Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
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This distinctive course applies psychology to sport, exercise and broader global contexts.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

CSDF

Start date

September 2025
November 2025

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Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course.

Foundation year

The foundation year course offers an introduction to your chosen subject and helps you develop the necessary skills for degree-level study. In addition, you will also explore key skills such as research methods, scientific fundamentals and promotion techniques.

Degree

The aim is to provide a holistic understanding of psychological perspectives and their real-life application to sport and exercise environments (e.g. physical activity to promote mental health).

The course includes theory, research, and applications of psychological perspectives, methods, and interventions in global contexts of sport and exercise. This is supplemented by the development of professional levels of transferable, practical and cognitive skills. The aim is to enable graduates to attain the skills and knowledge to confidently progress to their chosen career path in an international arena.

  • You will develop critical awareness and understanding of the core British Psychological Society (BPS) curriculum including a range of specialised and contemporary content1.
  • Topics may include perspectives in sport and exercise, origins to the future of sport and exercise psychology, multi-agency sport and exercise psychology, applied sport and exercise psychology, neuropsychology in sport and exercise, mental health and wellbeing, psychology of popular culture, professional practice.
  • The course provides a broad and varied educational experience to optimise learning and engage you in experiential learning across a range of international contexts.
  • The course also includes methodological and analytical research skills to conduct ethical scientific investigations in psychology.
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Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

  • Gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.
  • Develop a grounding in key areas of health, education, psychology and wellbeing.

Degree

  • Gain a critical appreciation of how forensic psychology can be applied to real world questions, cross-cultural and diverse situations across global contexts.
  • Focus on employability: develop transferable, practical and cognitive skills putting you in an excellent position to secure postgraduate education or employment in an increasingly competitive postgraduate education or employment.
  • Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects enhances international awareness through multi-cultural communication and peer interaction at participating institutions (subject to availability).
  • Opportunities to participate in exciting field trips2 to a range of overseas destinations, which have previously included the United States.
Top 300

in World Rankings for Psychology

Times Higher Education World University Rankings by subject 2022

Accreditation and professional recognition

The Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons) degree is professionally accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

The British Psychological Society

The British Psychological Society

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) on an open-ended basis, subject to regular and ongoing review by the BPS. Accreditation by the British Psychological Society means that as a graduate, provided you achieve at least a 2:2, you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). Additional costs may apply. Please check with the membership body for details.

If the accreditation of this course changes, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.


Lots of time available with the course’s friendly and helpful teaching staff who are all enthusiastic in presenting an innovative range of content in a variety of engaging learning activities. The course has an interesting range of assignments that test more than just essay writing ability and provide students with a useful breadth of vocational skills.

Christopher Merriman, Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons) student, June 2022
Students chatting in an open study area.

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses:

  • Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons)
  • Psychology BSc (Hons)
  • Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related psychology courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding of psychological perspectives and research methods in the discipline before going on, in the second and final years, to specialist modules in sport and exercise psychology.

Modules

Expand upon the foundational knowledge gained in your first year. Study specialist content in sport and exercise psychology (SEP) including culture, gender and sexuality, cyber psychology, the darker side of psychology, and research, among others.

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final years of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

Your final year prepares you to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from your first year and second years. You will complete an empirical research project, focused on a topic of your choosing, under the supervision of a research-active member of staff. Optional modules allow you to tailor your own learning experience to the knowledge and interests you have developed so far.

Modules

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The foundation year is focused on applied learning through a blend of lectures, tutorials and online learning. There are no end-of-year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which are more reflective of a working environment.

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.


Teaching contact hours

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learnt and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

The foundation year will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module and may include:

  • practical class and project performance
  • written practical reports
  • project thesis
  • oral presentations
  • tutorial tasks and assessments which generally take place at the end of each six-week block.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

This course is taught using a mixture of lectures, group seminars and practical, ‘hands-on’ skills workshops. Core course content will be delivered during the lectures, while seminars and workshops offer opportunities for you to explore topics more independently, receive guidance on coursework assignments, begin to apply your knowledge and develop your academic and transferable skills.

You will have the opportunity to take part in the design, conduct and analysis of psychological experiments, and spend time working collaboratively on group projects with other students. Your Student Success Coach will be available for one-to-one bookable meetings throughout your degree (subject to availability) and will review and discuss your progress and continual personal development.

Outside of contact time, your personal study hours will be guided by materials posted on your module web pages.

Many of our students undertake work experience and field trips to support their practical learning. We aim to arrange optional international field trips each year for our undergraduate psychology students2. See 'Fees and funding' section for further information.

