Individual Performance Psychology (Micro-credential)

About This Course

Individual Performance Psychology is a flexible, part-time, Level 7 postgraduate short course you can study online. It is open to learners resident in the UK and internationally.

Why is it that some people train well but do not compete well (and vice versa)? Why are some more prone to performance slumps than others? Or, why is it that performance levels may fluctuate across time for no obvious reason?

You will explore how personality, cognition, psychological resources, mental toughness, and levels of stress interact upon training and performance environments. You will explore why some people train well but do not compete well, and vice versa, considering the questions ‘Who’s mental, who’s tough, and who’s both?’ There will be a focus on some of the work that teaching staff conducted with the England and Wales Cricket Board in the run-up to their successful 2019 World Cup campaign. You will be expected to apply this knowledge to your own performance domains to provide an individually driven psychological intervention to aid training, build resilience and coping strategies, and hence improve performance under pressure.

Take your learning further

The credits you earn through this micro-credential may be recognised towards Performance Psychology MSc, subject to the programme’s admission requirements.

For more information, contact the Programme or Course Lead. You can also find guidance in �ֲ��ý’s Regulations for Taught Programmes.

Other micro-credentials in this series:

Who is this micro-credential for?

This Individual Performance Psychology module is for you if you are a high-performing individual in a discipline such as business, music, sport, the armed forces or healthcare, particularly if you work in a high-pressure environment.

It is designed for you if you are interested in understanding and enhancing the psychological factors that influence your personal performance. Your interests may include developing resilience, attentional control, emotional regulation, confidence, mental toughness and effective decision-making.

The module is particularly relevant if you want to understand how individual psychological differences and environmental influences shape your performance, and how evidence-based and even bespoke psychological strategies can be applied to help you overcome challenges, manage stress and achieve your personal and professional goals under pressure.

Our learners have included people from across the UK, and more widely from across the globe. This short course is part of our Performance Psychology MSc, and our alumni include:

Professional sport coaches and instructors: Rugby, Cricket, Gaelic Football, and Endurance Running Coaches
UK Coaching Team Members
Elite Athletes: Professionals in football, Gaelic football, cricket and rugby players, Golfers,
Performance Directors for Professional Rugby Union Teams
Opera Performers
Professional Musicians
Business Leaders
Senior management from organisations such as MasterCard and Facebook
RAF Helicopter Rear Crew
Air traffic controllers
Police Officers
General Practitioners and Anaesthetists
NHS Managers

This micro-credential is open to learners resident in the UK and internationally.

Why study this micro-credential?

The main objective of this course is to highlight the important role that individual differences play how we respond to and perform under pressure. As humans, we all have unique pathways to failure under pressure, and understanding those individual pathways and intervening at the individual level will go some way to alleviating poor performance.

In this course, you will explore direct and interactive relationships between personality, psychological resources, emotions and cognition upon preparation and performing under pressure. Using information gathered from a variety of sources (self-report questionnaire data, observational data, performance data and interview data), you will design a bespoke intervention for a client that will help them to perform at a more consistent level across time.

How will you study?

This 10-credit micro-credential runs from September, with teaching over 12 weeks. Your final assessment is due four weeks after the final lecture week , and you should plan to continue studying until then.

Teaching takes place online through Blackboard Ultra, MS Teams, and Panopto.

You will have access to all lecture materials at the start of the course, allowing you to progress at a pace that suits your personal circumstances.

You will join the existing teaching schedule and attend the same sessions as learners on the Performance Psychology MSc programme.

You should plan for approximately 100 hours of study across the course. This includes:

20 hours of scheduled teaching, comprising live (interactive) video conferences and pre-recorded lectures;
80 hours of guided independent study, including reading, preparation and assessment work.

What technology will you need?

You will need access to:

A laptop or desktop computer in good working order.
A reliable internet connection suitable for accessing learning materials, joining live online sessions, and uploading assessment work.
A microphone, speakers or headphones, and a webcam.

You should be comfortable using email, accessing online learning materials, creating and uploading documents, and joining online sessions.

You will use Blackboard Ultra, Panopto, and MS Teams to access course materials, submit assessments, and join teaching sessions.

As a �ֲ��ý student, you can download a range of software through Digital Services as needed.

