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Why choose the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity
Work experience opportunities in our on-campus community exercise clinic with groups that include those with stroke rehabilitation; cancer palliative care; obesity; diabetes; cardiovascular disease; and older age
External placement opportunities at community exercise programmes and services; local authorities and public health departments; related charities; schools and sports teams
The University of Bedfordshire ranks 3rd in the UK for overall taught-postgraduate student satisfaction; 1st for student engagement and learning community (PTES, 2024)
About the course
We provide the support, subject knowledge and skills to achieve a postgraduate qualification designed to boost your career prospects. Attend timetabled sessions of one four-hour block per week, for 22 weeks, studying the key competencies in your field of study.
This innovative course brings together the fields of behaviour change and health, opening a host of career options where you can apply your expertise to promote health, modify behaviour and engender real change. Aligned with current public health policy, the course equips you to apply behavioural, social and sport sciences systematically to design, implement and evaluate impactful health interventions.
Course accreditation
We increase the employability of our graduates by being a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Specialist equipment
- Facilities include BASES-accredited laboratories including molecular and cellular labs and a biomechanics lab with 3D camera system
- Community exercise clinic
- Human Performance Centre with environmental heat chamber
- Sports therapy and rehabilitation centre
- Virtual-reality resource centre
- Strength and conditioning suite
- Nutrition research kitchen
- Equipment includes industry-leading equipment such as Woodway and h/p/cosmos® treadmills; hydrostatic weighing tank; echocardiogram machines; breath-by-breath gas analysers; blood analysers; 3D high-speed motion-capture camera system; and a range of force plates
Industry links
We are official partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region such as Bedford Tigers RLFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active, giving you opportunities to build your employability through work placements.
In addition, there are opportunities to develop personal and professional networks through our links with Sport England, governing bodies, active partnerships and health-industry experts.
We also host a hub of the Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences
Your student experience
Learn from a highly experienced academic team of behavioural scientists, exercise practitioners, nutritionists, physiologists, health psychologists and more, including internationally recognised behaviour change expert, Professor Angel Chater.
At our on-campus community exercise clinic, work with people experiencing conditions that impact their quality of life including cancer palliative care, stroke rehabilitation, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health concerns and older age.
Access our Human Performance Centre, which helps train professional athletes and sports people including Team GB and junior Formula 1 racing driver, Frederik Vesti; the heat chamber is regularly used to acclimatise athletes taking on competitions and marathons in places with high temperatures.
Take up external placements at a range of relevant organisations within sport and health, putting knowledge into practice in the real world.
Develop personal and professional networks through our links with Sport England, governing bodies, policy partners, relevant associations, active partnerships and health-industry experts.
Our academics offer supervision in a range of topics for your final major research project, which includes working in real-world environments such as with Premiere League football clubs; the Football Association (FA); rugby clubs; elite athletes; integrated care services; occupational health; the police and fire services; the NHS; public health; cardiac rehabilitation; and government bodies.
What will you study?
In the unit Exercise Prescription, you will explore how exercise programmes and nutritional interventions can treat and manage a range of long-term health conditions. From this, you will formulate recommendations for exercise and nutritional advice.
The Behavioural Science and Public Health unit will educate you in the use of cutting-edge behaviour-change intervention methodologies and tools to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes, promoting health and preventing disease and illness.
Learn to apply your knowledge of behavioural science, health psychology and behaviour change to research and practice in our Professional Skills for Healthcare Providers unit, focusing specifically on communication skills such as motivational interviewing.
Careers
This MSc is affiliated to the Research Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change within the Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR), and the Bedfordshire hub of the Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Behavioural and Social Science, both led by Professor Angel Chater. Students will be supported to secure placement and research opportunities in areas that match their career aspirations. Graduates will be equipped to work in a variety of settings with career prospects in public health; the NHS; governmental departments; the charity sector; sport, physical activity, fitness and health industries; education; and academic research.
You may also choose to continue to further research-based study with an MSc by research or MPhil/PhD.
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The standard fee for a Postgraduate Certificate for the Academic Year 2021/22 is £2,750.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Scholarship Available
The University of Bedfordshire is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
EU
The standard fee for a Postgraduate Certificate for the Academic Year 2021/22 is £2,750.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
