Overview
The Brunel Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc provides graduates the first stage of training towards becoming a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited sport and exercise psychologist.
You’ll examine the key psychological factors that affect both sports performance and exercise participation and learn how to assess client needs and formulate tailored programmes for them.
In your sport specialisation, you’ll learn techniques and strategies to help athletes of all levels, ages and genders develop the mental skills needed to tackle inhibitions and achieve peak performance, as well as to overcome the emotional consequences of serious injury or prolonged loss of form.
These mental skills are equally applicable to coaches wanting to build positive team dynamics and referees dealing with the stresses of the job.
In your exercise specialisation, you’ll focus on applying psychology to increase exercise participation and motivational levels among the public and to encourage people to adopt more active lifestyles.
On completion of the course, you can progress to Stage 2 training, which leads to chartered psychologist status with the BPS and registered practitioner status with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Throughout your studies you’ll be able to take advantage of our modern physiology and biomechanics laboratories and some of the best sports facilities in the UK.
You can choose to study full-time over one year or part-time over two years.
Dean’s International Scholarship: This course is eligible for a £2,000 fee waiver, per academic year, subject to availability. This Scholarship is for full-time international students only. Find out more.
You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.
Course content
This course is designed to give graduates the Stage 1 practitioner training needed to become a BPS accredited sport and exercise psychologist. It will also prepare you for The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accreditation as a Sport and Exercise Scientist (Sport Psychologist), should you choose this route.
The Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc consists of compulsory and optional modules and a 15,000 word dissertation.
Full-time students should complete four modules per term, excluding the dissertation. Part-time students should complete two modules per term, excluding the dissertation.
Compulsory
- SP5521 - Individual Differences in Sport and ExerciseThis module aims to provide a critical overview of the individual differences factors – psychological and psychosocial – that determine people’s behaviour in sport and physical activity contexts, to encourage students to critically discuss contemporary research evidence for the role of individual differences factors in determining physical activity and sport participation, and to provide students with the opportunity to integrate experiential knowledge with that from peer-reviewed research in order to promote greater engagement with/adherence to sport, exercise and physical activity.
- SP5522 - Research and Application in the Psychology of Sports PerformanceThis module aims to advance students’ knowledge of recent developments in the theory and application of sport psychology, to develop students’ ability to critically appraise and evaluate selected theories and empirical research, and to develop students’ ability to critically discuss the implications of selected theories and empirical research for applied practice.
- SP5508 - Research Methods and Data AnalysisThis module helps student to develop the necessary skills to undertake a piece of research, to develop competence in the range of quantitative and qualitative research methods available, and to critically assess the appropriateness of any research method in relation to a research question. It will teach how to analyse qualitative data, including the use of software and will allow students to undertake their MSc dissertation appropriately.
- SP5524 - Psychological Skills for PractitionersThis module aims to enable students to develop an understanding of key psychological theories and conceptual frameworks that underpin applied practice, to apply an effective programme of basic psychological skills, to develop their ability to critically evaluate current applied research and practice, and to develop a critical understanding of the role of reflective practice in service delivery.
- SP5535 - Social Processes in Exercise and SportThis module aims to enable students to synthesise their knowledge of recent developments in research on social processes in sport and exercise, to develop their ability to critically appraise and evaluate sport and exercise psychology literature, and to produce a scientific report in APA format.
- SP5530 - DissertationThe dissertation aims to enable students to demonstrate in an extended, in-depth, self-chosen independent study or project that they have a secure grasp of critical theoretical principles and the application of these principles, and to demonstrate that they have the ability to use appropriate research resources and methods in the examination of a self-chosen topic related to one or more of the scientific disciplines covered within the programme.
Optional
- SP5503 - Professional DevelopmentThis module aims to enable students to pursue an area of interest that is relevant to their professional development, have the opportunity to negotiate, manage and present personal learning outcomes, and to present a critical appraisal of professional development experiences that demonstrate personal, professional development within the framework of relevant theory and practice in an area ofsport and exercise science.
- SP5602 - Mental Health and Wellbeing in Elite Sport Performance LifestyleDesigned alongside and endorsed by UK Sport, the content of this module focuses on high achieving athletes and those tasked to care for them. In particular, the module aims to advance students’ knowledge of the support services used by athletes and develop students’ ability to critically examine the impact of the environment on athletic success and wellbeing.
