MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology

How can psychology help to shape the perception of exercise? Can psychology help sports athletes deal with the psychological consequences of an injury, or build cohesion within a sporting team? Psychology has the ability to enhance adherence to exercise programmes, influence individuals to fulfil their sporting potential, and often plays a key role in ensuring sporting success.

Offering a unique educational experience by overlapping psychology within the broader discipline of sport and exercise science, our MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology is dedicated to one of the fastest developing areas of psychology. It provides you with an insight into working across a range of contexts in sport and exercise, and you focus on practical and ethical considerations while developing essential knowledge and skills for research and applied practice in this specialised field. There are also opportunities to gain practical experience using equipment for both research and in applied contexts, with emphasis on the importance of testing in the field.

You study a variety of topics including:

• motor control and cognitive psychology
• psychological skills and strategies
• developmental issues in sport and exercise
• social psychology and individual differences
• professional practice in sport and exercise psychology

This course sits within our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences. This provides an exciting opportunity to join a community specifically focused on sport and exercise, allowing us to bring together our research, share knowledge and enhance opportunities for you. You will be based in our state-of-the-art Sports Arena, benefiting from a range of facilities and dedicated laboratories for research.

This course is available to study on a full-time and part-time basis.

Our expert staff

Our course is delivered by academics with impressive research profiles, extensive applied consultancy experience, and Chartered Psychologist accreditations. Our staff members are also actively involved in collaborations with prestigious organisations within and beyond sport. The academic staff you will learn from on this course are:

• Dr Mike Rogerson, a Chartered Psychologist who has experience in both exercise psychology and sports psychology research, across vulnerable public and elite athletes. His prestigious collaborations include those with: The FA (UEFA-funded), ukactive, Coca-Cola, The Wildlife Trusts, Essex County Council, Dementia Adventure and Wilderness Foundation UK. Mike's current research interests include virtual reality sport and exercise, green exercise, Video Assistant Referee decision-making, and rugby concussions.
• Dr Paul Freeman, a Chartered Psychologist with experience in both sport and exercise psychology. His research interests focus on cognitive and social factors (including cognitive appraisals, social support, and motivation) underpinning performance under pressure and physical activity behaviour. He has worked with individual athletes on psychological skills training, along with regional companies and organisations to facilitate physical activity behaviour change.
• Dr Andrew Brinkley, a Chartered Psychologist with a proven track record of implementing sport-related exercise interventions for improving employee health, enhancing social and educational outcomes in young people, and utilising walking netball programmes to address loneliness, poor mental health and quality of life. Andrew's research explores how exercise interventions can be developed, implemented and evaluated. He is currently involved in exciting projects with Active Essex.
• Dr Emily Cushion, an accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach and has worked with national and international athletes in multiple sports. Her research interests lie in several areas including, understanding exercise prescription and its application in ageing population and understanding how hormonal fluctuations through a female’s lifetime impact physical activity and performance.
• Dr Callum Morgan, who has expertise in the sociology of sport, sport coaching, and coach education. Callum's research draws on theories of impression management, relational networks, and emotions to critically examine the social processes within everyday coaching and coach education work. He is a level three qualified football coach and mentor with over a decade of experience in youth grassroots, development, and performance contexts.
• Professor Gavin Sandercock, who an exercise scientist with an interest in physical and psychological health benefits of fitness and physical activity with a particular focus on young people. He has collaborated with Sport England, Essex Country Council, and been member of the ukactive Scientific Advisory Group, The Dailly Mile Scientific Steering Group and the Parliamentary Committee on Children’s Physical Activity and Obesity.
• Professor Leanne Andrews, a Chartered Health Psychologist who is interested in researching topics closely aligned to both clinical and health psychology. Professor Andrews has a specific interest in questionnaire construction and development, and brings expertise in health programme evaluation, with experience of working with NHS Foundation Trusts, Country Councils, Police, Military and other organisations.
• Dr Carly Wood, who has expertise in therapeutic horticulture and has collaborated with organisations such as Trust Links, Green Light Trust, The Wilderness Foundation, Essex County Council and Thrive. Carly's research is focused on the links between physical activity, environment and health; specifically, the role of nature-based interventions in the prevention of poor mental health and mental illness.
• Dr Jo Barton, who has extensive experience in promoting physical activity, exercise and wellbeing in various populations. In her career, Jo has successfully worked with several charities, schools and sports clubs to implement interventions. Jo's research focuses on the benefits of green exercise physiological and psychological outcomes.

Specialist facilities

• Learn within our Sport Arena, equipped with dedicated research equipment and laboratories.
• Take advantage of our sports performance camera system, including fixed and mobile cameras for indoor and outdoor use with live streaming and multi-camera capture capabilities, video analysis and coding software.
• Work in an open and friendly department, with shared staff-student social spaces.
• Conduct your research alongside academics and PhD students in shared labs.
• Gain valuable experience working with elite athletes in our Human Performance Unit.

Your future

The sports science, fitness, health and leisure sectors are booming and provide a variety of careers for sports and exercise psychology postgraduates. An MSc will give you the edge in an increasingly competitive job market.

Careers in sport and exercise psychology include counselling, being a psychologist for athletes and teams, being an exercise psychologist working with the public, developing exercise programmes and more. You may also pursue further research in the form of a PhD, or pursue BPS Stage 2 training. Many of these can enable you to qualify for the title of 'Sport and Exercise Psychologist'.

We have great industry links and work with our University's Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Sport scholarships

Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports - basketball, volleyball, tennis and football - as well as other team sports and as individual athletes to contribute to our performance sport programme.

Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship may also receive a host of other benefits, including:

• free kit
• access to state-of-the-art facilities
• performance coaching
• the option to live in our Athlete Village (accommodation fees may vary)
• a support package valued up to £1,500

These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training and development, and to enable you to reach your full potential alongside your studies.

"I received a sport scholarship which allowed me to come to England and follow my dream to play football in Europe whilst pursuing my education in a field that is a passion of mine. I want to be a sport psychologist and help athletes perform in the sport they love in a healthy way. I want to provide the support and help that athletes might need to stay mentally healthy and maintain a good relationship with their sport."

Shanie Marion, MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree in subjects relevant to the following areas:

• Sports
• Exercise
• Psychology

Your degree must include one of the following modules:

• Psychology
• Sports Psychology

We will also consider applicants with a 2:2 degree in any discipline with substantive work experience in sport, exercise, or health.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5 in all components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

Alongside traditional lectures, this course utilises a range of teaching approaches.

• Student-led seminars focused on critical discussions of key and topical research paper;
• Flipped classroom approaches;
• Laboratory sessions;
• Practical sessions to equip you with the skills to undertake research and applied consultancy at individual, group, community or population levels.

Assessment

• On taught modules, you will complete a range of assessments including conducting needs assessment sessions, writing reports for clients, developing psychological resources, oral presentations, essays, and written exams.
• You will complete a research project requiring a psychology-focused research question, supervised by a staff member with relevant expertise.