Meet your tutor

Dr Stuart Beattie

Stuart is a Reader in Performance Psychology, director of the MSc in Performance Psychology (distance Learning), HCPC Registered Sport Psychologist, and a member of the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP).

His research interests include Mental Toughness, Resilience, and Performance Psychology in General.

Stuart brings practical experience from work with British Gymnastics, the RAF, England and Wales Cricket, and Manchester City Football Club, and has been involved with resilience projects for Outlook Expeditions and the Youth Justice Service.

Current PhD supervision projects include examining Resilience, Mental Toughness, and Triadic Relationship projects with Manchester City Football Club, as well as supervising PhD candidates within the NHS.

As part of the MSc Performance Psychology (distance learning), Stuart also provides supervisory support to students across the domains of Opera, RAF, Business, and Sport Coaching.

View Dr Stuart Beattie’s profile

Course Content

What will you study on this course?

The content will be based around aspects of:

personality
psychological skills
cognition's
emotional and behavioural regulation
the training environment
mental toughness
mentally tough behaviour in training and competition
resilience
performance.

This short course will help you explore direct and interactive relationships between personality, psychological resources, emotions, cognitions upon preparation and performing under pressure. Using information gathered from a variety of sources (self-report questionnaire data, observational data, performance data, and interview data) you will design a bespoke intervention for an individual that will help them to perform at a more consistent level across time.

Learning outcomes will assess your ability to analyse critical information via a triangulation of methods (performance data, observational data, and questionnaire data) that will allow you to make an informed judgement about an individual's ability to perform under pressure.

You will critically assess and evaluate a client’s psychological profile in relation to personality, mental toughness, mentally tough behaviour, cognitions, self-regulation, and psychological skills and show how this might influence performing under pressure.

Finally, you will demonstrate your ability to design a research-driven intervention that will minimise the likelihood of impaired performance under pressure.

Learning Units

The teaching sessions cover the following:

Week 1: Introduction to module and assessment overview
Week 2: Introduction to Mental Toughness
Week 3: Mentally Tough Behaviour
Week 4: Development of Mental Toughness 1
Week 5: Development of Mental Toughness 2
Week 6: Live seminar with course lecturer (no lectures)
Week 7: Personality and Mental Toughness
Week 8: Mental Toughness Interventions
Week 9: Training Environments
Week 10: Coping and Mental Toughness
Week 11: Personality, Pressure Training, and module Overview
Week 12: Live seminar with course lecturer (no lectures)

What will you learn?

By the end of this short course, you will be able to:

Demonstrate your ability to design a research driven intervention that will minimise the likelihood of impaired performance under pressure. This intervention should comprise of both individualised social-support psych skills interventions (i.e., more soft skills in nature) and training drills and practices (i.e., more hard skills in nature).
Critically assess and evaluate a clients psychological profile in relation to personality, mental toughness, mentally tough behaviour, cognitions, self-regulation, and psychological skills and show how this might influence performing under pressure.
Analyse critical information via a triangulation of methods (performance data, observational data, and questionnaire data) that will allow you to make an informed judgment about an individual's ability to perform under pressure.

How will you be assessed?

The assessment is set at the end of week 12 and consists of an individualised intervention where you will be presented with a case study containing an assessment of behaviours under pressure, personality, and other psychological profiles.

The assessment has a maximum word count of 2,000 words and accounts for 100% of your module mark.

Your award and further study options

On successful completion of this micro-credential, including the required assessment, you will receive a standalone micro-credential award from �ֲ��ý worth 10 credits at Level 7. It recognises your achievement in this course but is not, by itself, a full higher education qualification, such as a degree, diploma or postgraduate certificate.

An academic transcript will be available once your results are confirmed. It will detail the micro-credential completed, the credits awarded and the level of study.

Take your learning further

The credits you earn through this micro-credential may be recognised towards Performance Psychology MSc, subject to the programme’s admission requirements.

For more information, contact the Programme or Course Lead. You can also find guidance in �ֲ��ý’s Regulations for Taught Programmes.

Other micro-credentials in this series:

Course Cost

The total fee for this micro-credential starting in 2027-28 is still to be confirmed for UK residents and international students.

