Psychology and Sport & Exercise Science

Psychology and sport and exercise science together address questions about human performance and behaviour from two complementary angles. Psychology examines how mental processes, motivation, emotion, and social factors shape what people do and how they experience their lives. Sport and exercise science applies physiology, biomechanics, and psychological principles to understand how the body and mind respond to physical activity and how that understanding can be used to improve performance, health, and wellbeing.

Combined, they create a degree that is particularly coherent for anyone interested in the psychological dimensions of sport, exercise, and health behaviour.

At Liverpool Hope University this three-year full-time programme develops your understanding of psychological theory and its application to sport and exercise contexts, alongside the scientific foundations of how the body responds to physical activity. You will study topics such as motivation, confidence, anxiety, and attentional control as they apply to sporting performance, as well as the physiological and biomechanical dimensions of sport and exercise science. The programme is designed to connect theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts, developing both your scientific understanding and your practical skills.

A sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placements integrated throughout the programme ensure that your academic studies are complemented by professional and international experience, which is valuable in a field where working with athletes, coaches, and exercise participants is central to many careers.

Graduates move into careers in sport psychology, performance coaching, strength and conditioning, exercise referral, health promotion, sport development, and physical education. Many continue to postgraduate study in sport psychology, sport science, or clinical or counselling psychology, which are typically required for practitioner registration in psychological specialisms.