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Overview
Your chance to explore the psychological aspects of sport, exercise and physical activity starts here.
Guided by a dedicated team of research active staff, you will explore a range of themes and relate them to the unique environments of sport and exercise. You will also be able to explore the application of these themes to real situations, in an attempt to explain and predict human behaviour.
Our degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) ensuring quality, and gives you the opportunity to gain the BPS Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
Why study Psychology of Sport and Exercise?
Psychology seeks to understand human thoughts, emotions and behaviour through scientific study such as observations, interviews, experiments and questionnaires.
Our course gives you the chance to study a fascinating subject, within the specific contexts of sport and exercise, while offering you many opportunities for future development and employment.
Entry requirements
A typical offer would be 88-112 UCAS Tariff points. We do not require you to have taken psychology (or sport related studies) at A level (or equivalent), although a background in the subject is always helpful. We do, however, require a GCSE C or above in mathematics, or equivalent (including a GCSE in statistics).
For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated web page.
More information about entry requirements.
88-112
UCAS Points
All about the course
Our British Psychological Society accredited course is designed to provide you with subject specific knowledge, research skills, practical application and personal development.
You'll study core areas of psychology: biological; cognitive; developmental; individual differences; social, and conceptual and historical issues. These are related to key themes within the unique environments of sport, exercise and physical activity. These themes, and typical questions asked, include:
- The Psychology of the Individual: Is there a ‘psychological profile’ that predicts athletic success?
- Social Psychology: How does our social environment influence the way we think, feel and act?
- Motor Skill Acquisition and Coaching: How could a coach enhance a goalkeeper's perceptual anticipation of a penalty?
- Health and Physical Activity: If regular exercise makes people happier and healthier, why don’t more people do it?
These themes are connected to and supported by a common psychological research theme that seeks to unpick the methods and procedures we might use to explore issues of a psychological nature, particularly within in the physical domain. By examining the theoretical, applied and practical literature underpinning each of these themes and core areas, you can develop your descriptive, investigative and critical thinking skills at every successive level of study.
Our enthusiastic staff are committed to helping you immerse yourself in research and consultancy activities during the course.
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society and is designed to provide you with subject specific knowledge, research skills, practical application and personal development.
Module information
Please note that the list of optional modules and their availability may be subject to change. We continually review and where appropriate, revise the range of modules on offer to reflect changes in the subject and ensure the best student experience. Modules will vary when studied in combination with another subject.
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
You will be taught through a combination of real and virtual lectures, seminars, practical sessions, labs, workshops and tutorials.
Seminars and tutorials in smaller groups will enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures and other sessions. In addition, you will meet with your personal academic tutor on a regular basis.
All courses are informed by the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy 2015-2022.
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops or other timetabled sessions you will continue learning through self-study. Typically, this involves reading journal articles and books, undertaking research in the library, working on projects, and preparing for workshops, seminars, coursework and examinations.
Each module tutor will direct you towards specific readings and/or activities to complete before and/or after class to support your learning and development. Your allocated personal academic tutor will help you review your performance, and support your independent learning.
You will have access to your own IT lab, and all teaching is supported by online study skills material.
During the final year of study, the research project (dissertation), offers the opportunity to engage in an independent research programme where you will work under the supervision of a member of the academic staff who you will meet regularly.
Your overall workload typically consists of 10-14 contact hours per week. In addition, you will undertake 15-20 hours of independent learning and assessment related activity per week.
Your actual contact hours depend on the option modules you select.
The teaching team consists of highly qualified academics, supported by specialist professional services and skilled technical teams. They have a range of expertise and experience across the breadth of disciplines in Psychology, and Sport and Exercise Psychology.
The majority of staff hold the highest academic qualification (doctorate), with a small number of staff working towards achieving this standard. Staff are research-active and many of the teaching team are at the forefront of their research fields in the UK and beyond. They have substantial experience in delivering research led and research informed teaching.
You can find out more about the current teaching teams on our Staff web pages. You should note that members of the teaching team might change.
Postgraduate students sometimes assist in teaching and assessing some modules. However, experienced academics teach the vast majority of lectures and seminars.
How you’ll be assessed
The course frequently provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Many modules contain practice or 'formative' assessments or similar submissions for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Formative or practice assessments and submissions are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
The formal or 'summative' assessments on each module are planned to take account of two interdependent aspects - the acquisition of relevant theory / principles, and the development of both academic and practical skills.
Assessment methods include a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, your final year project (dissertation) and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.
Feedback
You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor. We aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of hand-in. The quality and quantity of our feedback is often highlighted as exceptional by external examiners who annually review our academic practices.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework over the duration of the programme is approx. 70%.
Your future career
A degree in Psychology (Sport and Exercise) gives you many employment and postgraduate study options. Careers in the health and fitness professions are common, and sport coaching roles are underpinned by the skills developed within the course, as are a variety of teaching positions (via postgraduate teacher training) or roles as sport ‘scientific support’ personnel. Psychology graduates also often find employment in the caring professions, education, business and management, and other people focused occupations.
Accreditation from the British Psychological Society gives qualifying graduates the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. It allows graduates to pursue postgraduate vocational training in areas such as clinical psychology, educational psychology and health psychology.
Studying Sport and Exercise Psychology at Christ Church not only helped me become a teacher of PE but it also helped me become a subject specialist and am now helping students find their own passion in sport psychology! My own sporting achievements and coaching benefitted too - helping to channel arousal, stop negative thoughts, focus attention and to know what makes a team tick. Helpful on the hockey field, tennis and netball courts! I cannot recommend this course and staff highly enough - the best decision I have ever made. You will never watch sport the same way again!
Laura GreenGraduate
Fees
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | £9,250 | £13,000 |
| Part-time | £4,625 | N/A |
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.
Please read the 2021/22 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding 2021/22 tuition fees and year on year fee increases.
- Read advice about funding your degree
- See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Regulated by the Office for Students
The Office for Students (OfS) regulates Canterbury Christ Church University. The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It aims to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Further details about its work are available on the OfS website.
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