Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons)

University of Portsmouth

Overview

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.

• 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 sport psychology research

Accredited by:

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Careers and 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.

On 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

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 placement 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

Accredited against the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).