Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons)

During the first two years, we aim to provide you with a thorough grounding in the major psychological approaches to the study of human behaviour: biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology and individual differences. Knowledge of these areas will be developed within the context of sports and exercise relevant themes. There are also opportunities to gain insight into the application of sport and exercise psychology. In year two you will also have the opportunity to complete work experience with an external organisation*. Past students have undertaken a wide variety of roles, including working in women’s refuges, with the police, sports centres, prisons and schools.

Modules

• Developing as a Sport and Exercise Psychologist 2 - (10 credits)

  Building on year 1, this module aims to further your skills relevant to employability in a career as a sport and exercise psychologist. You are provided with the practical skills (e.g. time management, CV writing, cover letters and interviewing techniques) needed to obtain work experience. You will be introduced to resources provided by the university such as the Talent Team, an employability support team and careers services to aid in identifying a psychology related work placement. The module builds upon the academic skills you have gained across all modules and enables you to showcase these skills to best promote your career and further academic development.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework

• Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Psychology 1 (20 credits)

  This module builds on the Fundamentals In Sport and Exercise Psychology module studied in year 1 to provide further in-depth coverage of the core domains of biological psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and individual differences. Themes will be contemporary and of global significance and will change according to contemporary advancements. You will be required to examine individual and group responses to the issues presented by drawing on knowledge and understanding of key topics within each of the core domains and relating these to the sport and exercise context.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework and test

• Applied Research Methods 1 (20 credits)

  This module aims to integrate knowledge gained in the year 2 Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Psychology 1 module to the applications of quantitative research methods. You will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of how to conduct, report, and interpret a range of statistical tests using data associated with complex experimental and correlational designs.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework and test

• Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Psychology 2 (20 credits)

  
  This module continues the development of your understanding of the core domains of psychology from Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Psychology 1 and challenges you to consider how such knowledge could contribute to solving a community-based issue. It continues the aim to provide coverage of the core domains of biological psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and individual differences by adopting a thematic approach.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework and test

• Applied Research Methods 2 (20 credits)

  The module aims to integrate the knowledge gained in the year 2 theory module (Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Psychology) with the application of qualitative research methods. You will develop your understanding of how to design, conduct and report qualitative research using a variety of data collection methods and analytical techniques. This module also aims to develop your ability to plan psychological research projects and you will be given guidance in the fundamental processes involved in developing and disseminating a research proposal.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework

• Professional Experience* (20 credits)

  This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to gain work experience in an organisation relevant to your future career aspirations. Work experience in an applied area or related domain, or in another field aligned with your future career aspirations may be in the form of paid employment or voluntary work. You will be supported to research and source an appropriate work experience

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework

• Add+ Vantage module

  The focus on preparing students for successful futures sets Coventry apart as a university.
  The Add+vantage modules explore a range of work experience and extra-curricular activities that are taken each year, and aim to broaden your knowledge and skills within a work focused environment. There is a very wide range of Add+vantage free-choice subject areas, and they are arranged in themes.

  Compulsory

Following year 2 here is the opportunity to complete the course over four years by applying for an optional year of work placement or to study abroad*.

While both of these modules are non-credit bearing, if successfully completed, these modules will appear on your final academic transcript and you may be required to submit a piece of work reflecting on what you have learned during the placement or study abroad year.

Coventry University’s Talent Team can provide you with a wide range of support services in order to help you apply for a placement opportunity.

Modules

• Employment Enhancement Year

  Optional

• International Enhancement Year

  Optional

The final year of your degree is your opportunity to specialise in the areas that you find most exciting – choosing from a range of optional modules in areas of greatest interest to you.

You will collaborate with a member of academic staff and apply the knowledge of research methods obtained during the first two years of your degree to design and conduct your own piece of research in an area of your choice. In the past, students have investigated areas such as arousal regulation in sport, imagery use and its implementation, psychological rehabilitation from injury, mindfulness in sport and the influence of motivation on anticipatory skills.

