Psychology and Sport & Exercise Science

Psychology and sport and exercise science is a combination that connects two disciplines with strong practical applications in understanding and supporting human performance, health and wellbeing. Psychology examines how people think, feel, decide, remember and are motivated, drawing on cognitive, developmental, social and biological perspectives. Sport and exercise science addresses the physiological, biomechanical and psychological demands of physical activity and performance, exploring how the body adapts to exercise and how performance can be developed and supported.

At Liverpool Hope University the programme includes a foundation year, giving you a solid scientific and academic foundation before the main degree begins. Across the full four-year programme, full time, you will apply psychological principles to real-life performance and health contexts, alongside the exercise physiology, biomechanics and sports analysis content of the science strand. The combination allows you to understand both the mental and physical dimensions of athletic performance and physical activity promotion.

The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, giving you broad professional and international experience.

Graduates are well placed for careers in sport psychology, strength and conditioning coaching, physical activity promotion, health and wellbeing roles in the NHS and private sector, performance analysis, sports development and teaching. The combination of psychological and scientific understanding is particularly valued in sport performance settings, coaching organisations and public health programmes. Some graduates progress to postgraduate study in sport psychology, applied psychology or sport science, while others move into professional practice directly in sport, fitness and health organisations.