Sports and Exercise Science

This module offers an introduction to the study of sport from a socio-cultural perspective. Specifically, this module will engage students in contemporary discussions about what matters in sport, culture, and life.This module will help students to understand difficult concepts and explore some of the fundamental questions and challenges in sport today. Using examples from across the globe, students will also be encouraged to reflect on their basic assumptions with regards to sport. At the same time, an emphasis will be placed on the development of transferable academic skills and critical thinking in particular.

This module will seek to raise student awareness about the importance of developing graduate employability skills alongside their academic studies. Working with personal tutors, students will consider the various graduate careers they might pursue, the skills needed to undertake such roles, as well as reflecting on the skills they currently possess and how they might ‘bridge’ any gaps. Although there will be a focus on the sport, exercise, and health industries, students will also be encouraged to consider the transferable nature of graduate employability skills to other professions (e.g., teaching).

This module will introduce students to key topics in sport psychology. It will cover some of the key psychological theories and concepts that influence peoples’ experiences in the sport environment. These might include exploring what happens when athletes fail to cope with stress and anxiety; how athletes respond to and deal with injury; and what role personality and mental toughness might play in athletes reaching their potential. Students will also begin to discuss key readings related to some of the central concepts and thus develop their understanding. Fundamentally this module establishes a knowledge base that links to other sport psychology modules at levels five and six.

This module aims to introduce the basic concepts of biomechanics and relate these to human movement and sport performance. Students undertaking this module will extend and add to their knowledge of biomechanics and will gain the foundation of knowledge required for sport and exercise biomechanics modules at levels five and six.

This module will introduce anatomy with specific reference to human movement. Students will learn key terminology relating to muscular and skeletal structures and how those structures operate during different types of motion. Students will also be given the opportunity to explore anatomical structures in practical settings and gain a thorough understanding of how the human body moves.

This module will introduce the importance of research and explore the different philosophies that underpin scientific research in sport and exercise. It will also introduce a variety of specific qualitative and quantitative methods appropriate for the interdisciplinary study of sport and exercise. Consideration will also be given to key concepts such as validity, reliability and ethics.

This module will introduce students to thinking psychologically about physical activity and exercise participation. It will explore some of the key psychological theories and concepts that impact experiences with regards to physical activity and exercise. These might include how physical activity and exercise can improve our psychological well-being and mental health, or how social and environmental factors might support active travel. Students will also begin to discuss key readings related to some of the central concepts and thus develop their understanding.

This module intends to give students a basic yet broad grounding in key physiological systems that underpin sport and exercise performance. Students undertaking this module will extend their basic knowledge of physiology and will gain the foundation of knowledge required for sport and exercise physiology-based modules at levels five and six.

This module aims to provide students with the essential laboratory skills and knowledge associated with physiological and biomechanical testing in sport, exercise and health settings. A particular emphasis will be placed on practical skills and the awareness of the importance of valid and reliable measurement techniques.

This module will examine quantitative approaches to research in sport. An emphasis will be placed on practical research skills (e.g., key methods of data collection, management, analysis) and critical skills (e.g., evaluating research papers and methods), alongside a broad awareness of ethical issues in sport research.

This module aims to extend students’ knowledge of physiology by exploring the acute responses of physiological systems to sport and exercise. Additionally, the long-term adaptations to exercise training are investigated as well as the transitional effects of starting exercise from rest. Students will be given an opportunity to further enhance their laboratory skills and to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical settings.

This module will aim to give students an understanding of a number of theoretical models concerned with the development and control of human movement patterns. Students will explore quantitative approaches to analysing these movements with a particular focus on the student’s ability to accurately analyse the data collected and provide scientifically underpinned reasons for their findings. There will be a range of topics covered from single joint skill performance to whole body co-ordination tasks as well as the role of movement variability in skilled performance.

This module aims to extend students’ knowledge into the application of biomechanical assessment in sport and exercise activities. There will be an emphasis on the evaluation of technique through the practical assessment of movement. Allied to this, students will develop additional proficiencies related to the use of biomechanical laboratory equipment and the collection, collation, analysis and presentation of data. The biomechanical principles underpinning performance in a range of sport and exercise settings will also be considered, compared, contrasted and evaluated and particular attention will be paid to the academic skills needed to succeed within an applied biomechanics research setting.

