Sport and Exercise Psychology Degrees in the UK

A relatively young sport and exercise science discipline, sport and exercise psychology is playing an increasingly large role in the participation and performance of people and athletes alike.

As a sport psychologist, you can work alongside elite athletes, applying your knowledge to support their performance. You will help them to cope with injury, mental health problems, motivation, and competition pressure. As an exercise psychologist, you might work with the general population, encouraging sports participation as a promotion of mental and physical health benefits, as well as its ability to reduce anxiety and depression, and other prevalent mental health issues.

An undergraduate degree in sport and exercise psychology will cover the basic concepts of the area. You will build a foundation of knowledge in general and clinical psychology, with a focus on sport and exercise specific psychology. Your understanding will include how a sport psychologist can work with other members of a multidisciplinary team in order to optimise an athlete's performance. All of your modules will be designed to prepare you for future employment, and developing you as a practitioner.

Your degree will be delivered through lectures and seminars, as well as practical sessions and case studies. You may be presented with the opportunity to participate in a work placement module or year. This will allow you to develop your skills in a real world environment, experience the client-practitioner relationship, and further explore your psychological approach.