University of Limerick - Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology
Qualification Type : Masters - Degree
Qualification Letters : MSc.
Attendance Options : 1 Year Full-Time
Course Overview/Contact:
Application Deadline: APPLICATIONS WILL BE OPEN IN JUNE 2016 AND CLOSE ON THE 18th NOVEMBER 2016 FOR THE PROGRAMME WHICH COMMENCES IN JANUARY 2017.
This MSc. programme is dedicated to providing a thorough grounding in the knowledge and application of psychological principles to sport, exercise and performance settings in order to enhance wellbeing and performance. It seeks to equip candidates with a sound understanding of theory and research and develop core competencies and professional skills across a range of key domains including the following: motor cognition and skill acquisition; performance psychology; exercise and mental health; applied positive psychology; organisational behaviour and wellbeing; professional issues and ethics; and research design and methods. The core aims of the programme are to create an outstanding and distinctive learning experience through innovations in teaching (e.g. e-learning module in applied positive psychology), instilling a scientist practitioner approach across both sport and exercise contexts and highlighting the role of ethical considerations in practice.
The MSc. aims to:
- Provide a learner-focused and connected curriculum to enable students to develop their capacity to think critically and acquire a broad set of attributes as identified by the UL as knowledgeable, proactive, innovative, responsible, articulate and collaborative.
- Extend the traditional remit of sport psychology by focusing on performance restoration, resilience and mental health, rather than exclusively targeting performance enhancement.
- Enhance the understanding of mental health challenges in sport contexts using a positive psychology approach.
- Develop a multidisciplinary mode of graduate enquiry coupled with an ethical scientist-practitioner basis.
- Lead the provision of postgraduate training in this evolving field of Performance psychology.
- Provide stage one of the recognition process for sport and exercise psychologists for PSI and BPS.
- Include the appropriate skills to enable graduates to develop a case study submission as part of their application for professional membership of the Irish Institute of Sport.
Contact:
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Coure Director: Dr Tadhg MacIntyre |
Course Director: Dr Mark Campbell |
Graduate Profile:
The MSc. in Sport, Exercise and Performance psychology, the first programme of its kind at university level in Ireland, aims to prepare students for a range of employment opportunities across the four tracks identified by the American Psychological Association, Division 47 Sport and Exercise Psychology. Specifically, these include:
Track I: Teaching/research in sport sciences & also consulting;
Track II: Teaching/research in psychology & also consulting;
Track III: Clinical/Counseling services to various populations including athletes;
Track IV: Health promotion and working with clients but not necessarily athletes.
Furthermore, there is a demand for training in this field for those whose ambition is to work in high performance sport settings. In Ireland and the UK, many of those trained in sport psychology have undertaken roles as performance directors, professional sport coaches and sport management. Thus employability is likely to be strong not just for those who wish to train as practitioners, but for those for whom a postgraduate qualification in this domain augments their other qualifications and professional experience.
Programme Content:
| Semester 1 (Spring) | Semester 2 (Summer) | Semester 3 (Autumn) |
Choose from either:
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Scheduling |
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Entry Requirements:
An undergraduate degree, 2.2 honours degree (Level 8 National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or other internationally recognised equivalent) in a relevant or appropriate subject (e.g., psychology). RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) entry will be available for those without a related degree.
Entrants with degrees that meet either the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) or British Psychological Society (BPS) graduate entry requirements will receive the same award as students without this status (e.g., BSc. Sport and Exercise Science graduates) but the former will be able to apply to PSI/BPS for recognition of their progress towards accreditation. It is envisaged that the Masters degree will be recognised as stage one of the PSI/BPS recognition process (stage 3 comprises supervised experience. Accreditation from will be applied for in advance of start date so the Masters programme. will have "Accreditation Applied" status).
Entry to the programme will be based on the result of an oline application and appropriate academic references. There will be no interview.
What to include with your application
- Qualification transcripts and certificates,
- English language qualification(s) if English is not your first language
- Certified English translation of your transcripts/certificates where the original transcripts are in a language other than English,
- A CV (Curriculum Vitae),
- Scanned copy of any membership of psychological societies and CPD workshop attendance,
- A copy of your birth certificate or passport
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of either prior successful completion of a degree qualification taught through the medium of English or meet one of the criteria below (no longer than two years prior to application):
Acceptable English Language qualifications include the following:
- Matriculation examinations from European countries where English is presented as a subject and an acceptable level is achieved
- Irish Leaving Certificate English –Ordinary Level Grade D or above
- TOEFL – 580 (paper based) or 100 (internet based)
- IELTS – Minimum score of 6.5 with no less than 6 in any one component.
- English Test for English and Academic Purposes (ETAPP) – Grade C1
- GCE ‘O’ level English Language/GCSE English Language – Grade C or above
- University of Cambridge ESOL –Certificate of Proficiency in English - Grade C / Certificate in Advanced English Grade A
- GCE Examination Boards – Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations – Grade C / Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate – School Certificate Pass 1-6 / University of London Entrance and School Examinations Council – School Certificate Pass 1-6
Results in examinations other than those listed above may also be accepted as meeting our English language requirements. Contact the International Education Division for advice.
