BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme
The BASES Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route (SEPAR) programme was launched in February 2020 and is the latest Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) approved training route for Sport and Exercise Psychologists. Through SEPAR, Sport and Exercise Psychologists in Training (SEPiTs) will acquire knowledge, skills, and experience relating to competencies that confers eligibility for registration with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
To gain entry onto SEPAR the registrant must hold graduate membership of BASES and be able to evidence underpinning psychology knowledge, and a MSc. in Sport and / or Exercise Psychology.
For the M-level qualification, registrants must have successfully completed a programme which has sufficient coverage of the relevant knowledge based HCPC Standards of Proficiencies (13.52-13.57) for Practitioner Psychologists. To date, SEPAR applicants (whether UK-based or International) have been required to complete a mapping exercise to demonstrate that their MSc. programme adequately covers such requirements.
The BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme (PSES) has been designed to allow registrants to evidence expediently, the completion of an appropriate M-level qualification for entry onto to SEPAR, which covers the relevant knowledge-based HCPC Standards of Proficiencies. In essence, this scheme will support future Sport and Exercise Psychologists choose an MSc. programme that is BASES endorsed, and which will appropriately position them for application to SEPAR upon completion.
Endorsement criteria
To gain BASES Endorsement through the PSES scheme, providers must demonstrate that their MSc. programme satisfies the criteria outlined in the BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme Application Form, which is structured around the following sections:
1. Sport and Exercise Psychology (1.1.1 - 1.1.6)
Relevant competencies for all MSc. programmes
The nature of sport and exercise psychology; motivation, confidence, and participation for sport; physical activity and exercise; group and team-based theories; gender, diversity and cultural competence; contemporary topics in sport and exercise psychology; mental health
2. Sport Psychology (1.2.1 - 1.2.4)
Relevant competencies for Sport and Sport & Exercise Psychology programmes (only)
Performance enhancement; psychomotor learning and sport performance; understanding of special issues in sport psychology; coaching psychology
3. Exercise psychology (1.3.1 - 1.3.3)
Relevant competencies for Exercise and Sport & Exercise Psychology programmes (only)
Epidemiology of physical activity and health; physical activity promotion strategies; special populations in physical activity and exercise
4. Complimentary Areas to Sport & Exercise Psychology (1.4.1)
Relevant competencies for all MSc. programmes
The sport sciences and applied professions.
5. Issues in Professional Practice (1.5.1 - 1.5.3)
Relevant competencies for all MSc. programmes
Current Issues in the professional practice of sport and exercise psychology; Philosophy, frameworks and models for applied sport and exercise psychology; approaches to counselling
Important Documents:
BASES Postgraduate SPEAR Endorsement Scheme Application Form
BASES Postgraduate SPEAR Endorsement Scheme Handbook and Guidance
How to apply
Applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year.
To apply, download and complete the BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme Application Form and submit along with relevant supporting documentary evidence to: education@bases.org.uk.
Payment can be made either by invoice (please provide purchase order number) or by credit card please call the office.
Further information can be found in the BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme Handbook and Guidance. Within the guidance there is also an example of how to effectively present the application and evidence.
BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme Endorsement Fees
The endorsement fee for a single degree course is £1,800 + VAT. This covers the cost of the application review, the assessment process, and the five-year period of endorsement. If an application for endorsement is not successful 80% of the total application fee will be refunded.
BASES endorsed MSc. programmes will enable future Sport and Exercise Psychologists to evidence sufficient coverage of the HCPC Standards of Proficiencies (13.52-13.57) required for application on to SEPAR.
The endorsed programme will also be placed on the BASES course finder, and the provider will be able to use the BASES endorsed logo in relevant marketing materials. Any unique features of the MSc. provision (e.g., exposure to specialist sport and/or exercise psychology topics) can also appear on the BASES course finder, enabling the programme and its USP’s to be marketed among prospective students.
Look out for the ‘BASES Endorsed Course Logo’, which is awarded to all successful applicants, or refer to the BASES Course directory to confirm whether a postgraduate degree course is endorsed by BASES.
Additional Information for Higher Education Establishments
The BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme (PSES) gives university department further credibility and an evidence of quality assurance from the leading UK professional body in sport and exercise sciences.
When a MSc. programme is BASES endorsed through the PSES process, it sends a message to students, parents, careers advisors, and employers, the the course provides a robust curriculum that endures graduating students are being prepared for a future career within sport and / or exercise psychology.
In addition to the marketing benefits of BASES endorsement, the PSES scheme will also be an invaluable resource (alongside Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education subject benchmark statements) for departments and staff who are (re-) validating or reviewing their MSc. programmes.
The BASES PSES Scheme can differentiate your course(s) from those at other institutions. We therefore encourage you to communicate course endorsement through your website, printed materials, social media, and public relations' campaigns.
As indicated, the cost for each course endorsement is £1,800 + VAT, which covers the processing and reviewing of the application and (if successful), will enable the MSc. programme to be BASES endorsed for a five-year period. However, in addition, the endorsed programmes will be:
- Listed on the BASES Endorsed Course directory and Course Finder directory on the BASES website
- Listed in the biennial BASES Careers Guide (printed and online editions)
- Listed in the BASES quarterly publication, The Sport and Exercise Scientist and BASES monthly newsletter (following endorsement / re-endorsement)
You will also be able to use the BASES endorsed logo in relevant marketing materials, and any unique features of the MSc. provision will appear on the BASES course finder. Collectively, this will enable the course and its unique selling points (USP’s) to be marketed effectively among prospective students.
Finally, institutions with a BASES endorsed MSc. programme will also benefit from:
- Free printed copies of the BASES Careers Guide
- Exclusive discounts: 20% off advertising a course in BASES quarterly publication, The Sport and Exercise Scientist, and 25% off job vacancy listings
- Preferential bulk membership rates for students and staff.
Additional Information for Students:
With so many MSc. programmes available it is important to consider which is the best for you. The BASES Postgraduate Endorsement Scheme (PSES) has been designed to help you choose a course, which (upon completion) will appropriately position you for application to SEPAR. Hence, MSc. courses that have been endorsed through the PSES process have been recognised as providing robust coverage of the relevant knowledge based HCPC Standards of Proficiencies (13.52-13.57) for Practitioner Psychologists.
Therefore, BASES endorsed postgraduate courses will provide you with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies deemed essential to enter into the sport and / or exercise psychology profession.
In addition, the PSES process ensures you will be taught by staff with appropriate qualifications, expertise, and professional body accreditation, including those accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)
Additional Information for Employers:
For employers looking to acquire the best sport and exercise psychologists, a BASES endorsed postgraduate programme provides you with the confidence that they have received high-quality MSc. curriculum, resources, and opportunities. Those graduates will be eligible to enter the BASES Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route (SEPAR), where they will acquire further knowledge, skills, and experience that confers eligibility for registration with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
In essence, BASES endorsement of Sport and Exercise Science postgraduate degrees through the BASES Postgraduate SEPAR Endorsement Scheme process, indicates that the MSc. programme meets the knowledge-based criteria relating to the HCPC Standards of Proficiencies (13.52-13.57) for Practitioner Psychologists.