If you have an interest in sport and exercise, but wish to learn about the mental aspects of performance, you should enjoy this course.  Core areas of the British Psychological Society curriculum are covered in years 1 and 2 (as with our BSc Psychology). In year 2 you take the specialist Sport Psychology module, which begins the indepth development of your expertise that continues in year 3 when you conduct a project in sport or exercise psychology and select from relevant topics including the impact of anxiety on performance, motivational factors in sport and exercise, and exercise and behaviour.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

260-300 points at A2 level. A2 Psychology is not required, but if it is taken then should achieve Grade C or above. Must have GCSE Maths and English or equivalent.

CRB Checks

This course may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity. Where this is the case, students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Following successful registration individuals will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with that person for the rest of their career. If you are not already registered, UCLan will take you through the process.

Course Content

In Years 1 and 2, all our Psychology programmes include an introduction to the main areas of psychology and further development of these key themes. In Year 2, you take Sport Psychology as your elective. For your Year 3 project there is a wide range of approaches to studying sport, from detailed observation of physical movement and physiological measurement through to behaviour questionnaires and attitude surveys. As well as a purpose-built Sport Psychology Lab, the University has both indoor and outdoor sport facilities.  Several of our students are at national or international level in their chosen sport and, though you do not have to be good at a sport, it can help you to understand sport-related issues, for example what motivates or enhances sport performance.  The rest of Year 3 is made up from a range of specialist options.

In Year 1 you will attend lectures, seminars, workshops, computing and IT classes. You will take part in Psychology practicals and develop your skills in statistical analysis and report-writing. Lectures are delivered to large groups, but other classes contain about thirty students. These small groups allow you to develop your understanding of psychology and to practise your communication skills. You should get to know your fellow group members, and learn to use your Personal Tutor as a source of academic advice.

In Year 2, you will study core areas of psychology in more depth, including Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Research Methods, Social Psychology and Physiological Psychology. You will continue to develop your skills in psychological research and report-writing but work in smaller groups of 4-6 students, and take a role in designing your own studies. For instance, you might investigate how to improve people's ability to detects lies in Social Psychology, or sex-stereotyping in children's television programmes in Developmental Psychology. For your 'elective' module, you will take Sport Psychology.

In Year 3, you will complete a double module research project on an appropriate topic. This can be the most exciting part of your degree because it lets you investigate a subject in which you have a particular interest, supported by one-to-one discussions with your supervisor. The rest of Year 3 is made up of a mixture of specialist and general modules, including: Anxiety and Performance in Sport; Motivation, Sport and Exercise; Exercise Psychology; Control, Action and Sport; and Interventions in Sport Psychology. In the summer between Year 2 and Year 3, you may do a work placement. This can be particularly useful for those who have a clear idea of the career they want to pursue.

Course at a Glance

Year 1

Introduction to Psychological Enquiry (C)
Social and Developmental Psychology (C)
Psychobiology and Cognition (C)
Psychology in Practice (COMP)
Current Topics in Psychology (COMP)
ELECTIVE

Year 2

Social Psychology (COMP)
Developmental Psychology (COMP)
Cognitive Psychology (COMP)
Physiological Psychology (COMP)
Methods in Psychology (C)
Sport Psychology (C)

Year 3

Students must take PS3300, PS3920, and a minimum of four from the Sport Psychology Group and ensure that out of the total of seven options at least one comes from three of the following four groups: 3100s, 3200s, 3400s, 3500s.

PS3300 Individual Differences (COMP)
PS3920 Sport Psychology Project  (COMP)

Sport Psychology Group:
PS3106 Anxiety and Performance in Sport (O)
PS3107 Motivation, Sport and Exercise (O)
PS3312 Exercise Psychology (O)
PS3407 Control, Action and Sport (O)
PS3609 Interventions in Sport Psychology (O)
 
Other options:
PS3102 Personal Relationships (O)
PS3103 Sex and Gender (O)
PS3105 The Psychology of Violent Behaviour (O)
PS3109 Victimology (O)
PS3110 Cross-cultural Aspects of Health and Well-being (O)
PS3207 Psychosocial Risk and Adaptation (O)
PS3208 Juvenile Delinquency (O)
PS3209 Applying Psychology to the Educational Setting (O)
PS3301 Clinical Neuropsychology (O)
PS3311 Eating Behaviour and Disorders (O)
PS3313 Profiling Offenders (O)
PS3404 Psychology of Reading (O)
PS3408 Memory Disorders (O)
PS3501 Drugs and Behaviour (O)
PS3506 Biological Treatments in Psychiatry (O)
PS3509 Motor Disorders and Rehabilitation (O)
PS3606 Psychology of Evidence (O)
PS3720 Psychology Placement (O)

Links with Professional Bodies:

Accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society with the Graduate Basis for Registration, provided a minimum standard of qualification of second class honours is achieved.

Assessment:

Year 1 is assessed by coursework and Multiple Choice Question exams; Year 2 through coursework, MCQ and essay exams; Year 3 through coursework or essay exams and the project. Percentage of coursework to exams is roughly 50/50.

Learning Environment:

We aim to provide the best possible facilities for our students. The School is based in the new multi-million pound Darwin Building, which was purpose-built for Psychology. There are specialist teaching and research rooms such as the Video Observation Suite, the Health Psychology Suite, and Cognitive and Sport Laboratories. These provide great space for equipment such as the movement analysis system and electronic physiological measures. The building also includes a state-of-the-art lecture theatre and computer rooms. Teaching and research staff all have their offices in Darwin Building, along with the School Office and Technical Support. Students have their own resource room, and are encouraged to make use of the great facilities and test material in their own final year research project.

Careers:

Graduates enter a wide range of careers eg, teaching, police, social work, management, human resources, or can do postgraduate study. Undergraduate students have access to a 'Careers in Psychology' website and a 'What Next?' programme of events. The School runs British Psychological Society accredited Masters programmes in Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology and Sport Psychology.

Other Opportunities:

The School also offers BSc routes in Applied Psychology, Cross-cultural Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Neuroscience, as well as Psychology as a Combined Honours subject, and as a joint degree in Psychology & Criminology.

Fees and Finance

The standard fee for this course will be: £9,000 per year

For further information including the availability of bursaries/scholarships or student financial support please view our Fees and Finance pages.