Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine

Programme Structure

The MSc in Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine is a 12 month, full time Programme or can be undertaken part time over 24 months.  It is made up of 2 compulsory courses and 3 options courses (one each from Options X,Y and Z below), plus a 60 credit dissertation/project in order to fulfil the requirements of a Masters degree.

Research methods/20 credits - compulsory

This course is designed to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of research methodology in order to plan and execute a project of research or investigation. This includes: design, study population, ethics, collection, measurement and statistical analysis of data, and drawing final conclusions.

Current issues in Sport & Exercise Science and Medicine/10 credits - compulsory

This course is designed to enable students to develop literature searching, critical analysis, and written and oral communication skills in the context of a topic of current relevance to the sport and exercise sciences. Students are actively involved in selecting the topics of study under the guidance of the class tutor.

Option X/30 credits. Delivered teaching weeks 7-11

Physical Activity & Health: public health, policy and behaviour change

This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth critical knowledge and understanding of physical activity policy development, the key concepts in physical activity behaviour change in public health and the promotion of physical activity at a population level and with specific targeted populations.  This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine

Sports Injuries: scientific basis of prevention and rehabilitation

This course was designed to provide the student with an in-depth critical knowledge and understanding of the epidemiology of sports injuries to understand the relationship between gender, stage of development and level of participation; the aetiology of sports injuries to understand the functional impact of sporting performance and recreational activity; the mechanisms of tissue regeneration and understand how they influence the choice of specific interventions for treatment and rehabilitation.  This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme.

Clinical Sports Injuries

This 5 week course is taught at both the University Campus and the Sports Medicine Centre at Hampden Park. It is a hands-on, practical course which aims to improve background knowledge, clinical examination skills and techniques for the treatment and rehabilitation of common sports injuries.  This course is clinical in nature and is suitable for registered health professionals (including suitably qualified doctors or HPC or equivalent physiotherapists). 

Option Y/30 Credits - delivered teaching weeks 17 - 21

Physical Activity and Health: Biological Mechanisms

This course is designed to provide the student with an in-depth critical knowledge and understanding of the relationship between physical activity; fitness and health; the biological mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects of physical activity on health; how the quality and quantity of physical activity influences health benefits.  This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme.

Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to analyse and coach new motor skills and a background knowledge of human motor control to support further learning of skill acquisition techniques. The course will also expose the students to recent advances in scientific understanding of how movements are learned and executed most effectively. This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme.

Sport and Exercise Medicine in Practice

This course provides students with background knowledge and skills to offer practical advice when working with athletes and teams in a sports medicine environment. The course aims to introduce the common clinical challenges in Sport and Exercise Medicine, to explore the ethical and medico-legal challenges of Sport and Exercise Medicine, and to develop an understanding of the multi-disciplinary team involved in Sport and Exercise Medicine.  This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme.

Option Z/30 credits - delivered teaching weeks 22 - 27

Cellular and molecular exercise physiology

This course is designed to provide the student with an in depth and critical knowledge of how cell and molecules relate to organ and organismal physiology and how cellular and molecular systems respond to exercise and physical activity. The course will also provide the student with skills and knowledge to evaluate how cellular and molecular adaptations to regular physical activity and exercise training contribute to increased fitness and improved exercise performance. This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme.

The World Class Athlete : nature, nurture and maximising performance

This course is designed to provide the student with an in depth critical knowledge and understanding which will enable them to evaluate the genetic determinants of elite human sporting performance and the environmental factors determining elite human sporting performance. The course will also enable the student to recognise how both nature and nurture impact on elite human sporting performance. This course is suitable for all students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine programme. 

Exercise in Clinical Populations

In this course students will learn about the aetiology and pathology of a number of chronic diseases and the role of physical activity in their prevention and management.

Dissertation/Project (60 credits)

This element of the Programme is designed to enable the student to plan and execute an independent research project, audit or critical review of the literature in the area of cardiovascular sciences and to produce a written dissertation and to present and discuss the conclusion of the research.