Program Overview

Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology

About this course

The programme is designed to meet BPS Stage 2 requirements in Sport and Exercise Psychology and eligibility for HCPC registration.

• The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is ranked first in the North West and top 20 in the world for Sports Science (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• Study full-time or part-time
• Benefit from quality teaching and supervision provided by experienced sport and exercise psychologists
• Study on a course underpinned by high-grade research and practice, designed to meet BPS Stage 2 training requirements in Sport and Exercise Psychology and eligibility for registration as a Sport and Exercise Psychologist with the HCPC
• Enjoy the world-class facilities in the award-winning Tom Reilly Building
• Look forward to enhanced career opportunities in Sport and Exercise Psychology professional practice and promotion, as well as education, teaching and research

The programme is underpinned by a strong focus on equipping future Sport and Exercise Psychologists with the competencies required to work in a range of professional practice scenarios. You will work closely with academic staff who are leaders in their research field and experts in training. In keeping with the nationally agreed curriculum competences for Sport and Exercise Psychologists, you will develop your professional skills in teaching and training (education and dissemination), ethics and professional standards, research and consultancy through your own work-based learning experiences, taught sessions on the programme and extensive supervision.

Course modules

Core modules

• Planning Training in Sport and Exercise Psychology (30 credits)
• Sport and Exercise Psychology Professional Practice (270 credits)
• Reflection in Sport and Exercise Psychology (60 credits)

Professional accreditation

Designed to meet British Psychological Society (BPS) Stage 2 requirements in Sport and Exercise Psychology and eligibility for Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration.

Your Learning Experience

• Teaching: All teaching is on Thursdays 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm, leaving you some time in the day to meet with your supervisor. Sessions are formally scheduled from January to June and September to December in year one and on an ad hoc basis in subsequent years.
• Assessment: To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme. The Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology programme requires a portfolio of work to be completed. This includes: a log and reflective diary of professional practice and consultancy/teaching plus training case studies. In terms of research, you will be expected to produce a systematic literature review and two empirical papers of publishable quality.

Career paths

LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.

A growing number of Sport and Exercise Psychology graduates work in applied settings as Sport and Exercise Psychology practitioners and promoters, as well as taking up positions in Sport and Exercise Psychology education, teaching and research.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Full-time per year: £8,380

International

• Full-time per year: £18,250

Entry requirements

Home

• A good honours degree in Psychology conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership from the British Psychological Society; and
• A BPS Accredited MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, normally at merit level or higher
• A suitable pre-determined placement or work related learning opportunities (paid or voluntary)

International

• IELTS score of 7.0 (minimum 6.5 in each component)
• International students who have applied to study a full-time taught Masters, MRes, MPhil or PhD at LJMU, you should check if you require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate. Please contact LJMU’s International Admissions Team for further details

How to apply

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.

Applications for students starting in January 2026 will open on 1 June 2025 and close on 30 September 2025. Please note we have places available for seven students.