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of your first year, you will progress onto your second year in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.


Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

The assessment methods may include:

  • coursework
  • phase tests
  • literature reviews
  • presentations (e.g., oral, poster, video)
  • reflection
  • portfolios
  • short answer and multiple-choice tests.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

As well as a range of short international field trips, you also have the opportunity to complete the course over four years with a year spent studying abroad2. The university has links with over 20 institutions in Cyprus, France, Malta, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, as well as several other countries around the world. Courses are largely taught in English, but there are opportunities to learn and attend courses in a foreign language.

You may also have the opportunity to present at international conferences and/or collaborate with students from other institutions within the international arena on specified COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) projects (subject to availability).

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed2.

The course is suited to you if you wish to gain an excellent grounding in theory, research, and innovative application of Sport and Exercise Psychology. You will understand the why and how of human behaviours by investigating people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours using psychological theories and methodologies that are relevant to sport and exercise participants. Knowledge and critical analysis of theory and research is supplemented with practical skills, such as quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, interpretation as well as a broad range of transferable employability skills.

Dr Luke Sage, Course Director in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Coventry University, 2022
Alison Gingell Building

Entry requirements

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Additional requirements may apply

Typical entry requirements

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,535 Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,535 per year Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Applies to degree only:

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathway courses for additional options.


Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, a short walk from the city-centre. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities4 at Coventry University. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on-campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS) fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites4, Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

Two students walking outside with the CU Coventry building behind them.

Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

A student working in a booth in The Hub.

The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office and a fantastic food court.

External view of the Lanchester Library.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is usually open 24/7 in term-time, and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

 

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

  • Specialist teaching facilities4 include light and dark multi-sensory laboratories, ‘mock’ prison cells, an observation suite and counselling rooms which allow you to experience the application of psychology in different contexts.
  • Specialist software such as Gorilla, Opensesame experiment builder, E-Prime, SPSS statistical analysis, Pinnacle Studio and NVIVO to develop your digital fluency.
  • EEG (electroencephalogram), eye tracking and virtual reality headsets allow you to understand and experience the neuro-cognitive aspects of human behaviour in different situations.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

Our courses equip you with a range of skills and competencies that could set you apart from other graduates and make you attractive to potential employers (e.g. critical thinking, communication skills, leadership and creativity).

This course provides the necessary grounding to enable you to progress and be eligible to undertake further training to become a qualified psychologist. In doing so you may be able to pursue a rewarding career in the community, for example, as an occupational, forensic or social psychologist, in mental wellbeing as a clinical or counselling psychologist, in physical wellbeing as a health, sport or neuropsychologist or working with children as a developmental or educational psychologist.

We aim to equip our graduates with highly sought-after employability skills (e.g. transferable skills, analytical thinking, presentation skills) to embark on a career in applied psychological settings (e.g., mental health secure settings, rehabilitation centres); or complete one of our postgraduate degrees. However, the transferable skills you gain from your degree opens several options for career pathways. Our students have also become researchers, lecturers, teachers, administrators, managers and health and care professionals.

Where our graduates work

Many of our graduates have gone on to pursue postgraduate study (e.g. MSc, PhD, DClinPsy) and continued their work as practising psychologists going on to become  clinical, forensic, sport or educational psychologists. Previous graduates have secured employment in applied and research institutions such as St Andrew’s Health Care, Victim Support and the NHS. Other graduates have also been successful in gaining positions as teaching assistants, working in human resources, becoming research assistants, and using their digital literacy skills to support in meaningful interventions in hospitals and start-up companies looking for innovative thinking.

Students who successfully complete their BSc (Hons) Psychology degree with a minimum 2:2 award will normally be eligible for most Applied Psychology MSc programmes at Coventry University (e.g. Forensic Psychology MSc, Health Psychology MSc, Applied Psychology MSc, Business and Organisational Psychology MSc) and other institutions with related courses, subject to meeting progression requirements. Please check individual course pages for full details.

Students arrived at the club with an open mind as to what Bedworth United Ladies had to offer and what impact they could make to our squad, mainly the development team. With a difficult task in hand with limited numbers and a few people now always open to change, the students did an exceptional job at engaging the players and helping them think about how their psychological mindset would change their footballing experience. They were both always on time and respondent to messages when asked if available. The students were dedicated and committed to a challenging voluntary role. We would say to anyone looking for support services for their clubs to look no further that the university who have a high quality of provision for student placements and continued support throughout the whole process.

Amy Benson, former Sport Coordinator at the students' union and Bedworth United Ladies player, 2022
View of the goal on a football pitch
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