Please see our Postgraduate Fees and Finances page for further information about tuition fees and payment methods and plans.

Entry Requirements

We welcome applications from graduates and experienced professionals.

You should normally have one of the following:

an undergraduate honours degree at 2.2 or above, or an equivalent qualification; or
at least three years’ relevant work experience, alternative professional qualifications, or a combination of both.
Relevant experience may include work as an athlete, coach, professional musician, business or finance executive, or another professional role within a high-performance environment.

If you’re applying through professional experience, we’ll consider your application individually, taking account of your experience and any recent study or professional development that demonstrates readiness for Level 7 study.

The course is delivered in English. Applicants who do not speak English or Welsh as their first language must provide evidence of English-language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0, with no individual component below 5.5.

Application

Before you apply

Please prepare the following information in a Word document:

current employment details;
relevant professional experience and employment history; and
details of your highest qualification.

You will also need:

a copy of an official academic transcript for your qualification. If this document is not in English, you will need to include an official, certified English translation;
the name of any employer or organisation funding your study, where applicable.

How to apply

Please read and follow this application guide. It includes important information to help you complete your application for this course.

To apply for this course, create an account in the �ֲ��ý Applicant Portal. You will need access to the email address you use so that you can confirm your account.

After creating an account, you will see an application homepage containing the following sections:

Personal Details;
Programme;
Additional Information;
Contact Details;
Education History;
Employment History;
Language; and
Finance.

Complete each section and save as you go. A tick will appear when a section is complete. You can return to your application at any time using a link that will be emailed to you.

Once you have completed all sections, submit your application.

Available Programmes:
Select ��ྱ��ٲ��Գ��-��𲹰��Ծ��Բ�”, then type in “N�ҳҰ�/��ʱ�”
The full course title should show "NGGT NG Individual Performance Psychology" – select this course.
Click “Save and Continue”
Select the start date: September (2027/28 Academic year)
Click “Save and Continue”
Supporting Documents:
You do not need to write a personal statement to apply for this course. Instead, in the “Personal Statement” field, please upload the Word document you prepared, which details your current employment, professional experience and employment history, and your highest qualification.
Click “Save and Continue”

Please provide details of your highest qualification and upload the supporting documents.

Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click “I have no employment history”, as you have already provided this information in the Word document.

If you are paying the course fee yourself

Select ��ٱ��-�ڳܲԻ徱�Բ�” and complete the relevant finance questions.

If a sponsor (for example, your employer, an NHS organisation or another funding body) is paying all or part of your course fee

Select ��ٱ�ǲԲ��ǰ��” and enter:

the sponsor’s full legal name
whether the sponsor is paying all or part of the fee, and
the exact amount they have agreed to pay, in GBP

Please upload written confirmation from the sponsor. This can be a letter, a completed form or a copy of an email and must include:

your full name
the title of the course or module
the sponsor’s full legal name and postal address
the exact amount the sponsor has agreed to pay
the email address to which the invoice should be sent
the name and email address of a contact who can answer any queries, and
a purchase order number, if required by the sponsor. This can be marked “To follow” if the sponsor only issues a purchase order after receiving an invoice.

If your sponsorship has not yet been confirmed

You do not need to wait for a funding decision before submitting your application. Please answer the finance questions based on your circumstances at the time of applying.

If your sponsorship is confirmed after you have applied, please complete your registration, including the identity check. Once you have registered, email the written confirmation and invoicing information listed above to studentcompliance@bangor.ac.uk. Include your �ֲ��ý student number and the title of the course or module.

If you have arranged for a third party to pay Fees on your behalf, you will remain responsible to pay us the Fees in the event that the third party fails to do so when those Fees become due. If a refund is payable under this Contract, we may be required to make any refund directly to the third party who paid the Fees on your behalf.

If the sponsor is paying only part of the course fee, you will be responsible for the remaining balance.

Does your sponsor need to set �ֲ��ý up as a supplier?

Some sponsors need to register �ֲ��ý as a supplier before they can issue a purchase order. If this applies, ask your sponsor’s finance or procurement team to contact remittance@bangor.ac.uk as early as possible. They can request official bank details or send any supplier forms that �ֲ��ý needs to complete.

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