This module will examine those psychological factors that affect physical activity and exercise behaviour. Specifically, this module will use theories and behavioural models to examine the possible barriers related to the adoption and maintenance of a physically active lifestyle in an environment where sedentary living is becoming ever more prevalent. The psychological processes that underpin the physical activity and exercise motivation literature will then be used to appraise the specific intervention programmes that practitioners may undertake.

This module aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to perform laboratory and field physiological testing on a variety of athletes. It will focus specifically on the broader aspects of fitness by examining components of body composition, cardiovascular responses to exercise, pulmonary responses to exercise and anaerobic fitness.

This module aims to provide students with the knowledge that underpins the effect of various clinical diagnoses on the physiology of the human body. It will focus specifically on clinical diagnoses associated with the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system, neurological conditions, diabetes and obesity.

This module aims to extend students’ knowledge into the application of biomechanical assessment in sport and exercise activities. There will be an emphasis on the evaluation of technique through the practical assessment of movement. Allied to this, students will develop additional proficiencies related to the use of biomechanical laboratory equipment and the collection, collation, analysis and presentation of data. The biomechanical principles underpinning performance in a range of sport and exercise settings will be considered, compared, contrasted and evaluated and particular attention will be paid to the academic skills needed to succeed within an applied biomechanics research setting.

This module aims to provide students with the experiences of planning and executing an in-depth and independent research project that investigates a specific area within sport/exercise. Students will negotiate the focus of the project with tutorial guidance and will be expected to show an awareness of research methodology appropriate for an empirical research project. Emphasis will be placed on topics that are analytical, interdisciplinary and/or evaluative in nature. This is the opportunity for students to produce a research project in a particular area of interest that relates to the curriculum being studied.

This module aims to use the knowledge gained at levels 4 and 5 to expand into the specific areas of human gait patterns and functional movement screening. Students will become proficient in a number of methods of movement analysis as well as further developing their existing skills relating to laboratory equipment and the collection, collation and analysis of data. There will be an additional focus on client interactions and some of the unique challenges that come with working in an applied health and exercise setting.

This module aims to critically evaluate the physiological and biochemical principles of sport and exercise within a nutritional context. Detailed consideration will be focused towards macronutrients and their role for individuals within a range of sport and exercise contexts. The module will provide students with skills surrounding the assessment and analysis of nutritional intake. The use of nutritional and supplement strategies will be critically evaluated in terms of performance enhancement and health.

• Sport Entrepreneurship and Innovation - 15 Credits
• Study Abroad - 15 Credits
• Professional Placement - 15 Credits
• Advanced Physiological Assessment - 15 Credits
• Rehabilitation Biomechanics - 15 Credits
• Eating Well: Food and Value in the 21st Century - 15 Credits
• Psychology of Injury - 15 Credits
• Clinical Exercise Prescription - 15 Credits
• High Performance Biomechanics - 15 Credits
• Clinical Exercise Biomechanics - 15 Credits

This module aims to provide students with the experiences of planning and executing an in-depth and independent research project that investigates a specific area within sport/exercise. Students will negotiate the focus of the project with tutorial guidance and will be expected to show an awareness of research methodology appropriate for an empirical research project. Emphasis will be placed on topics that are analytical, interdisciplinary and/or evaluative in nature. This is the opportunity for students to produce a research project in a particular area of interest that relates to the curriculum being studied.

This module aims to use the knowledge gained at levels 4 and 5 to expand into the specific areas of human gait patterns and functional movement screening. Students will become proficient in a number of methods of movement analysis as well as further developing their existing skills relating to laboratory equipment and the collection, collation and analysis of data. There will be an additional focus on client interactions and some of the unique challenges that come with working in an applied health and exercise setting.

This module aims to critically evaluate the physiological and biochemical principles of sport and exercise within a nutritional context. Detailed consideration will be focused towards macronutrients and their role for individuals within a range of sport and exercise contexts. The module will provide students with skills surrounding the assessment and analysis of nutritional intake. The use of nutritional and supplement strategies will be critically evaluated in terms of performance enhancement and health.

• Sport Entrepreneurship and Innovation - 15 Credits
• Study Abroad - 15 Credits
• Professional Placement - 15 Credits
• Advanced Physiological Assessment - 15 Credits
• Rehabilitation Biomechanics - 15 Credits
• Eating Well: Food and Value in the 21st Century - 15 Credits
• Psychology of Injury - 15 Credits
• Clinical Exercise Prescription - 15 Credits
• High Performance Biomechanics - 15 Credits
• Clinical Exercise Biomechanics - 15 Credits