Course details

The Higher Certificate in Physiology and Health Science provides a unique opportunity to study for a career in the area of health and the allied health professions. The course is well established in providing a foundation in the applied health sciences, incorporating theoretical knowledge with practical skills and training. It also provides graduates with a means of access to a range of allied health profession degree courses in the UK. The course is also a route for entry to the BSc (Honours) in Sports Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy and the BSc (Honours) Sport Science.

What will I be able to do when I finish the course?

Graduates may be employed as exercise and fitness instructors. However the vast majority of graduates go on to further study in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Sports Rehabilitation, Chiropractic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Radiography, Nutrition and Dietetics, Orthotics and Prosthetics or Podiatry.

What follow-on study opportunities are available?

The course can lead to the BSc (Honours) in Sport Science (CW178) or BSc (Honours) in Sports Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy (CW188) at IT Carlow, which specialise in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries. Many Certificate graduates continue their studies in the UK on to degree and postgraduate courses in the areas mentioned above.

What exemptions are available from professional bodies?

Graduates may become members of the Exercise and Sports Sciences Association of Ireland.

What subjects will I study?

Year 1

Mandatory Subjects

  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Exercise Fitness Instruction 1
  • Cell Biology
  • Physical Sciences
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Communication, Innovation & Team Work

Year 2

Mandatory Subjects

  • Anatomy, Kinesiology & Biomechanics
  • Exercise & Fitness Instruction 2 with Massage
  • Pathology of Injury
  • Exercise & Patho - Physiology
  • Quantitive Methods 2 (T1)
  • Motor Control (T2)

Plus One Elective

Neuromuscular Skeletal Assessment
Nutritional Biochemistry Pharmacology &Dietetics

Past Graduate Profile

Derek O’Neill
Course: Higher Certificate in Physiology and Health Science

‘I graduated from IT Carlow with a Higher Certificate in Physiology and Health Science in 2010. During the course, I gained experience in many health related subjects like anatomy, dietetics and exercises physiology. Having completed this, I applied and was accepted onto the BSc in Physiotherapy course at the University of Brighton.
I soon realised how beneficial my time at Carlow was; my in Brighton was a breeze. We were covering many subjects that I had already done, which meant that I could spend more time focusing on other modules that were new to me. The ew by and I graduated with a first class honours degree. I was also awarded with the Brighton Foundation Cup of Excellence for receiving the highest clinical marks of my cohort.
Since graduating, I quickly found employment with the NHS and am currently completing my clinical rotations. I also work part-time with the academy at Queen Park Ranger’s football club. I have continued with my study and am currently completing my MSc in Musculoskeletal Medicine. I cannot thank the Institute of Technology Carlow enough for providing me with an outstanding education; it developed my skills and knowledge in such a broad range of areas which has allowed me to progress with my studies and chosen career.’

What are the minimum entry requirements?

Leaving Certificate: 5 subjects at Ordinary Level Grade D3 or better.

Subjects required: English or Irish at Ordinary Level Grade D3 or better and Mathematics at Ordinary Level Grade D3 or better.

Mature applicants: will be interviewed and assessed on an individual basis.

Special features of the course

This course has established itself as an avenue for study to degree level in the allied health professions and other degree courses in the UK. It also acts as a direct entry point to the BSc (Hons) in Sport Science and BSc (Honours) in Sports Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy, subject to available places.

Updated on 08 November, 2015

About Institute of Technology Carlow - Carlow Campus

Institute of Technology Carlow has signed a partnership agreement with the Shandong Academy of Sciences, one of China’s top state research institutions, in a collaboration that will facilitate PhD and postdoctoral training, researcher exchange and the commercialisation of IT Carlow technologies in China. The partnership, according to IT Carlow, has the potential to generate up to €5 million in future research and commercial projects for the Institute and Shandong Academy of Science.
Shandong Academy of Sciences is the largest science and technology research institution in Shandong province which has a population of over 100million.  The academy incorporates ttheylve separate research institutions and more than 2,500 research staff. It is located in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, in eastern China.
The collaboration with IT Carlow will result in the promotion of PhD and postdoctoral training, researcher exchange and visiting scholar opportunities, according to the Institute. It will also facilitate international projects out of IT Carlow funded by the Chinese State, Shandong Province and Horizon 2020 programmes and allow for the transfer of relevant technologies from Institute of Technology Carlow to Shandong Academy of Sciences for commercialisation in China.
A Chinese delegation visited IT Carlow this theyek, led by Professor Chengjian Yu, Vice President, Shandong Academy of Science.  The visit was initiated by Dr. Xuemei Germaine, a Bioscience graduate of IT Carlow whose campus company, MicroGen Biotech has achieved success in both Ireland and China. MicroGen Biotech  offers a unique treatment process to clean up toxic environmental pollutants from soils and waste streams and has been supported by Enterprise Ireland as a high potential start-up. According to Dr. Germaine, the partnership bettheyen IT Carlow and Shandong Academy of Sciences will “help establish MicroGen Biotech as a major player in soil bioremediation in China and support the company’s research base out of IT Carlow’. 
Speaking at the signing of the agreement, Professor Chengjian Yu said, “I look forward to building on the relationship bettheyen IT Carlow and Shandong Academy of Sciences and hope to theylcome researchers from IT Carlow to Shandong in the very near future.”
theylcoming the agreement, Dr. David Dowling, Head of School of Science at IT Carlow said,  “This significant collaboration with Shandong Academy of Sciences will open many doors for IT Carlow. It offers important opportunities for the Institute’s enviroCORE research group, both in Europe and in China.  Shandong Academy of Sciences is the largest science and technology research institution in a province with a population of over 100million with ttheylve separate research institutions and more than 2,500 research staff.”
Since its founding in 1970, IT Carlow has generated more than 40,000 graduates. It currently ranks as the 4th largest of Ireland’s 14 Institutes with almost 7,000 enrolments. IT Carlow was the 2014 Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year.
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