MSc Psychology of Sport (Accredited)
Study with us at Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence and gain a Masters in psychology of sport accredited by the British Psychological Society.
Key facts
- Award Masters / MSc, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
- Start date September 2024
- Duration MSc full-time: 12 months, MSc part-time: 18 months
- Mode of study full time, part time
- Delivery on campus
Accreditations
Accredited by the British Psychological Society
Overview
Our interdisciplinary course is designed to meet the current needs of this growing industry and prepare you for a range of rewarding jobs.
You’ll develop a critical understanding of contemporary sports psychology theory and research that you can draw on to facilitate better performances by individuals and teams. You’ll graduate with a broad knowledge of the field, and you will be able to complete a research project focused on these areas that interest you most. You’ll also be afforded the opportunity to complete a placement in applied sport psychology with one of the many sport agencies we have partnered with, many of who are based here on campus.
Our expert teaching staff includes British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologists, British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences accredited practitioners, and Health and Care Professions Council registered Sport and Exercise Psychologists. All of their knowledge and research has been incorporated into this Masters course, so you can be confident you’ll leave Stirling with the best possible preparation for a career in sports psychology.
Top reasons to study with us
Course objectives
The objectives of this course are to ensure you can:
- analyse and critically evaluate contemporary theory, research and practice in sport psychology;
- apply sport and exercise theory and skills learned in the context of sport and exercise organisations;
- conduct research into sport and exercise psychology theory, research, and practice;
- apply critical thinking and reasoning skills as sport and exercise psychology professionals;
- analyse social and ethical issues related to sport and reflect on how these will impact your conduct as a sport and exercise psychology professional.
An unrivalled environment
As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence we’re closely aligned with many sports bodies and have links with a growing number of organisations, including the National Swimming Academy, the GB National Tennis Academy and Triathlon Scotland.
Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). It meets the requirements of BPS Stage 1 training and enables progression onto the BPS Stage 2 on route to becoming a sport and exercise psychologist.
Work placements
Students will be given an opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding to a specific client group within a sport setting in the module SPSP061 - Public Engagement in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Students will have an opportunity to help coaches, athletes and teams to achieve their specific goals.
Flexible learning
If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.
Faculty facilities
The University of Stirling is Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence and we have recently invested £20 million in our outstanding sports facilities. We’re consistently ranked among the best universities in the UK for our sports facilities, making Stirling the perfect destination to study sport or the science behind it.
Research overview
The University of Stirling is ranked 1st in Scotland for outputs in Sports and Exercise Sciences (REF 2021), with 80% of our research classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
International entry requirements
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each skill
- Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
- Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 54 overall with a minimum of 51 in each sub-skill
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
- Trinity ISE II Pass overall with a Pass in each sub-skill, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills
Last updated: 4 August 2022
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
Course details
Earn an accredited Masters in psychology of sport from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence and the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide Sports University of the Year 2020.
The course comprises five modules, including a dissertation project. You’ll need to complete them all to earn your Masters degree, although you can also graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate by completing limited elements of the course.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course Details
Teaching
You’ll be taught through lectures, seminars, group work, presentations, tutorials, guided independent study, professional practice experiences and the University’s virtual learning environment. Individual tutorials are also available for providing feedback and for supervision of your research project and placement.
Assessment
Assessment involves a mixture of coursework and presentations, and will vary according to the context of each module.
Classroom hours
For the full time course, in the first semester there will be taught face-to-face classes most days. In the second semester there will be some face to face teaching most days as well as individual weekly tutorials.
Course director
Key staff
Dr Robert Morris
Robert Morris is currently Deputy Head of Sport, MSc Psychology of Sport Course Director, and a Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology at the University of Stirling. Robert is a BASES Accredited, BPS Chartered, and HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Associate Fellow of the BPS. He is also currently Chair of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route Advisory Group, with responsibility for overseeing the success of one of the accreditation pathways for Sport and Exercise Psychologists in the United Kingdom.
Robert teaches on the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in sport psychology at the University of Stirling. Robert is also an applied practitioner in sport psychology, providing support to a range of team, national, international, and Olympic athletes in sports including football, rugby union, canoe, swimming, and golf. In addition, Robert has a number of research and scholarship interests which span across talent development and transitions in sport topic areas, including the support programmes in place to support elite student-athletes during their move to university, dual careers in sport, the youth to senior and retirement from sport transitions, the coach-athlete-parent triad in sport, and mental health in sport.
The course is also serviced by Dr John Mathers, Dr Will McConn-Palfreyman, Dr Michael McDougall, and Dr Chris Hartley, and includes contributions from other guest staff who bring a breadth of experience to the MSc.
Fees and funding
Fees and costs
| 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Students from the UK and Republic of Ireland | £10,350 | £10,900 |
| International (including EU) students | £21,845 | £22,900 |
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Scholarships and funding
Funding
Eligible international students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 from Student Finance NI.
Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Payment options
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
After you graduate
This course gives you a strong foundation for a career in psychology. It focuses on the field of sport and exercise psychology, but we expect graduates to choose a broad range of careers. You may go on to various sport and health roles, or to positions in the science industry, the civil service or government. Some of our students also go onto study for a PhD.
The course also enables progression onto Professional Doctorate, British Psychological Society Stage 2, and the Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route training route to becoming a Health and Care Professions Council registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist.
Testimonial quotes
I feel a lot more competent now when I talk about sports psychology. I feel a lot more competent in my writing, and I feel a lot more competent in approaching people and networking.
Simon Taylor
MSc Psychology of Sport
What our students said
China
MSc Psychology of Sport
Read Dongliang's storyStudying here at Stirling, and also this course, will definitely help me with my future career because I have acquired all the knowledge about how to be a sports psychologist.
MSc Psychology of Sport
Read Meredith's storyWorking with world-class athletes, alongside the mentoring of my professors, was the optimal environment to apply learned theory for the first time. With this experience, I now feel prepared and confident continuing my work with athletes following graduation.