MSc Sport and Exercise Science

Core units

• Advanced Physiological Responses to Exercise - The aim of this unit is to empower you to cultivate a systematic understanding of advanced principles governing acute and long-term physiological responses to exercise in diverse environments. You will critically apply established physiological assessment techniques to a professional standard, autonomously collecting and analysing physiological data for decision-making that stands up to rigorous scrutiny.

• Medical and Scientific Issues in Sport and Exercise - The focus of this unit is to systematically develop a critical awareness and the ability to constructively discuss a broad range of contemporary medical and scientific issues within sport. The unit aims to provide a current, comprehensive, and applicable understanding of how sport and exercise performance may be optimised with science and medicine whilst maintaining ethical and moral standards.

• Professional Practice and Placement -  The aim of this unit is to assist you in critically reflecting upon and enhancing your intrapersonal, interpersonal, and analytical skills essential for navigating the challenges and dilemmas inherent in the contemporary sports industry as part of a multidisciplinary team (including coaches, performance analysts, sports scientists, and others). 

• Independent Project - You will be empowered with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities required to undertake a self-directed research project. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and practical application of research methods, you will explore and contribute to your field of expertise. 

Optional Units (choose three, 2 from Option A, 1 from Option B)

Option A – select 2

• Neuromuscular Adaptation - The aim of this unit is to systematically equip you with a comprehensive and critical understanding of neuromuscular function and applied biomechanics applied to strength and conditioning training and injury prevention. You will develop practical, autonomous skills in systematically assessing human function, emphasising the complex interplay between the skeletal, nervous and muscular systems controlling movement.  

• Data Science for Sport - The aim of the unit is to introduce data science within a sporting context. Data science is a multidisciplinary field that involves the systematic analysis, interpretation, and extraction of valuable insights from complex and large-scale datasets, employing a combination of statistical, mathematical, and programming techniques to inform decision-making and solve real-world problems across various domains.

• Insights Through Data Visualisation - You will gain the understanding and technical skills required to provide actionable insights through data visualisation. Data visualisation involves the representation of information in graphical or visual formats, allowing for the effective communication of complex datasets. 

• Applied Performance Analysis Workflows - The aim of the unit is to cultivate a critical understanding of the systematic steps and processes involved in performance analysis in sports, where this process is referred to as a workflow. You will distinguish between various roles within the field of performance analysis and develop individual philosophies of performance analysis including how and when to successfully communicate and integrate players, coaches, and other key stakeholder into the process. 

• Understanding Safe Sport - This unit is designed to provide a critical insight into contemporary themes and key issues within the current safe sport, safeguarding and welfare agenda. In doing so, it will cover core definitions of interpersonal violence in sport as well as an understanding of the cultures that enable it to occur. 

• Inclusive Practices in Sport - Fostering an environment of inclusivity is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity in sport. This unit explores inclusion through a welfare lens, focusing on the roles of key stakeholders, such as coaches, officials, managers, and support staff and highlights their interconnected roles in creating safe and inclusive sports environments. 

• Nutrition in the Prevention and Management of Disease - This unit examines foundations of nutrition, for example macronutrients and micronutrients, vitamins, methods of assessing dietary intake and nutritional status, energy and nutrient requirements, basic metabolic pathways related to nutrition, and function of nutrient digestion and absorption. It also evaluates the prevention and management of disease in the community setting, for example gastrointestinal disorders (i.e., celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome), food intolerances and allergies, obesity and metabolic disorders, cancer and heart disease. 

• Nutrition, Health and Psychology - This unit aims to provide an advanced understanding of recent evidence and current thinking on the control of appetite, food intake and the regulation of energy balance. You will develop a detailed understanding of the interplay between the physiological and psychological (behavioural)  regulatory processes underpinning the control of feeding and energy intake with a view to improve health and quality of life among individuals and groups in the community.

Option B – Select 1

• Exercise Psychology for Behaviour Change - You will systematically explore the role of psychology in exercise and physical activity domains. Through a critical analysis and evaluation of systematic, current, and comprehensive psychological theoretical approaches, you will develop applicable and original insights into behaviour change, sedentary behaviour, motivation, physical activity, and mental health initiatives

• Sport, Ethics and Integrity - This unit will explore the topics of ethics and integrity in sports and consider the opportunities and challenges that arise alongside the aspiration for the duty of care in modern sporting environments. With a focus on critical thinking and ethical reasoning, you will develop the skills necessary to navigate complex ethical scenarios inherent in the world of sports.

• Welfare and Human Rights in Sport - This unit aims to explore the welfare and human rights of key actors in sport. The unit will explore the right to participate in sport in a safe and equitable environment. 

• Contemporary Nutrition - The aim of this unit is to enable you to develop and broaden your in depth knowledge of the latest research findings within the context of global nutritional issues, the interaction between nutrients, physiological functions and the health conditions they influence. The course will aim to provide integrated information on nutrition, physiology, health and disease, and public health applications – all in one unit.

• Nutrition for Brain and Mental Health - You will gain an advanced insight into the interaction between nutrition and brain and mental health. The unit will introduce you to a wide spectrum of factors and effects of nutrition on brain and mental health. Both physiological and cognitive ways our daily diet can affect mental and brain health will be explored.

A key feature of our course is the opportunity for a 150-hour work placement, providing invaluable hands-on experience and allowing you to build professional networks within the industry. Whether you aspire to work in elite sports organisations, clinical settings, or public health sectors, this placement will enhance your career prospects and equip you with real-world skills and experience. 

