a semesterised programme, each module will comprise four learning contact hours per week, usually as a 2-hour face-to-face, 1-hour online, 1-asynchronous teaching format. All modules are worth 20-credits and you will accrue a total of 360 credits by your final year in order to achieve an honours degree in BSc sport and exercise psychology.

  Accreditation

  To receive a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree, students must complete compulsory modules identified, and obtain a minimum of a 2:2 degree to receive accreditation. The BPS requires students to do an empirical research project for their dissertation.

  Psychological Science of Sport and Exercise Optional Placement Year

  The Psychological Science of Sport and Exercise degree offers the opportunity to gain work experience* to develop professional behaviour and competencies in Sport and Exercise settings. Students explore future career opportunities within the sport and exercise discipline and learn about the application of Sport and Exercise Psychology in different settings such as sport clubs, governing bodies, NHS, industry, media or an research laboratories.

  *NB: This is an optional module and students choosing this module must source their own placements.

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.

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• Partnerships and Accreditation

  This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

  This means that upon completion of your sports psychology degree (with an overall classification of a 2:2 or above), you are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) to the BPS. Acquiring your GBC has a host of benefits for a future career in Psychology. The accredited Psychology degree means that you could move into Postgraduate Study in a number of areas in Psychology and beyond, without needing to do a further Psychology Conversion course to obtain GBC status.

  Graduate Basis for Chartered (GBC) Membership is considered as the starting point to your career in psychology. Obtaining GBC encompasses many benefits, including access to journals, conferences, and events. You will have the opportunity to enhance your employability through volunteering opportunities and research placements, as well as through the courses focus on analysing human behaviour from many psychological perspectives.

  

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full time degree, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for this Sport and Exercise Psychology degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• FAQs

  How will I be taught on Psychological Science of Sport and Exercise BSc?

  This Sports and Exercise Psychology course is delivered through active blended learning, a hallmark of teaching at UON. This means students will be encouraged to take a very active part in their own learning rather than sit for long hours in tiered lecture theatres. Our sport psychology modules cover a wide range of fascinating topics in psychology, sport, and exercise. Many of our teaching staff are active researchers in their specialist areas, which means module content is always current. At Waterside, we aim to provide an environment that maximises your engagement and enjoyment of learning.

  How do I become a Sport and Exercise Psychologist?

  All subject-specific psychologist titles are now protected by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC). This means that to become a qualified sport and exercise psychologist and use this title, you would need to progress through a series of accredited training. This typically begins with a course, such as this, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), conferring Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) to graduates. To find out more about the next steps you could take, as well as career opportunities for psychologists, please visit the BPS site, which gives further details about how to become a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist.

  Another route to becoming qualified, albeit without the Chartered status, is through the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise (CASES). This route requires accredited training to a Masters level in sport and exercise psychology and does not necessarily have the research requirement that the BPS route has, but it does include a period of ‘supervised practise’ subsequent to this with a qualified psychologist. To find out more visit CASES.

  How much do Sport and Exercise Psychologists make in the UK?

  The answer to this is very broad and dependent upon the level of experience and qualification, nature of the working environment, and area of employment e.g. private practise, NHS, Govt, etc. Qualified Sport and Exercise Psychologists working independently are able to set their own working rate to some extent and, again, this will depend on the nature and demand of their expertise. However, those working in an organisation may be able to expect anywhere between £25-30k.

  How will I be assessed?

  You will be assessed through varied range of assessments including essays, exams, presentations, and practicals.

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