Master's Degree Programme in Psychology of Physical Activity, Health and Well-being
Our master’s degree programme provides you with
- high-quality teaching in English
- education given by leading international experts in the field
- an individual study plan
- 2-year full-time education
- experience of both the Finnish culture and an international campus
- comprehensive services organised by the International Office of the University
PsyAct is the only university level programme in sport and exercise psychology in Finland.
Programme info
Applications for master's degree programmes can be submitted once a year in January.
To complete the programme, you must earn 120 ECTS credits. Studying full time, you will graduate within 2 years.
Sport and Exercise Psychology refers to the scientific study of human behaviour in sport and exercise contexts, and the practical application of that knowledge. Sport and Exercise Psychology includes three domains:
- Sport Psychology, which seeks to understand emotions and experiences athletes have in relation to their performances, the influence of coaches on athletes’ experiences, and self-regulation to optimize performance and maintain overall wellbeing and health.
- Exercise Psychology, which aims to understand the factors that facilitate or hinder a physically active lifestyle and to intervene to help people to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle;
- Research on how psychological wellbeing is affected by physical activity and the demands that sport can place on athletes, as well as interventions to maximize psychological wellbeing.
Student profile
The PsyAct programme provides both research and practice oriented master’s level education for future experts in the field of sport and exercise psychology. This programme is centred around the systematic application of behaviour change theory and methods to design, implement and evaluate interventions in the area of physical activity promotion and sport performance enhancement. In addition, PsyAct programme enables students to support the translation of evidence into practice across disciplines and sectors.
The students come from all over the world and also the teachers have a great deal of international experience. Students have frequent possibilities to attend lectures by internationally recognized scientists from all over the world.
Career opportunities for PsyAct graduates
The programme is designed to prepare students for careers in the private and public sectors as, for example, psychological health and well-being consultants, performance enhancement consultants, or academic researchers.
The programme includes a practicum period to be carried out within sport and health facilities, private companies, sport academies, or training centers.
As the programme is both research and practice oriented, alumni of our previous programmes in sport and exercise psychology have been well employable. In addition, graduates of the programme are also qualified to apply for PhD studies at higher education institutions in Finland or universities in other countries.
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Contact us
If you have questions concerning the admission process, please contact JYU Admission Services: admissions@jyu.fi
About tuition fees and the scholarship programme for students liable to pay tuition fees, please contact the International Office: degree-students@jyu.fi