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Contact hours and assessment

Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification. 

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

This course selects candidates by looking at their applications. There are no interviews or additional selection activities and therefore we suggest that you make your application stand out from the crowd.

For more information, take a look at our postgraduate how to apply pages.

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 (or equivalent) is required in a relevant subject.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55% 
Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:2 
China:  Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above 
Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0 
Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or 2.25/4, or a Master’s degree/Thac si. 

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level. 

• Sport Science Intern
• Sports Technician
• Sport Psychology Assistant
• PE Teaching Assistant
• Performance Analyst
• Player Management & Development
• Psychology Intern
• Strength & Conditioning Intern
• Sports Activities Counselor
• Coaching
• Health & Fitness Instructor
• PE & Administration Assistant
• PE & Sports Coaching Intern
• Personal Trainer
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Assistant
• GP Referral Assistant
• Health Promoter

We provide a lot of support for you to help you find work, including a block of seminars, covering topics such as writing a CV and a cover letter, completing an application form, performing well in interviews, and we also provide language support to assist you with the written elements of your applications. 

However, it is ultimately your responsibility to find work. The university does not guarantee that you will find a place. Some students may choose to opt for a taught unit instead of placement.  

During your time on placement, you will be supported by a unit tutor and a placement development advisor who will visit you on placement and keep in touch by phone and email. 

If you choose to do a placement as part of your course

If you have previously studied in the UK, we will consider any study limit that may apply. We will issue your CAS according to the length of time you are entitled to under UKVI regulations (if you do not have enough time left for a work placement year, we will issue your CAS to cover your course dates only).
If you decide after you have enrolled on your course that you do not want to do a placement, this will be reported to the UKVI when you have successfully completed your course.

If you choose not to do a placement as part of your course

We will note this on your CAS and your visa will only be granted long enough to cover your taught course, excluding placement.
If you change your mind while you are here and decide you want to do a placement, you will need to leave the UK to make a new Tier 4 visa application for the additional year of study. You would need to pay for your return travel back to your home country, as well as the cost of a new Tier 4 student visa application.

Find out more about placements by reading our student blog.

• Sports Scientist  
• Exercise Physiologist  
• Health Promotion Specialist  
• Exercise Science Researcher 
• Lecturer / Teacher 

Once you have completed your degree, you may wish to consider returning to BU to further develop your education! There are various options including postgraduate research degrees or choose from our portfolio of continued professional development (CPD) units and courses. 

Research degrees

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us! 

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree.

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and the funding options available.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for any mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features. 
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding BU financial support funds. 
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
• Travel costs, outdoor wear and footwear for optional field trips.
• Travel costs to and from the university campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies 
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• SportsBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment/ There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit.

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

We offer a range of scholarships to students who are beginning their studies at BU. Our fees and funding pages also provide details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

Dr. Callaway is Director of the Human Performance Laboratory and a Principal Academic in Sports Biomechanics and Performance Analysis. With a background in electronics engineering and computing, Dr. Callaway’s work focuses on the development and creation of novel measurement methods to record, measure, and analyse different aspects of performance, from a clinical, rehabilitation or performance perspective.  

Laboratory based assessment of activities is common and needed. Dr. Callaway’s work develops these to field-based measurements to allow ecologically valid (in-game) assessments with an applied focus striving to create comprehensive biomechanical profiles to develop best practice in a variety of environments both sporting and clinical. 

Rebecca is a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and teaches anatomy, physiology and research methods units. She has conducted research in the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth in the areas of Exercise and Environmental Physiology and Sports Performance for the English Institute of Sport, British Triathlon, GlaxoSmithKline and the Ministry of Defence. Educated at the University of Birmingham (BSc Hons) and King’s College London (MSc), Rebecca completed her PhD at the University of Portsmouth with the English Institute of Sport, entitled: Effect of combined stressors on heat acclimation and temperate exercise.

Paul is a lecturer in Nutrition and Exercise Science. He leads the Research Methods and Principles of Food and Nutrition modules as well as contributing towards many other units across both the nutrition and sport and exercise science programs. 

Paul's first degree is in Sport and Exercise Science, he then went on to study Public Health Nutrition at masters level, before completing a PhD in Human Nutrition at Bournemouth University. 

Dr Louise Burgess teaches on the BSc Sport and Exercise Science course at Bournemouth University, teaching units including Sport and Exercise Physiology, Advances in Biomechanics and Research Methods.

She started her research journey at the Orthopaedic Research Institute of Bournemouth University, where she was involved in delivering world-leading research in arthritis and associated diseases, treatments, and technologies. Louise has co-authored 26 published research papers and 13 conference papers, and has collaborated with several notable industry partners, including University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, BH Live Active, and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Her research interests now include injury risk and incidence of arthritis in rugby players.

Louise completed a PhD entitled: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve muscle weakness in hip osteoarthritis: a feasibility study, and has recently been awarded a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy.

Dr Emma Mosley is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences. Emma is a BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist, Chartered Scientist and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Emma completed her PhD in 2018 which examined themes around psychophysiology and performance under pressure. She is an active researcher within psychophysiology and sport psychology, with a particular specialism in heart rate variability and breathing exercises. 

Her research strives to understand the relationship between the mind and body and how athletes can harness this for performance and wellbeing. Emma is currently working on a funded project with the International Biathlon Union to understand the use of breathing and visual interventions for biathlon performance.