Sport Psychology

UCAS code: SPSY

Here's what UCFB says about its Sport Psychology course.

Athletes learn to motivate themselves in ways that they believe will improve performance, replacing self-doubt with positive thoughts. With proven results, the demand for sport-specific psychologists is greater than ever.

Degree overview This degree combines contemporary and traditional areas of research and theory in sport psychology with the principles and skills of management within the football and sports industries.

You will be introduced to the world of sport psychology, examining social and developmental aspects and explore the areas of cognitive and biological psychology in order to gain a better understanding of the psychological impacts on the brain and body.

Degree content You will examine the psychology of optimum performance, covering theories that explain behaviour in sport and the skills involved to improve performance. Individuals’ attitudes, personalities and their impact on behaviour on and off the pitch are explored along with research into contemporary issues in sport psychology. The similarities of performance enhancement techniques employed in both the sport and business world will be examined, including motivation, decision making, leadership skills and team cohesion.

Teaching locations UCFB Wembley • Wembley Stadium • Arch View House on First Way In addition to our teaching locations, we also use specialist facilities throughout the academic year as well as additional facilities where required.

Degree specifications University Campus of Football Business is an embedded college of the University of East London. All students who begin their three or four year undergraduate degrees with UCFB from September 2021 onwards will be awarded a degree from the University of East London upon successful graduation.

Career prospects Further specialised postgraduate study and training is necessary to become a qualified sport and exercise psychologist. However, once qualified, sport and exercise psychologists work with a variety of clientele at various level in a fascinating and expanding field not necessarily constrained within the limits of sport. As well as working with professional clubs, athletes and governing bodies, the qualified sport psychologist may incorporate: performing artists, health and business clients depending on their interests.

Work Placements Students on the BSc (Hons) Sport Psychology degree will be encouraged to gain relevant work experience as they progress through the degree. The UCFB Employment and Enrichment (EE) team work with UCFB students to locate work placements within the National League and various other industries. The English Schools FA invite students to engage in a number of research projects and AIMFOR consultancy headed up by the current Liverpool FC sport psychologist and former professional player and football coach Lee Richardson, and former professional footballer Nick Richardson, provides opportunities for paid and unpaid work experience within sport psychology.

This course includes a core, work-based learning module at Level 6 (Industry Engagement (Mental Wealth)). This module aims to introduce students to a workplace environment and in doing so they will be able to enhance their awareness of the professional landscape through this experience. This module is designed to create a space for students to apply competencies developed in their modules at Levels 4 and 5 to a real-life setting, leading to experiential and reflective learning. The assessments require students to reflect on the experience linking it to research and theory and their own development.

In addition the level six module Theory & Understanding of Practice within Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology is a highly practical module which gives students the opportunity to understand how sport psychologists work and to gain knowledge delivered by a BPS Chartered Practitioner and Applied Psychologist.

First Year • Psychological Research Methods 1 • Psychological Research Methods 2 • Industry Competencies (Mental Wealth) • Introduction to the Applications of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology • Foundations of the Psychology of Sport, Exercise and Performance • Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology Second Year • Psychological Quantitative Research Methods • Psychological Qualitative Research Methods • Industry Readiness (Mental Wealth) • Social Psychology • Applied Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology • Cognitive Neuroscience Third Year • Psychology Dissertation • Personality, Intelligence and Psychopathology (replacing 'Personalities, Individual Differences and Abnormal Psychology') • Developmental Psychology • Industry Engagement (Mental Wealth) • Theory and Understanding of Practice within Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (replacing Professional Practice in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology)

The assessment strategy is to use a range of assessments so that students can use the feedback from initial work to feed forward into that type of assessment in subsequent semesters. Research methods assessment is centred around learning to write research reports and culminates in the final year dissertation.

Students with disabilities and/or particular learning needs should discuss assessments with the Course Leader, Module Leader and Seminar Leaders to ensure they are able to fully engage with all assessment within the course.