BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology Bachelor's degree at Keele University
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology at Keele University. You'll develop understanding across core theory, research methods, and applied work, with scope for specialist options and an independent project that lets you pursue your own inquiry.
About this course
Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc at Keele University examines the fascinating role of psychology in its application to sport coaching and performance. Learn more. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Psychology is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Keele University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Psychology graduates from this provider, 86% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 43% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Sport & Exercise Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 86% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 87% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
- First Steps in Becoming a Psychology ResearcherCompulsory
Module details
You will be introduced to research methods for psychology, including the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative and quantitative design, as well as data collection, data analysis, and report writing. You will have a combination of in-person and asynchronous active learning, complemented by weekly 2-hour practical labs. The labs are applied in nature and you will get a deeper understanding of how qualitative and quantitative research works.
- Understanding PeopleCompulsory
Module details
The core psychological topics in development, social, cognitive, and biological psychology, as well as individual differences, will be introduced. You will learn about how psychologists have carried out research to better understand human behaviour and thought in areas such as cognitive and social development, social influence, group processes, how we understand sensory information, memories, and the ways in which genes and hormones influence behaviour.
- Exploring and Applying Psychological TopicsCompulsory
Module details
Building on 'Understanding People', this module expands on core psychological topics as well as more specialist areas, such as health, forensic, sport, business, educational, and clinical psychology. You will be given opportunities to explore and reflect on different areas of psychology you may not yet be aware of and consider how this could inform your future career routes.
- Distress and Mental HealthCompulsory
Module details
Unfortunately, we all experience distress at times, and our mental health can suffer. What insights can psychology offer? This module will introduce different ways we can think about mental health, as well as how we might use psychological approaches to improve mental health and wellbeing, and what challenges mental health research and practice are facing in order to move the field forward.
- Science CommunicationOptional
Module details
What use is psychological science if people don't trust or benefit from its findings? The relatively new field of science communication recognises the importance of HOW communication is designed and structured in order to facilitate maximum public engagement. This module is organised into themed weeks, such as: Finding your voice week (practicing), Dragon's Den week (pitching), Movie week (long format) and It's all about you week (employability). You will learn techniques for designing science c
- Next Steps in Becoming a Psychology ResearcherCompulsory
Module details
Building on 'First Steps in Becoming a Psychology Researcher', students will be introduced to more advanced topics in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative topics include data collection skills, such as interviews or focus groups, as well as analysis techniques such as thematic analysis or discourse analysis. Quantitative topics includes factorial ANOVA, planned comparisons, etc. Content will be delivered via in-person teaching and asynchronous active learning and is co
- Understanding People in DepthCompulsory
Module details
Building on 'Understanding People', students will study theory and findings associated with developmental, social, cognitive, and biological psychology and individual differences. Topics on this module may include parenting, emotional development, attitudes, identity, perception, attention, and biological systems underpinning mental processes and behaviour. This module will highlight historical, individual and cultural developments in psychology, as well as integrating psychological sub-discipli
- Current Themes in Sports and Exercise PsychologyCompulsory
Module details
Sport, physical activity and exercise play an essential part in many people's lives. Moreover, they play a significant role in society both from local and international perspectives. This module provides you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of how key psychology theories and models are applied to sport, physical activity and exercise contexts. You will be introduced to debates in sport and exercise psychology and how it examines and supports sport, physical activit
- Evidence-based Sport and Exercise PsychologyCompulsory
Module details
Ever wondered how athletes and coaches use psychology to enhance performance? Or how do practitioners use psychological principles to help individuals adhere to exercise guidelines? This module will introduce you to some of the evidence-based practices used by applied practitioners within sport and exercise psychology. You will be introduced to a variety of psychological measurement tools and interventions aimed at either improving athletic performance or enhancing exercise uptake and adherence.
- PsychopathologyOptional
Module details
"Psycho" translates to "mind" and "pathos" means "illness or disease"; "-ology" means "to study". In this module, we consider what has happened to the brain and the cognitive structure of the mind to cause them to develop conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and depression. The module will primarily offer a biological and cognitive perspective, but you will be encouraged consider other perspectives, drawing on the whole of the psychology curriculum.
