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BSc (Hons)Sport and Exercise Psychology

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Starting in2025
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UCAS code: SEP1
Institution code: S30
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps

Why study a sport and exercise psychology degree at Solent University

Understanding performance and wellbeing is essential for helping athletes to cope with pressure and regulate their emotions. Prepare for your future in sport psychology on this BPS accredited degree.

  • Top0%
    for teaching quality, out of 131 institutions (Times Good University Guide, 2025)
  • 0th
    UK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes 2022)
  • £0m
    invested in our campus estate and facilities
  • Solent ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for satisfaction with assessment in psychology (out of 116 institutions) (The Guardian University Guide 2025).
  • Access to Solent’s dedicated psychophysiological recording equipment, eye-tracking facilities, and psychology labs.
  • Develop an understanding of intervention techniques that can be applied in exercise and team settings. Gain an insight into the coach-athlete relationships.
  • Members of the course team, work with premiership pugby teams, international athletes, and local health organisations.
  • You’ll be assigned a personal tutor who can assist you with pastoral support to help you make the most of your learning.
Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.

Course overview

Solent’s sport and exercise psychology degree, accredited by The British Psychological Society, is the ideal way to kickstart a career in this growing area. You will explore how people act and interact, and the thoughts and feelings that underlie their behaviour. You’ll develop an understanding of intervention techniques that can be applied in exercise and team settings. You’ll also gain an insight into the coach-athlete relationships.

The subject contributes to an understanding of the day-to-day problems faced by people all around the world. Psychologists use a wide variety of methodological techniques including experiments, questionnaires, observations, video analysis and interviews to investigate human behaviour and obtain reliable evidence. This evidence can then form the basis of potential interventions and recommendations.

Core areas of study include cognitive psychology, child development and social psychology. All of these can be applied within a sport and exercise context. We work closely with sport teams and health organisations in order to provide you with hands-on learning opportunities. The applied nature of the course ensures that you’ll develop the professional skills needed for work in the sports industry.

Any questions?

Contact UK admissions

Email: admissions@solent.ac.ukCall: 023 8201 5066

Contact international admissions

Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall: +44 (0)23 8201 5066

Accredited by:

The British Psychological Society - accredited undergraduate psychology

Course features

  • Additional qualification

    This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree

  • Foundation year available

    If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years

  • Specialist facilities

    This course has access to specialist facilities

  • Further studies

    After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent

  • Study abroad

    You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course

Who is this course for?

Our sport and exercise psychology programme is well-suited to students from a wide range of academic backgrounds.

You should have an inherent interest in human behaviour and a desire to apply this interest in sport, exercise and coaching contexts.

What does this course lead to?

The scientific aspects of your psychology course - the application of a reasoned approach, problem solving and manipulation of data - provide useful tools for careers in healthcare, law enforcement, finance, IT and research.

Your knowledge of human behaviour and motivation, as well as your ability to critically analyse a problem, formulate a considered response and create a reasoned argument, will lend themselves well to careers in the creative industries, the legal sector, government administration and education.

To practise as a psychologist, further postgraduate training and supervision is required. Find out more on the British Psychological Society (BPS) website.

Graduate stories

Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.

Read more stories
Practical modules delivered by lecturers from the industry has given me direction on how to get into the industry.

Headshot of Billy Blyghton

Billy Blyghton

Current student

Meet the team

The course team is made up of research and industry active lecturers, guaranteeing that students remain at the forefront of both academic knowledge and industry practice. Members of the course team work with Premiership rugby teams, international athletes and local health organisations.

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

You’ll have access to the University’s first-class sport, exercise and psychology facilities. These include specialist software, psychophysiological recording equipment, eye-tracking apparatus and experiment cubicles. You can use these facilities to carry out cognitive and psycho-physiological investigations, for example, the sophisticated eye tracker can trace eye positions on a computer screen. Collecting a wide range of data using these resources gives you the opportunity to build knowledge of psychological methods and analysis.

Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces. Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.

    International opportunities

    Broaden your horizons by adding an international dimension to your CV – essential to achieving success in today’s fast-changing, global environment.

    Studying, working or volunteering in another country could be the experience of a lifetime. Enhance your degree by developing important global skills such as knowledge of other countries, language skills, intercultural awareness, adaptability and confidence.

    For more information, please email international.mobility@solent.ac.uk.

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