Course Overview
Through a combination of research, theory, and practical insights, the MSc in Sport Psychology is a comprehensive and dynamic course designed to equip you with the core knowledge, practical skills, and competence required to subsequently become ethically, empirically, and theoretically-based scientist practitioners in the field of sport psychology.
Students will engage with a range of topics across the eight core competencies of psychology, ranging from social and cognitive psychology to developmental psychology. A strong emphasis will be placed on providing students with guidance and insight regarding working as an applied practitioner within this field.
Why Sport Psychology at Swansea?
- Top 51-100 in the World (QS World University Rankings 2024)
- UK Top 20 for Research Quality (The Complete University Guide 2024)
- 100% world-leading and internationally excellent impact - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Expert Faculty: Learn from experienced academics and practitioners in the field of Sport Psychology who are dedicated to your success. Our experts have diverse backgrounds and research interests, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience.
Cutting-Edge Research: Engage with the latest research and developments in Sport Psychology. Swansea University is renowned for its contributions to sport psychology research, and you will have the opportunity to be exposed to ongoing projects.
Career Development: Receive guidance and support for your career goals. Whether you aspire to work with elite athletes, sports teams, young people, or pursue further research, this program will provide you with a solid foundation in Sport Psychology theory and practice.
Research Opportunities: If you're interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or research career, our program provides a strong foundation for future academic endeavors.
Global Community: Join a diverse cohort of students from around the world, fostering a multicultural learning environment and expanding your global perspective.
Beautiful Location: Enjoy the stunning natural beauty of Swansea and our Bay Campus' proximity to its own seafront promenade.
Your Sport Psychology Experience
The MSc in Sport Psychology at Swansea University will move from theory, to process, and subsequently to product – arming students with the necessary information and insights to evaluate and critically apply sport psychology research across various populations, contexts, and settings.
This theory to practice, to product approach will ensure that students not only understand the fundamental and contemporary sport psychology theories and concepts, but also gain extensive insights into how to be an effective sport psychologist in practice across different settings and employment modes. This approach will ensure that graduating students can enter a rapidly growing and evolving field with the fundamental knowledge, critical insights, and practical skills needed to adapt, develop, and ultimately succeed in understanding, predicting, and improving the performance of elite and amateur athletes in team and individual sports.
Sport Psychology Employment Opportunities
This programme is designed with specific employability and entrepreneurial skills in mind. Graduates of the MSc Sport Psychology will have the potential to become accredited Sport Psychologists. This will enable graduates to work as self-employed Sport Psychologists or with sports teams and sports organisations, which is a growing opportunity. Some may also progress onto PhD study, or become Researchers and Practitioners within sports organisations, or Lifestyle Advisors.
Placements:
There is no requirement for the formal completion of placements within the degree. However, students will be provided with access to placement observation opportunities that they may wish to engage in to develop their skills and their CV. Specifically, the teaching team have strong links with local and national and working with them have a variety of opportunities for students to engage in from observations of training weekends, through to more regular observations of practice and matches and the supervised delivery of educational workshops. All opportunities will be advertised to the student cohort and, with the partner (if required if there is sufficient interest), an interview process will take place and then students will be provided with access to the placement. It is desired, and anticipated, that the placement opportunities will be flexible from a few hours to more regular commitments to ensure they are as accessible as possible. It is noted that any international students will need to consider the implications on the maximum number of hours they can work aligned with the Visa stipulations.
Moreover, particular emphasis is placed upon developing and practicing applied skills through taught seminars, facilitated discussions, and individual learning opportunities including options to complete placements. Additionally, throughout the degree, students will have an opportunity to engage directly with athletes to learn about their lived experiences and better understand the complexity and nuance associated with being an athlete at different ages and stages. Moreover, students will also engage with practicing sport psychology practitioners throughout the degree, learning directly from their experiences and understanding from first-hand experience how to succeed as a sport psychologist.
