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This is a flexible part-time, level 7 postgraduate short course delivered online.

Mastering the art of delivering optimal performances in pivotal moments is the true mark of a champion, be it in business, the performing arts, music, or sports.

We'll delve into the precise ways pressure affects performance and provide strategies to avoid faltering under stress. Learn how to excel when it counts the most.

Who is this Short Course suitable for?

This short course is aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding how and why performance breaks down under stress. This module will be of special interest to those who work in high pressure domains or work with people who do.  

Our learners have included people from across the UK, and more widely from across the globe. This short course is part of our MSc Performance Psychology (distance learning), 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

Why study this course?

This course will help you understand how psychological pressure can impact human performance, and what psychological strategies can be employed to optimize performance under stress. It will involve the study of 4 prominent pressure and performance theories. We will strive to bring the material to life by presenting real life examples and case studies of athletes experiencing pressure and performance issues. You will learn how to diagnose pressure and performance problems, and how to prescribe psychological interventions to alleviate any adverse effects of pressure.

How long does this course take to complete?

This short course is delivered over a 12-week period. However, you will have access to all lecture material at the start of the course which will enable you to go as fast or as slow as your personal circumstances dictate.

Assessment

The module is assessed through two presentations focused on diagnosing (presentation 1) and offering an intervention (presentation 2) to solve a pressure and performance problem. Both assessments will be delivered via narrated PowerPoint presentations (10 and 8 minutes respectively) that will occur towards the end of the course. 

Technical Requirements 

This is an online course delivered via Blackboard Ultra. Students must have access to a stable internet connection, IT and up-to-date computer and software, a microphone and headphones or speakers. 

Tutor

Dr Stuart Beattie 

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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 worked as a sport psychologist for British Gymnastics for five years 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

 

What will you study on this course?

This short course will help you understand how psychological pressure can impact human performance, and what psychological strategies can be employed to optimize performance under stress.

Candidates will learn about the most up-to-date theories and applied interventions in stress and performance literature, and the main areas of stress and performance that will be covered include:

• Attentional Control e.g., why are we distracted by threat?

• Ironic Effects e.g., why do we do the exact things that we tell ourselves not to?

• Reinvestment e.g., why do we sometimes “overthink” our movements under pressure?

• Challenge and Threat perceptions e.g., what do our psychophysiological responses to stress mean, and how can we optimally control them?

The second part of the short course will include intervention planning, design, and reflection, where we will explore real life examples and case studies of individuals experiencing pressure and performance issues.

You will learn how to diagnose pressure and performance problems, and how to prescribe psychological interventions to alleviate any adverse effects of pressure.

Learning Units

The short course syllabus contains 18 pre-recorded and 2 online live lectures which cover the following:

• Lecture 1-6: Reinvestment Theory and Reinvestment Interventions
• Lecture 7-12: Challenge & Threat Appraisal Theory and Interventions 
• Lecture 13-17: Attentional control theory
• Lecture 18-19: Theory of Ironic Effects
• Lecture 20: Stress and Performance interventions

 Two live Q&A support sessions will be held halfway through the module and again at the end of week 11/12.

Assessment

The short course is assessed by two presentations focused on diagnosing (presentation 1) and offering an intervention (presentation 2) to solve a pressure and performance problem.

Both assessments will be delivered via narrated PowerPoint presentations (10 and 8 minutes respectively) that will occur towards the end of the course.

On successful completion of this short course, students will be able to:

• describe the key theories used to explain the relationship between stress and performance
• critically analyse stress and performance research
• apply the contemporary stress and performance theory and research to explain performance slumps that present in real-life performer case studies
• construct theoretically driven interventions to help alleviate adverse effects of stress on performance

• The fee for the 2025/26 academic year will be £584 (including VAT).
• Please see our Postgraduate Fees and Finance page for further information.

Prospective applicants will usually require an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (of 2:2 or above). If you do not meet the academic requirements detailed above but have at least 3 years relevant work experience within a high-performance environment (e.g. as an athlete, coach or within a professional role), or hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a different academic area please contact the course lead to discuss further.
 s.j.beattie@bangor.ac.uk.
 

EU and Overseas students whose first language is not English are required to take the standardised English Language test (IELTS) before starting the course. Students who achieve a score of 6.0 or above (no individual score below 5.5) are eligible for direct entry to the course. 
The University offers pre-sessional language courses before courses start through ELCOS for those who need additional support to reach the required level.  
 

How to Apply

Please make sure you read and follow the step-by-step application guide as this will specify which sections of the application form are compulsory for the type of course you want to apply for and save you time.

Please prepare the following information (in a Word document):

• Current employment details;
• Years of experience, and employment history (where relevant)
• Name of staff member and organisation that have approved your funding for this module.

This will speed up the process of completing the application form.