Sport and Exercise Psychology with foundation year

Sport and exercise psychology applies the principles of psychology to understanding and enhancing performance in sport, exercise, and physical activity. It asks how mental processes, emotions, and behaviour affect athletic performance, how psychological skills can be developed and trained, and how exercise influences mental health and wellbeing across different populations. The discipline sits at the boundary between psychology and sport science, and it is increasingly important to coaches, athletes, and sports organisations seeking to optimise both performance and welfare.

At Coventry University, this four-year full-time programme includes an integrated foundation year that aims to prepare you for degree-level study, building the confidence, skills, and knowledge needed to succeed in the main degree. You will study psychological theory and research methods alongside the specific application of those frameworks to sport and exercise contexts, covering motivation, anxiety, confidence, group dynamics, mental health and exercise, and applied performance enhancement. The programme includes a sandwich year with a year abroad and work placement, giving you professional experience in a sport psychology or related setting and international exposure to how the discipline operates in different cultural and sporting contexts.

Entry typically requires around 120 UCAS tariff points.

Sport and exercise psychology graduates work as sport psychology consultants, performance coaches, wellbeing and health promotion specialists, and in research and applied science support roles with elite and recreational sport organisations. Many continue to postgraduate training in sport and exercise psychology, which is required for accreditation by the British Psychological Society as a Chartered Psychologist in this specialism.