Program Overview

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Applied Sport Psychology MSc

Overview

Learn about the effect of the mind on sporting performance on our part-time or full-time Applied Sport Psychology Master’s course. Develop skills that can be applied in a range of sports and performance contexts.

Key Information

Accreditation

This course is Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

Study Mode and Duration

• 1 year full-time
• 2 years part-time

Start Date

• September 2025

Course Information

Overview

If you're a sport science or psychology graduate or an individual seeking a career change within sport and performance systems, our accredited MSc Applied Sport Psychology degree course is an essential step on your journey to becoming a practitioner psychologist.

Psychology plays a huge role in behaviour in sport, exercise, and performance environments by helping – or preventing – people from achieving optimal health and performance.

You’ll benefit from teaching unique to Portsmouth, including the psychology of elite performance and applied sport psychology, develop knowledge and skills that are critical to practitioners, and study key themes in the psychology of exercise and physical activity.

We'll provide the expertise and support you need to develop your professional practice and we’ll give you outstanding preparation and insight into becoming a practitioner psychologist.

When you graduate you'll be prepared for a career in sport and exercise psychology and you might continue your training working with professional sports clubs, national sports organisations and private clinics, perhaps by continuing your training journey on our professional doctorate.

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

Course Highlights

• This is the first course in the country to offer dual British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditations.
• Learn from our team of HCPC registered sport and exercise psychologists and BPS chartered psychologists who are experienced in research and applied practice in sport and performance domains.
• Benefit from modules unique to Portsmouth such as the Psychology of Elite Performance and Applied Sport Psychology to get outstanding preparation and insight into becoming a practitioner psychologist
• Study a broad range of course work suitable for careers in healthcare, elite sport, education, professional sports clubs and the military
• Use our psychology laboratory with specialist equipment, including a ASL (Applied Science Laboratories) mobile eye-tracking and PLATO Liquid Crystal Spectacles, to test how quickly performers respond to visual or auditory cues
• Benefit from our links with UK Sport and Portsmouth Football Club.

Entry Requirements

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

September 2025 Start

UK Qualifications

• An upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a Sport and Exercise Science, Psychology, Sports Psychology or related subject. Alternative qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis.

Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.

Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Non-UK Qualifications

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.

To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.

English Language Requirements

• English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

• you have a UK degree
• you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
• you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Course Costs and Funding

Tuition Fees (September 2025 Start)

UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man Students

• Full-time: £9,400
• Part-time: £3,130 in year 1 and £6,270 in year 2

EU Students

(including Transition Scholarship)

• Full-time: £9,400
• Part-time: £3,130 in year 1 and £6,270 in year 2

International Students

• Full-time: £17,200
• Part-time: £5,730 in year 1 (60 credits) and £11,470 in year 2 (120 credits)

University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount.

Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.

You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Modules

Full-time

Modules studied

All modules on this MSc Applied Sport Psychology are core.

• Advanced Topics in Skill Acquisition - 30 credits
• Applied Sports Psychology - 30 credits
• Counselling and Professional Skills - 30 credits
• Msc Research Development and Practice - 60 credits
• Psychology of Elite Performance - 30 credits

Part-time

Year 1

• Applied Sports Psychology - 30 credits
• Psychology of Elite Performance - 30 credits

Year 2

• Advanced Topics in Skill Acquisition - 30 credits
• Counselling and Professional Skills - 30 credits
• Msc Research Development and Practice - 60 credits

Facilities and Specialist Equipment

Our £50m Sports Centre

Train and play in one of the UK's greenest sports centres, including an 8-lane swimming pool, virtual skiing, climbing wall and more.

Psychology Laboratory Facilities

Our psychology lab brings science and mind together to reveal ground-breaking research and innovative insights into human psychology.

Biomechanics Laboratory

Use equipment including force plates, pressure plates and our electromyography system to explore the impact of exercise on the body in this lab, from the limits of human endurance to the effects of chronic health conditions.

Physiology Laboratory

This lab includes treadmills, a swim bench, ergometers and a physiological monitoring kit for analysing athletes' blood, heart rate, and urine.

Career Development

Careers this Master's Prepares You For

This British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Master's course will enable you to continue to study towards Chartered status.

You'll also have the transferable skills for careers in other sectors, like business, the police or the armed forces.

Graduates of this Course Have Gone On To Roles Such As

• Performance Director
• Personal Trainer
• Psychological Well-being Practitioner
• Sport Psychologist
• Sport and Exercise Psychologist
• Senior Programme Officer
• Corporate Partnerships Executive
• Operations Manager
• General Manager
• Lecturer
• Teacher
• Research Officer

Graduates of this Course Have Gone On To Work For Companies Such As

• Football Association
• Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club
• Changing Minds
• Manchester City Football Club
• Portsmouth Football Club
• Crystal Palace Football Club
• Great Britain Hockey
• LED Leisure Management
• Solent NHS
• Hampshire County Council

Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.

Supporting You

Types of Support

• Personal tutor
• Learning support tutors
• Academic skills support
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Disability advice and additional support
• Library support
• Support with English
• Maths and stats support

How to Apply

Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.

There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start date in September, as long as there are places available. If you wait until September to apply, you may find that the course is full.

If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.

You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.

Extra Information for International Students

If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.

You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.