Modules

• Developing as a Sport and Exercise Psychologist 3 (10 credits)

  This module is designed to equip you with a range of essential personal and professional skills required to be a successful student and graduate employee. You will have the opportunity to appraise and critique your own skills in; fluent writing and speaking, working in groups, and personal reflection in career development and you will be given advice on finding placements and experience in your future careers.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework

• Project Ethics (10 credits)

  Your knowledge of research methods and theory should combine in order to pursue an in-depth supervised independent piece of empirical research. In this module you will design a suitable empirical research project that incorporates an appropriately expressed psychological research question. You will be supported to identify and propose suitable research methods to address the proposed research question, within an ethical framework, and to develop a research ethics application.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework and test

• Independent Research Project (30 credits)

  This module is the focal point of your psychological training, combining your knowledge of research methods and theory to pursue an in-depth supervised independent piece of empirical research. This module is designed to help youdevelop and demonstrate skills in report writing needed to meet the professional standards of psychology. This module is also designed to enable you to develop a critical understanding of psychological research methodology.

  Compulsory

  Assessment: coursework

• Add+ Vantage module

  The focus on preparing students for successful futures sets Coventry apart as a university.
  The Add+vantage modules explore a range of work experience and extra-curricular activities that are taken each year, and aim to broaden your knowledge and skills within a work focused environment. There is a very wide range of Add+vantage free-choice subject areas, and they are arranged in themes.

  Compulsory

• Drug Use and Addiction (20 credits)

  This module aims to develop your understanding of the interrelationship between drugs, psychology and behaviour and draws on several areas of psychology (particularly cognitive and biological approaches) in developing models of, for example, addictive processes. These principles will be considered in relation to sporting and exercise contexts. Relevant findings from several branches of science, including psychophysics, psychopharmacology and molecular biology will be considered.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework

• Educational Psychology and Psychology of Special Needs (20 credits)

  This module is designed to introduce you to key theories and research that relate to the psychology of development, teaching and learning and the application of those theories to applied educational psychology. You will be introduced to areas of special educational needs experienced by children and adults and how these difficulties impact on their experiences growing up. Issues of assessment, labelling, intervention and remediation will be discussed.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework

• Advanced Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology (20 credits)

  This module aims to further understanding of applied sport psychology in performance enhancement and its wider application to health promotion and mental health and wellbeing. You will be introduced to sport and exercise practice with an outline of the stages involved in meeting clients, building rapport, conducting a needs analyses, counselling techniques and long-term support of athletes, exercisers, and general practitioner referrals. Contemporary applications and interventions are evaluated from a broad range of theory, research and past practices.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework

• Neuropsychology in Sport (20 credits)

  This module builds on the biological and cognitive approaches to psychology introduced in the second year. It introduces more contemporary and complex neural mechanisms of cognitive and affective processes in typical and sporting populations to develop the ability to seek out and critically evaluate published scientific reports of current research being undertaken in the area of neuroscience. You will have the opportunity to develop an appreciation of neurological mechanisms underlying human thinking, feeling, and behaviour with a particular focus on athletes and to engage with emerging critical issues within neuropsychology as they apply to athletic performance. You will also have the opportunity to gain a practical understanding of Electroencephalography (EEG) and the analytical techniques used to interpret EEG data.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework and presentation

• Mindfulness and Meditation (20 credits)

  In this module you will be introduced to the western secular-based mindfulness interventions and explore their essential theoretical, applied and empirical bases. The interventions you will study include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Focusing Oriented Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Compassion Focused Therapy.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework

• Psychology of Gender and Sexuality (20 credits)

  Taking an international perspective, in this module you will examine how gender and sexuality are understood across different historical and cultural contexts. You will draw upon many areas of psychology including social psychology (e.g. sexual prejudice), developmental psychology (sexual and gender identity development across the lifespan); and biopsychology (e.g. biology of sex and sexual orientation) to consider how the psychology of gender and sexualities intersects with applied areas such as educational, clinical, health, forensic and sports psychology.

  Optional

  Assessment: coursework