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Why choose the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity
Work experience in our on-campus community exercise clinic where clients include those with hypertension, neurological conditions, diabetes and stroke.
Local placement opportunities with The MS Centre in Bedford; Bedford Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation; Milton Keynes Cardiopulmonary Community Group; and MK NHS Neuro and Stroke Rehabilitation.
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
This unique Master’s course allows you to build on your sport and exercise background so you can transition into clinical settings specialising in exercise physiology. It gives you the opportunity to investigate the physiological consequences of chronic, debilitating diseases and the role of exercise testing in detecting the changes these diseases cause. You complete practice-based learning hours in applied settings with a range of clinical populations including neurological, cardiac, dementia and hypotensive, among others.
Course accreditation / industry endorsement
We are becoming accredited with the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), incorporating the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).
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).
Facilities and specialist equipment
- BASES-accredited laboratories including a biomechanics laboratory with 3D camera system
- Community exercise clinic
- Human Performance Centre with an environmental heat chamber where professional athletes and sports people come to train
- Nutrition research kitchen
- Sports injury and rehabilitation centre
- Additional equipment includes a Woodway treadmill; metabolic cart with integrated 12-lead ECG and RMR hood; hydrostatic weighing tank; and echocardiogram machine
Industry links
We are official education partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region, giving you opportunities to improve your employability through work placements.
We further increase your employability by being a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Additionally, our links to both local and national organisations, from the Premier League to grassroots sport, provide opportunities for industry-related work.
Your student experience
In the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024, our sport sciences and biosciences courses rank 6th in their subject field for sense of community.
Learn from an industry-experienced teaching team, actively involved in research in their field.
Benefit from on-campus opportunities to extend your knowledge and put your learnt skills into practice through our community exercise clinic; Human Performance Centre, and sports injury clinic.
Our Human Performance Centre helps train professional athletes and sports people including triathlete Lucy Charles Barclay, 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.
Attend masterclass lectures from industry practitioners including Dr Cheryl Barford (exercise prescription for clinical populations); Tarryn Mutch (clinical exercise therapy); and Abbie Bell, Senior Clinical Exercise Physiologist at Bedford Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department.
Graduate with a degree that gives you employability. Our graduates have pursued careers as student cardiologists, exercise physiologists, paediatric respiratory physiologists, therapy assistants and health advisers at Bedford Hospital, Luton and Dunstable Hospital, Southampton Children’s Hospital, Milton Keynes University Hospital, and BUPA.
Course Leader - Dr Louise Ferrandino
I have been teaching in the area of exercise physiology, research methods, physical activity, disability and health since I completed my PhD investigating energy expenditure in wheelchair athletes at Loughborough University in 2012. I enjoy teaching all aspects of physiology from the epidemiology of physical activity and health at a population level to the nutritional and training aspects of elite performance.
Course Leader - Dr Louise Ferrandino
I have been teaching in the area of exercise physiology, research methods, physical activity, disability and health since I completed my PhD investigating energy expenditure in wheelchair athletes at Loughborough University in 2012. I enjoy teaching all aspects of physiology from the epidemiology of physical activity and health at a population level to the nutritional and training aspects of elite performance.
What will you study?
Studying our Clinical Exercise Physiology MSc course will equip you with in-depth knowledge and skills around physiology, exercise and sport. In clinical areas of study, our Exercise and Nutrition Prescription unit will allow you to explore how exercise programmes and nutritional interventions can benefit the treatment of a variety of diseases. Based on scientific research, you will develop an understanding of exercise testing and assessments used in clinical settings and how to interpret using its results in our Exercise Testing and Diagnosis unit. This closely links to our unit in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing and Interpretation where you will critically analyse the underlying mechanisms of a variety of diseases where exercise testing has proved to be useful.
In practice, our Laboratory Skills unit will teach you to use a variety of physiological assessment tools for athletes and patients while also enabling you to prepare, perform and interpret results of physiological tests. Similarly, you will analyse how physical activity and nutrition contribute to adverse conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in our Metabolic Health unit. From this, you will learn to formulate recommendations for exercise prescription and nutritional advice based on a diverse range of patient needs. In other areas of study, you will also look at the role of Behavioural Science and Public Health in relation to the promotion of health and prevention of disease and illness.
A major component of this course includes our Placement (Long) unit where you will be able to develop your skills and knowledge in the application process and practice employability skills for a work-based environment. Additionally, you will also be able to complete a Placement for Clinical Exercise Physiology that will expose you to professional standards of practice by clinical exercise physiologists while getting the chance to work with clinical patients. Finally, you will complete a Sport and Physical Activity Master’s Dissertation where you will undertake a research project into a topic of interest relevant to your subject area. To help you with this, our Research Methods unit will facilitate your ability to understand, evaluate and conduct research in sport and exercise science while also enabling you to collect and analyse data.
How will you be assessed?
A variety of assessment formats will be used across the course, these assessments are designed to develop the transferable skills of the students, such as written and oral communication, the ability to follow logical instructions, problem solving and time management. Further to this some assessments are designed to mimic the scenarios that students may find in the clinical environment, for example, practical exams assess client care, technical skills, analysis and interpretation of test results. All of these assessments are considered to be the best method to assess the learning outcomes of the particular unit, as well as developing professional and transferrable skills.
Careers
On completion of this course, you will be able to build on your sport and exercise background, knowledge and skills to transition into clinical settings specialising in exercise physiology. The course opens the way to a career in the NHS, local authorities, private healthcare, insurance or within the health and fitness industry in roles such as a health promotion specialist; clinical exercise physiologist; clinical technician; or researcher.
You can also continue to further research-based study on MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD programmes.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International 2024/25
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International 2024/25
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
