BSc in
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology University of Portsmouth
Introduction
Want to take your first steps on the path to becoming a British Psychological Society (BPS) Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered Practitioner Psychologist?
On this BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology degree course – accredited by the BPS – you’ll use the latest equipment and techniques in our comprehensively equipped laboratories and be taught by our team of BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered psychologists.
Course highlights
- Use psychology and sports science facilities, including a psychology laboratory (with interview room and media suite), biomechanics and kinanthropometry labs, and immersion pool and climatic chambers – for manipulating temperature, humidity and altitude
- Get your hands on specialist equipment like PLATO Liquid Crystal Spectacles and our ASL Mobile Eye System, which you can use to measure performance and get the most out of athletes
- Be taught by BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered psychologists who have extensive professional experience and access to the latest sports psychology research
Accredited by:
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
You may be able to partly or fully fund the costs of your study with a bursary or scholarship. You can use these alongside student loans, and you don't have to pay them back.
Whether you can get a scholarship or bursary depends on your circumstances. So they aren't available to everyone.
These are the scholarships and bursaries we currently offer to home (UK) students. You may also be eligible for some of these scholarships and bursaries if you have refugee status or are seeking asylum.
- The University of Portsmouth Bursary – £750 a year
- Care Leavers Bursary – £1,750 a year
- Stand Alone Bursary – £1,000 a year
- Young Carers Bursary – £500 a year
- Unite Scholarship – a free place in halls
- Greenwich Hospital Bursary – £3,000 a year
- Sport Scholarship
- NHS Learning Support Fund – at least £5,000 a year
- Best Begins Scholarship – £5,000
- Portsmouth Football Club Partnership Scholarship – £3,000 a year towards course fees
- Sanctuary Scholarship
- Sanctuary Language Bursary
Curriculum
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Conducting Research in Sport and Exercise Physiology – 20 credits
- Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology – 40 credits
- SHES Tutorial Level 4 – 0 credits
- The Evolution of Sport and Exercise Psychology – 20 credits
There are no optional modules this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Biological & Cognitive Psychology – 20 credits
- Individual Differences & Psychometrics – 20 credits
- Preparing Research, Innovation or Enterprise Projects – 20 credits
- Principles of Skill Acquisition – 20 credits
- Psychology of Sport and Exercise – 20 credits
- Social & Developmental Psychology – 20 credits
- SHES Tutorial Level 5 – 0 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Placement year (optional)
In this course, you can choose an optional placement year between your 2nd and 3rd year of studies or after your 3rd year.
During the study abroad placement year, you'll experience life at a university in another country. Alternatively, you can spend a year developing your experience in industry in the UK or abroad with the work placement year.
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Applied Skill Acquisition – 20 credits
- Biopsychosocial Approaches to Physical Activity and Health Promotion – 20 credits
- Professional Practice in Sports Psychology – 20 credits
- Project – 40 credits
- SHES Tutorial Level 6 – 0 credits
Optional modules in this year include:
- Issues in Clinical and Health Psychology – 20 credits
- Neuroscience – 20 credits
- Professional Development – 20 credits
- Social Construction of Disability – 20 credits
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry, and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Placement year
Either before or following your third year, you have the option to choose a work placement year to gain valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. A placement year gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a real workplace, boosting your employability and making you stand out to employers after the course.
You can work for a company or organisation here in the UK or overseas, or you could go independent by setting up and running your own business with other students.
Whichever route you choose, you'll receive support and guidance. Our specialist team of Science and Health Careers advisors can help you with finding a work placement and improving your employability skills. They'll provide you with a database of placement vacancies, support with your job search – including help with applications and interviews – and support throughout your placement year.
Potential roles
Previous students have taken placement roles such as:
- sport for development project officer
- assistant exercise specialist
- performance analyst
- rehabilitation assistant
- exercise and mental health practitioner
Potential destinations
Recent students have completed placements at:
- Bristol City FC
- Chichester and Selsey Ladies FC
- The Richmond Group
- Neurokinex
Other professional sports clubs, sports injuries clinics, schools, the NHS and within universities
Study abroad
You'll also have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner universities. Studying overseas is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your CV and experience a different culture as an international student.
Many of our students describe their time spent studying abroad as truly life-changing, as well as an excellent way to stand out to future employers.
Rankings
Sports science at the University of Portsmouth is ranked 3rd of all post-1992 universities for research quality
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Career Opportunities
Sport and exercise psychologists help athletes, teams and amateur sportspeople deal with the mental demands of their sport. They work to improve the mindsets, behaviours and patterns of thinking that influence people involved in sport while also aiming for progression in personal development and sporting performance.
In this BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology, you'll learn how to apply psychological principles and theories to optimise the performance of athletes in the world of elite sport and how to help the public reach their health, fitness and wellbeing goals.
When you complete the course, you'll be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the BPS on a graduate basis (GBC) – the first step to becoming a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist or HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist.
To become Chartered, you'll also need to do further academic training for up to 5 years, including an MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology.
What jobs can you do with a sport and exercise psychology degree?
Roles you can do after the course include:
- sport and exercise psychologist (with further training)
- sport and exercise scientist
- management roles in national governing bodies
- teacher/lecturer
- researcher/scientist
- health promotion worker
Graduate roles
Roles our previous graduates have gone on to work in include:
- PE teacher
- personal trainer
- wellbeing access worker
- special educational needs and disabilities mentor
Ongoing careers support
After you graduate, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability Service as you advance in your career.
Facilities
Student Testimonials
English Language Requirements
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