Course overview
Do you want to understand how thoughts, emotions and physiological responses can affect athletic performance?
Immerse yourself in an exciting and ever-expanding topic of research and practice when you choose to study Sport Psychology. We will teach you key concepts and theories specific to sport psychology and give you a comprehensive grounding in the core elements of mainstream psychology.
This approach will enable you to consider how key areas of psychology apply to all levels of sport, from grassroots football to Olympic competition as well as how we might increasingly come to understand the ‘human’ elements of sports participation.
About this course
You'll begin your studies with an introduction to the core domains of psychology including social, cognitive and developmental psychology, as well as focusing on the development of professional and research-related skills required within psychology practice. You will also get an introduction to key topics and theories relating to working with individual athletes and apply this content to ‘real-world’ scenarios within the sport psychology-specific module.
As your studies progress, you will continue to develop your professional skills and breadth of psychological knowledge, focusing on the role of the sport psychologist, and the numerous duties and responsibilities that a sport psychologist might fulfil as part of their work.
In your final year, you’ll apply the skills and knowledge you have developed by critically examining the organisational contexts and factors which might influence a sport psychologist’s applied practice. Focusing on topics and themes from both organisational and cultural sport psychology, you’ll reflect on the diverse and unique range of individuals and organisational contexts that typify applied sport psychology practice.
Throughout your studies, you'll also get plenty of hands-on experience through the professional work placements and volunteering opportunities included within your degree.
You’ll also have the chance to expand your knowledge and experience by going on an international study trip, where flights and accommodation will be funded by the University. Previous students have been to Berlin, Germany, where they visited the Jewish Museum, the Stasi Museum, the Holocaust Memorial and Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
Why study with us?
- Start your journey to becoming a Chartered Psychologist. This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) which makes you eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership on successful completion of the course.
- Learn from research-active lecturers, with contemporary sport psychology research integrated throughout the programme.
- Develop your understanding of sport psychology topics with specialist sport psychology modules delivered year-long across all levels of study.
- Build your employability skills with vocationally focused assessments and professional work placements.
Accreditation
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This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) (link opens in a new window/tab) which makes you eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership on successful completion of the course.
Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Year 1
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Principles of Sport Psychology
- Understanding Human Behaviour
- Professional Development for Psychologists 1
- Introduction to Research Skills for Psychologists
Year 2
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Sport Psychology: Working with Stakeholders
- Mind, Brain and Social Behaviour
- Professional Development for Psychologists 2
- Research Skills for Psychologists: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches
Year 3
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Psychology Research Project
- Sport Psychology in Context
- Professional Learning Through Work
Students are required to choose two option modules from:
- Business Psychology
- Counselling Psychology
- Psychology of Mental Health and Distress
- Critical Psychology
- Cyberpsychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Health Behaviour Change in Context
- Psychology Negotiated Essay
- Psychobiology of Stress and Illness
- Environmental Psychology
- Illusions, Biases and Cognitive Impairments
Course Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Year 1
During your first year, you'll study four core modules.
Principles of Sport Psychology (core)
Discover conceptual and historical issues in sport psychology.
We'll explore how theory and empirical research underpins sport psychology practice, encouraging you to apply your developing knowledge and understanding to 'real-world' scenarios.
We'll cover core theories of sport psychology such as theories of motivation, confidence and anxiety, alongside corresponding interventions and strategies that a sport psychologist might use when working with an athlete.
You'll get a foundational knowledge of core sport psychology topics that you can apply to different athletic groups in different organisations.
Understanding Human Behaviour (core)
You'll learn about the core areas in psychology - biological, cognitive, developmental and social.
We'll look at the historical and cultural context and origins of modern psychology, including international and cultural perspectives.
Biological
You'll learn about brain structure and functions such as pain, fear, eating, drinking and sleeping.
Cognitive
We'll cover attention, memory, and problem-solving.
Developmental
We'll look at lifelong development, personality and temperament, behavioural genetics, resilience and vulnerability, constructivist and constructionist theories, information processing approach, the role of education and ecological systems theory.
Social
Learn about the history of psychology, social thinking, beliefs and judgements, attitudes and behaviours.
Professional Development for Psychologists 1 (core)
You'll get a foundation in professional development skills in psychology.
This includes individual difference psychology - looking at personality and the assessment of human psychology - and professional working practices.
You'll learn about conceptual and historical issues and the role of psychology in understanding issues of diversity in the workplace.
You'll develop skills valued by employers, particularly during the Professional Development Block.
You'll have meetings every two weeks with your personal tutor to support you and your professional skill development.
Introduction to Research Skills for Psychologists (core)
Get a foundation in quantitative and qualitative research design and analysis.
You'll learn about effective study design, ethical working practices, analysis and handling of qualitative and quantitative data.
You'll start using tools for data collection such as online surveys and E-Prime, and SPSS for analysis.
You'll take part in psychological research designed by yourself and by others.
Develop skills valued by employers and needed for investigative work throughout your degree.
Professional work placements
Experience matters. That's why we include professional work placements with every undergraduate degree.
How does it work?
Careers and Placements will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you will have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
Student placements are generally in school-based sports roles and professional sports organisations. Recent placement employers have included Badminton England, Leeds Rhinos, Sevilla FC (Spain), Rotherham United, the RAF and a wide range of primary and secondary schools.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Learning and Teaching
At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:
- high quality teaching
- an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
- a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.
We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:
- Student Involvement and Engagement
- Inclusion
- Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
- Digital Literacy and Skills
- Employability and Enterprise
To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.
We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:
- Personalised support
- Expert lecturers
- Strong connections with employers
- An international outlook
- Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development
Programme delivery
Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.
Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:
- Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
- Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
- Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.
For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Entry Requirements
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
| Qualification | Grade |
|---|---|
| UCAS tariff | 112-136 |
| GCSE requirements | GCSEs in English Language and Maths at grade C or 4 (or higher) will be required |
Fees and finance
Funding
UK Home Students:
Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2024/2025.
Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.
Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.
Tuition fees for 2025/26 entry will be set in summer 2024.
Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.
Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.
International Students, including EU Students:
Visit our webpage for international students.
Part-time study is not available for international students on a Student Route Visa.
Additional costs
We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:
- Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
- On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
- You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
- The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.
How to apply
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.
You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.
You can now apply for 2024 entry. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2024 is 31 January 2024.
If you require a Student Route Visa in order to study in the UK, then you must meet all the conditions of your offer and present all supporting documentation required for the visa application no later than Friday 26 July 2024.
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:
- call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
- email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Graduate opportunities
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Your degree will prepare you for careers across a range of sporting sectors, but you will also develop transferable employability skills which can be applied to a variety of non-sporting organisations and sectors. Recent graduates are working at organisations ranging from St Helens RFC and the NHS, to businesses and marketing companies.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Chat with our students
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Ask our Student Ambassadors about what it’s like to be part of the Leeds Trinity University community, chat to them about your course(s) of interest and hear more about their Leeds Trinity University student experience.
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It helps you make sense of all the information out there by linking to other quality resources and explaining what can be found where. It also allows you to search for and compare information and data for individual undergraduate courses across the UK.