Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons)

This module shows you how to design, deliver and evaluate applied physical activity sessions, in the context of the national curriculum for teaching Physical Education (PE). Typical weekly sessions involve practical and group-based activities in the sports hall, where your communication skills and professionalism are developed and assessed. This is in the context of working with individuals from pre-school age to older adults, giving you coaching and teaching skills.

Your opportunity to meet professionals working in PE teaching, sports coaching, personal training, exercise referral, the health and fitness industry and others to help build your professional networks and discuss your career plans with potential future employers.

This module introduces you to a series of competency-based scientific methods for assessing human performance. This involves assessing the physiological systems of the body, such as the cardio-respiratory system, skeletal muscle and the metabolic system, and investigating the biomechanical principles underpinning movement technique. The laboratory sessions are designed to teach you sport science laboratory skills such as taking blood, measuring oxygen uptake, monitoring heart rate, and movement analysis using 3D motion capture and assessing ground reaction forces.

This module introduces you to the professional and interpersonal skills needed to work with and assess the human performer and, working in a multidisciplinary team, enable effective communication and rapport building. You acquire practical knowledge in how to deliver psychological and motor behaviour assessment tools such as performance profiles, systematic observations and eye tracking. Together you use these interpersonal skills and assessment tools to help an athlete to meet their potential in their sport.

This module looks at sport and its role within society. You will examine this in relation to global, social, political and economic aspects. You will use social scientific theory to identify, analyse and evaluate the social values relating to power and hierarchy, fairness and deviance, money and sport as a commodity.

This module works like a real-life sport and exercise science consultancy service. We have strong links with athletes and sports teams. These athletes will visit the laboratories at the University and you will assess their sporting performance using a variety of cutting edge techniques, under the supervision of highly qualified and experienced members of academic staff. You develop the practical and professional skills required to deliver a high quality sport and exercise consultancy service in both the laboratory and field environments. You have the opportunity to build your competencies in a range of scientific methods across the core disciplines in sport and exercise science.

You study the role of a personal trainer, covering anatomy and physiology. This includes the structure and function of major body systems, and maintaining health, safety and welfare in fitness environments, with safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults considered. You also explore safe and effective exercise for a range of clients, and the health benefits of physical activity and healthy eating. Learn how to communicate effectively with clients and motivate them to adhere to an exercise programme.

Develop your knowledge and understanding of sport and exercise science, and the research processes that underpin them. Explore a range of contemporary topics including physiology, biomechanics, motor control, psychology and sociology. Learn about the core debates and evidence relating to specific topics within these areas and research processes to produce academic studies.

You focus on the immediate and long-term effects of exercise on the physiological systems, for example - energy metabolism, cardiovascular system, neuromuscular system and the endocrine system of the human body. Key areas of exercise physiology are covered, including introduction to health physiology, chronic diseases, the ageing process and issues surrounding digital health. A major focus is the development of your practical skills and the application of theoretical knowledge to practical situations, as they relate to health physiology.

Within this module you study biomechanics and motor learning i sport and exercise settings. You take part in a number of practical sessions on the outdoor 3G artificial pitch or in the sports hall, which are designed to help you generate applied research questions regarding how best to improve movement skills in sports performance. You are shown how to design, conduct and evaluate a research project involving a 3D analysis of movement.

The physical benefits of exercise are extensively documented, but exercise can also be used to enhance society’s psychological health, well-being and cognitive functioning. By using exercise as a means to enhance well-being, individuals can reap the physical benefits and experience an overall increase in their quality of life. In this module you explore a range of topics related to mental and cognitive well-being, and examine the efficacy of various public health promotion campaigns.

You have a clear opportunity to expand and consolidate your links with the employers you meet throughout the degree. We have direct links to working in sports performance (through Tees Valley Sport, local clubs, Middlesbrough Football Club., MFC Foundation, and our own Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy module), public health (through Public Health South Tees), and a range of other opportunities. You forge strong links with professionals in industry, and gain key skills from working in your chosen field. With your placement supervisor you identify a challenge or problem in their line of work, propose solutions, and present the findings in a student conference attended by employers and students at all levels. Employers provide a formative report on your aptitude and engagement with the placement, and your self-reflection on this experience is a crucial assessment component. All placements must be approved by our Placement Officer.

You benefit from our working relationship with Public Health South Tees. In the previous academic year, you acquired a range of competencies in sport and exercise. While this was in the context of improving sports performance, in this second year module you learn how these methods can also promote well-being and positive outcomes in communities facing health inequalities, for example, due to disease, ageing, and socio-economic factors. You meet qualified exercise practitioners who deliver physical activity as a form of medicine for hard to reach groups. You have the opportunity to meet the clients, discuss the interventions, and learn how practical outcomes are achieved to benefit the lives of real people. Ultimately, you gain a clear understanding of how physical activity interventions are developed, delivered and evaluated in target populations.

You cover a variety of topics relevant to the role of a personal trainer, building on your previous knowledge and skills. Personal training begins by assessing the client’s current fitness level, with an in-depth discussion of lifestyle, needs and goals. You develop a customised fitness plan and provide instruction, encouragement, motivation and accountability.

This module builds on your proposal for an intervention in your second core module. You deliver the short-term intervention you have previously proposed for a named case study involving a human performer. You report and evaluate the outcomes with reference to issues of evidenced-based practice and ethical issues.

Explore contemporary issues in the promotion and delivery of physical education, activity and school sport. Use a variety of resources to critically evaluate research in children's physical fitness and sport. Develop your knowledge to establish important links between physical education in schools and the development of children. Apply your academic and?practical skills to?identify factors that influence participation in sport and?physical activity. Evaluate interventions and translate research into practice.

You complete an in-depth, independent investigation into a specialist aspect of your field of study. You bring together a range of practical and academic skills developed in previous study, including analysing and critically evaluating data and a critical reflection on the potential risks, and moral and ethical issues. You are supported by a research supervisor who helps you develop and complete your research project.

This is a 40-credit module.

This module provides a second opportunity to further expand and consolidate the links you have made with employers. We have direct links to working in sports performance (through Tees Valley Sport, local clubs, Middlesbrough Footbal Club, MFC Foundation, and our own Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy module), public health (through Public Health South Tees), and a range of other opportunities. You again work with the placement supervisor to identify a challenge or problem in their line of work, propose solutions, and present the findings in a student conference attended by employers and students. Employers provide a formative report on your aptitude and engagement with the placement, and your self-reflection on this experience is a crucial assessment component. All placements must be approved by our Placement Officer. A further component requires evidence of your engagement in the credit-based system throughout the degree in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including research participation, continued professional development (CPD) activities, short courses, and volunteering, which are offered throughout the course.

You examine a variety of topics related to analysing human performance. Performance is defined in the broadest sense, in that this can range from any level of engagement in physical activity, for example in sedentary, impaired or disadvantaged populations through to participation and elite sports. You also consider the sociological context of the performer and use needs analysis to propose an intervention for performance improvement.

You study group exercise in one of seven possible disciplines. This is listed on your certificate, allowing you to access roles instructing group exercise classes and sessions in your chosen discipline.