Psychology with Sport and Exercise Sciences

Psychology with sport and exercise sciences brings together two disciplines that share a common interest in human behaviour and performance. Psychology provides the theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding how people think, feel and act, while sport and exercise science examines physical performance, fitness, health and the physiological and psychological demands of exercise and competition. Together they create a degree particularly well suited to understanding the mental and behavioural dimensions of sport and physical activity.

At the University of Chester you will study this three-year full-time degree, which includes a year abroad that broadens your experience and develops your independence. The psychology content covers core areas including cognitive, developmental, social, biological and clinical psychology, meeting the requirements for graduate basis for chartership with the British Psychological Society. The sport and exercise science content introduces you to the physiology of exercise, the biomechanics of movement, nutrition and the psychological factors that influence athletic performance and wellbeing.

Combining the two disciplines gives you the ability to approach sport and exercise from both a scientific and a behavioural perspective, which is increasingly valuable in a sector that recognises the centrality of the mind in physical performance.

The degree develops analytical and research skills, the ability to design and evaluate studies, statistical competence and the capacity to communicate complex findings to different audiences. The applied focus on sport and exercise also develops practical engagement with real contexts, whether in athletic performance, health promotion or exercise rehabilitation.

Graduates move into careers in sport psychology, performance analysis, coaching support, exercise referral and rehabilitation, health promotion, personal training, sports development and education. The psychology component also opens routes into clinical and counselling psychology training for those who pursue further qualifications. Postgraduate study in sport and exercise psychology, sport science or psychology is a natural progression for those wishing to specialise or work in regulated psychology roles.