Sport and Exercise Psychology (Hons) University of Northampton

Overview

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

During the The Sport and Exercise Psychology programme at the University of Northampton, you will cover all the core areas of psychology required for BPS accreditation, along with modules that will develop your understanding of key psychological factors associated with enhanced performance and well-being in sports, exercise, and physical activity across the life span.

Course Details:

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 Sports and Exercise Psychology 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 Sports and Exercise Psychology 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 the university's fantastic sports facilities, labs, and the variety of classroom-based venues on the campus. 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.

Career Opportunities:

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

• media 
• research laboratories.