Exercise Physiology (M.Sc. / P.Grad.Dip.)

Course details

This course aims to provide training for professional development of physical educators and health care workers who employ exercise therapy. In addition this course would be ideal for those interested in gaining experience in assessment of exercise performance, and exercise applications in training and research. All graduates will develop an advanced understanding of how the body responds to acute and chronic exercise, in both physiological and pathological conditions, and acquire practical experience in the use of modern technologies for monitoring and assessing exercise performance.

To be eligible for admission, applicants are expected to hold a tertiary qualification, normally with some grounding in human biology. Typical candidates who achieve well on the course are employed in the field of physical education, as health professionals involved with patient management, or who have a significant personal involvement or interest in elite level exercise. Candidates with insufficient biological background may be required to undertake a lecture unit in basic physiological principles during the year before entry.

In year one, instruction will consist of approximately 300 contact hours devoted to taught modules comprising 60 ECTS. All modules will provide a focus on normal physiological function, pathological conditions and related aspects of exercise. Running themes throughout the course will encourage practical applications to human exercise, basics of data acquisition, recording and analysis, and critical evaluation of published works.

In the first year, students are assessed progressively in all modules through a variety of formal reports, essays, practical work and through final written examinations held during the Annual examination period . All students must attend a viva voce examination following the end of year written papers to conclude the assessment process.