This course can be studied 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, starting in September.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
Careers and your future
With sport and exercise participation growing at a healthy pace, employment opportunities in the field of sport and exercise psychology are on the rise too. The expert knowledge and skills you’ll gain from your Brunel Master's, including those highly transferable skills related to implementing goal-setting strategies, will stand you in good stead for a range of rewarding jobs.
As the course is BPS accredited this could be your next step on the way to becoming a psychologist, be it in sport and exercise or otherwise. In addition, this course will prepare you for BASES accreditation as a Sport and Exercise Scientist (Sport Psychologist), should you wish to take the BASES route.
You’ll also have the skills and expertise for a wide range of other careers. For example you may wish to become a university lecturer, a consultant in elite sport or maybe lead a national sport psychology service for an organisation such as the English Institute of Sport.
UK entry requirements
- A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree in Psychology or Sport Science. Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS) is no longer required before taking this course; however, students wishing to enrol on Stage 2 practitioner training must have GBC either by virtue of their undergraduate degree, or successfully completing a BPS accredited conversion course.
Students who hold a good Honours degree in an unrelated subject, who have successfully completed a BPS accredited conversion course (e.g. Graduate Diploma in Psychology) are also eligible to apply.
In the UK, GBC is attained either by completing a BPS accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology (minimum lower 2nd class Honours) or by completing a BPS accredited conversion course. If you have completed a degree in Psychology outside of the UK the BPS will consider applications for GBC on an individual basis. The Society will consider whether you hold a degree from a recognised university or comparable institution and if it is of an equivalent standard to a British bachelor's degree at a minimum lower second class Honours level (in addition whether your degree includes at least 50 per cent psychology).
EU and International entry requirements
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 7 (min 6 in all areas)
- Pearson: 64 (59 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 68% (58% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 98 overall (min 20)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2024/25 entry
UK
£12,650 full-time
£6,325 part-time
International
£23,615 full-time
£11,805 part-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
New and Returning Students
Our master’s teaching is delivered on our multi-Green Flag Award-winning campus in Uxbridge, West London; you're expected to attend all sessions in person. Teaching comprises interactive seminars, workshops, and/or lab-based practical sessions. To promote active learning, communication, and collaboration, team-based activities are a regular feature of our modules. Our in-person approach is invaluable for promoting effective communication and peer learning – not to mention the benefits for your mental health and wellbeing (we are a social species!).
To supplement our full timetable of on-campus teaching, learning will be supported with a range of resources on our new Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) including videos, interactive activities, quizzes and more. This platform will enable you to study independently, prepare for on-campus sessions, and develop your assessment portfolio. Online resources are made available on Brightspace prior to and/or following timetabled sessions. Post-session recording availability will depend on the nature of the taught content and will be restricted primarily to lectures. Module leaders may offer additional briefing, revision, and/or Q&A sessions via online platforms as appropriate.
Academic staff offer Feedback & Consultation Hours, Personal Tutoring Hours, and Project Supervision discussions both on campus and via online platforms. This will allow you to easily receive feedback, advice and guidance in a format that suits you best.
Coursework will be submitted via our online submission portal, WISEflow, and exams may take place on campus, in person and/or be presented in an online open-book style.
We encourage you to participate in Continuous Professional Development and to seek out extracurricular experiences; for example, presentation of data at national and international conferences (e.g. the BASES Student Conference) and/or obtaining additional relevant qualifications (e.g. national governing body [NGB] qualifications). We regularly encourage our students to be involved in our world-leading research, either as participants or research assistants – both paid and voluntary. Some of our students also progress from our master's programmes onto PhD research.
Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.
We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.
Our staff have national and international reputations for their research, publications and applied work. Many are accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the British Psychological Society (BPS) or the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which enables them to work with high-performance athletes from a wide variety of sports – and many of them do. This means that your education will be at the forefront of scholarship and practice, covering the most up-to-date industry knowledge.
Your courses will consist of lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory and practical sessions, online leaning and computer-assisted sessions to teach quantitative data collection and analysis and computer simulation.
We constantly review our teaching methods in response to student feedback in view of developing and improving them.
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.
Assessment and feedback
Modules are assessed by combinations of essays, case studies, contribution to seminars, oral presentations, poster presentations, laboratory report writing, computer-based tests and formal written examinations.
In the final year you must submit, and pass, a research dissertation.
Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.