- Cyberpsychology - the psychology of technology and the internetOptional
Module details
Cyberpsychology is a relatively new sub-discipline, but one that is increasingly relevant in today's online world. In this module, the effects of the Internet and technology will be examined from a psychological perspective. We will examine many contemporary issues such as online dating, the use of social media, online advertising, and how we interact with others on the Internet including cybercrime.
- Collective Action and Social ChangeOptional
Module details
You will learn about individual and group level processes that energize and sedate social change. You will be exposed to a wide variety of contexts from across the world and work of researchers from these contexts. You will then apply your knowledge to and learning to analyse and understand current events, protests, demonstrations, and larger social movements and provide recommendations to decision makers.
- Health PsychologyOptional
Module details
Why do people behave the way that they do around their health? You will learn about key theories and models from health psychology that help us to understand the psychological aspects of health, the main methodological approaches we use to study health psychology, and how we can develop health interventions to promote aspects of health. You will also learn more about the inequalities in health that exist in society, and what we might be able to do to tackle them.
- Neuroimaging & Cognitive NeuroscienceOptional
Module details
One of science's biggest unanswered questions regards how complex cognition, behaviour, and consciousness arise from the structure and activity of the brain. This module will introduce methods and applications of cognitive neuroscience as a way to study brain-behaviour relationships, how to test psychological theories of cognition, and understand the effects of brain injury and disease. You will learn about brain imaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and EEG, etc.
- Child Psychology in PracticeOptional
Module details
Psychology is used in many fields and professions which seek to improve the lives of children. One of the most common ways is in interventions, which are designed to address developmental, social, or educational issues. This module will introduce you to the foundational principles of intervention design and evaluation and how psychology has been applied in a variety of contexts, which may include: how children learn, healthy and unhealthy relationships, children with special educational needs an
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course examines how psychology applies to sport coaching and performance. You'll usually begin with foundations in anatomy, exercise physiology and introductory sport psychology, covering motivation, confidence and how the body adapts to training. Year 2 typically moves into biomechanics, physiology of training, and research methods, combining lab work with applied coaching practice. In your final year, you'll choose specialist options such as strength and conditioning, sport psychology, nutrition, rehabilitation, coaching or PE teaching routes, whilst undertaking an applied placement with teams or schools and completing an independent research project.
Who it's for
You're drawn to both psychology and sport, and want to understand what drives athletic performance and wellbeing. You're comfortable with academic study and practical application in equal measure, you'll read widely, design small research projects, and apply concepts to real coaching scenarios. You're suited to this if you enjoy problem-solving around human behaviour, thrive in structured learning, and see sport as a serious professional field rather than just leisure.
Careers & job market
Across Sport and Exercise Science courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months, with 62% in highly skilled roles or postgraduate study. National earnings for graduates in this field range from £22,000 to £30,000 at the 15-month mark, rising to £23,375–£33,000 by year five. Routes vary widely: some enter coaching, sports psychology services, health promotion, or research roles; others pursue further qualifications.
University & format
Keele University is a university founded in 1949, located in Keele. This is a full-time, 3-year BSc (Hons) degree taught in English. The course is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification will be nationally recognised. Keele received Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Contextual Offer. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 94% |
| another higher-education qualification | 2% |
| a Baccalaureate | 1% |
| an Access course | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code C813). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Keele University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Sport & Exercise Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £25,000 | £22,000 – £30,000 | 35 |
| 3 years after | £21,000 | £18,000 – £24,500 | 150 |
| 5 years after | £26,500 | £21,000 – £32,000 | 155 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sport & exercise science · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Sport & Exercise Science nationally
National figures for Sport & Exercise Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Sport & Exercise Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 915 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 14% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 12% of published destinations
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 145; response rate: 62%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Sport & Exercise Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Sport & Exercise Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Sports clubs & NGBs
- Leisure providers
- Schools
- The NHS
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Sport & Exercise Science graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
86% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.5 out of 10: NSS 81.6% · in work or study 86% · continued 87%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Keele University
Biological and sport sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Keele University
88 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Sport & Exercise Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Keele University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Keele University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Keele University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Keele University and gov.uk before you apply.
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BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science with Foundation YearBSc (Hons) · Keele UniversityCommon questions
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What will it cost me?
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